Feel Taken for Granted?

My daughter explained to me the difficulty of auditioning for a lead in a musical yesterday. “It’s harder when you know the director. It’s like you’ve messed up already in front of her, so why try your best? I always work harder when it’s someone new, that’s why I always do better.”

Clueless as to how her young heart embraced familiarity and discouragement, I launched into coaching. “Do you think that’s what God would want or what that other guy would want?”

“Well, Satan, of course, but I don’t know why,” she said.

“Do you know that this is the same thing that trips people up in marriage?” I asked.

She looked at me confused. “How?”

“We think we know someone super-well, so we think we know what he’s thinking. We think, ‘We’ll always be married,’ so we stop trying our best. Or we think, ‘I’ve already messed up, so why try my best?’ and we get lazy. We stop trying hard. What do you think God wants us to do in our marriage?”

“Do our best!” she said.

“Exactly. And my guess is that this is the same in your relationship with your brothers, and with Dad and me… but we really all should be trying our best with those closest to us, right?” I asked. “So you should give your director your best audition, because you know her, not the opposite, right? And besides, you know you should be doing your best regardless of what you do or who it’s for, because you are really doing it for God.”

“Hmmm… Yeah. I forgot that,” she said, running off to practice for the audition.

I couldn’t remember the reference or the wording at the time, but today, here’s what I’m sharing with her from Colossians 3:23 (ISV):

Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly as though you were doing it for the Lord and not merely for people.

Hebrews 10:29 (NKJV) says we are in deep trouble if we take for granted what Christ has done for us: Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

Mark 6:6 has Jesus wondering at the lack of respect and ingratitude towards Him in His own town of Nazareth, when He began His ministry.

Are we guilty?

Dare you today to combat the lies of this world and the disrespect that comes with familiarity by being grateful.

There’s no room for misery in a heart overflowing with thankfulness.

Count your blessings – here or on Facebook with us today, or in a notebook daily on your kitchen counter or office desk, capturing the many blessings of this life. In Daughters of Sarah, we call this activity, “Gratitudes.” It’s one of the big life-changing and marriage-overhauling exercises in The Respect Dare book – especially the way God had us do it.

Start now – you’ll find that even the hard eucharisteo of suffering includes blessing – you’ll see it if you start with the obvious things we humans label as “good.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalms 107:1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endures forever.

Psalms 118:24 This is the day which the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalms 136:1 O give thanks to the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endures forever.

John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things to God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Having a thankful heart produces a life of gratitude and joy, which is the opposite of discouragement. If you have trouble with this concept, read Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts. But regardless, start counting. I’ve noticed a difference in my ability to stay out of the pit by doing this. Dare you to join me.

The enemy has little traction in a life filled with gratitude.

Double dog dare you to share and comment as a Titus 2 woman of influence, encouraging others to do the same. We can facilitate this environment in our homes – and change everyone’s experiences…seriously. Dare ya.

So glad you are here!
Love to you,

~Nina