1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,399 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. You're so happy 2 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: to have you listening. I'm Michelle Zurich. Today's topic is 3 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: Gratefulness or Entitlement. We'll be back after words from our sponsor. 4 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 1: Gratefulness or Entitlement written and read by Michelle S. Laseric. 5 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: Give thanks in all circumstances. This is God's will for 6 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 1: you in Christ Jesus one Thessalonians five verse eighteen. This year, 7 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: because we were blessed with some money in October, my 8 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:54,319 Speaker 1: husband and I decided to treat ourselves to a new 9 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: coffee maker. As you pulled out this fansome machine with 10 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: all the bells and whistles you could imagine, we were 11 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: excited to try it out. We quickly realized, however, that 12 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: it would be more difficult to use than we thought. 13 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: We followed the instructions carefully, yet it wasn't making the 14 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: drinks we desired. After several unsuccessful attempts and a half 15 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: a bag of wasted coffee, we decided to take the 16 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,320 Speaker 1: machine back. After all, we weren't going to spend a 17 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: lot of money on a machine that didn't give us 18 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: what we wanted. As you packed up the maker, we grumbled. 19 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 1: Didn't we deserve a coffee maker that gave us what 20 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: we wanted? We wanted to treat ourselves as something special. 21 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: Wouldn't God give us the treat that we deserved, even 22 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: though as after Thanksgiving our hearts were far from thankful. 23 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: After we reflected on our attitudes, we asked the Lord 24 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: for forgiveness. We realized we were struggling with the spirit 25 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: of entitlement. We plunked down our heart earned money and 26 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: expected to get a reward in return. But as we 27 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: all know, that's not how God works. God doesn't owe 28 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: us anything. In fact, we owe him everything. The Abobbrus 29 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: reminds us that we are commanded to be thankful, but 30 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: it is God's will that we be thankful in everything. 31 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 1: Yet we can easily get consumed by our own tough circumstances, 32 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,839 Speaker 1: wallow and self pity, and lose sight of what's really 33 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: important in life. We weren't just upset that a machine 34 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: didn't give us what we wanted. Deep down, both my 35 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: husband and I believed we deserved a high end, fancy 36 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 1: machine that give us what we wanted on demand. Jesus 37 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 1: life was the opposite of that. He didn't demand anything 38 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: from anyone. He received hospitality when it was offered, and 39 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: he spent his life serving others. God's will is that, 40 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: because of God's great mercy and grace, we choose to 41 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: be grateful and focus on the truly important things. What 42 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: is important in your life? Do you find yourself losing 43 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: focus on what's truly important? Do you, like us, struggle 44 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 1: with the spirit of entitlement deep down? Do you believe 45 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: you deserve something more than what you have, or that 46 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: life owes you something regardless of where you are in life, 47 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: God's will is for us to be thankful, although that's 48 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: easier said than done. There is nothing more important in 49 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: life than our salvation. We must always keep the right 50 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: attitude instead of grossing or complaining. Because we believe life 51 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,239 Speaker 1: owes us something more, we can instead be grateful for 52 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: where we are in life. There's always something to be 53 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 1: grateful for. Take a moment and pray and thank God 54 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: for all the things He's given you in this life. 55 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: If you are in a difficult circumstance and you are 56 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: having difficulty for calling this blessings, ask the Lord to 57 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: reveal them to you. Ask him to remind you of 58 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: all the things he has done in your life. Your 59 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: mind will become so flooded with his blessings that you 60 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: may have difficulty focusing on anything else. Selay thank God 61 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: that He's present in your life and that he has 62 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: given you many good things. It is easy to get 63 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: off track and to focus on the unimportant things in life, 64 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: But as you meditate on God's word, he reminds us 65 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: it is his will that we be thankful in everything, 66 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: through good times and bad. Father, let us be thankful 67 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,119 Speaker 1: in all circumstances. Let us not believe in the lie 68 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: that we are owed something in life simply because we exist. Instead, 69 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: let us be grateful for all the blessings You've chosen 70 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: to bestow on us throughout our lives. Let us take 71 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 1: time each day to reflect in all the blessings you 72 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: have given us, and let us adopt a thankful, grateful 73 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: attitude every day, no matter what comes our way. Amen 74 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,679 Speaker 1: intersecting faith in life, Analyze your heart. Do you struggle 75 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: with a spirit of entitlement? What can you do right 76 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 1: now to determine if you are struggling with this small spirit? 77 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: Further reading some one hundred verse four, the crosswalk devotional 78 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: is a production of life Audio and Salem Media. 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