God has a plan....

 

Ten Ways to Live a Miserable Life

 While spring cleaning [our house and] my laptop, I happened on this.

What a good reminder for me today.....this 2^nd day after Easter Sunday.

It looks like I saved it on: Sat, Nov 4, 2017 at 9:47 PM.

Sorry, I do not remember where I got this in order to give credit, however I felt I really needed to post this to my blog “Collected Thoughts and Things” for someone else to “stumble” upon. I have put the word “stumble” in quotes because I believe in God's Providence.... that nothing “just happens” in life. If you are here reading this then this is a message for you to think on....feel free to save, print out, or share this message because it may lead to a blessing for someone else.

Praise God from whom all blessing flow....V

10 Ways to Live a Miserable Life

1. Focus on the negative. Whine and complain about everything and everyone all the time.

2. Be ungrateful and unappreciated of the relationships, health, and possessions you do have.

3. Constantly criticize others.

4. Expect others to serve you.

5. Be concerned with only yourself and talk about only yourself.

6. Hold others to a higher standard than what you hold yourself to.

7. Expect others to reach out to you first.

8. Have a martyr complex.

9. Blame others and hold a grudge.

10. Expect God to owe you something.

A self-centered life will not lead to living an abundant life, it will just lead to a miserable life.

All of these actions and attitudes are so easy to succumb to because our flesh will naturally default to them. It’s a wise woman who recognizes these ways do not lead to a flourishing life but rather a rotten one.

Laying aside my flesh is hard. And developing Godly virtues are hard. But the effects of living a miserable life is not how I want to be characterized as a woman since a self-centered lifestyle is not pleasing to the Lord. Plus, I don’t want to leave this kind of legacy to my children because they’ll most likely end up emulating me.

Choosing to surrender my self-centered ways is the path that I want to embrace as hard as it might be, therefore I need to dwell on the things that bring life to my soul so God can transform my heart and make it more like His.

By embracing an others-minded mentality and choosing to have a joyful attitude, my life (and yours) will change for the better and so will our relationships! Now, I don’t know about you, but I’d like to have a thriving life and thriving relationships!

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Phil. 2:4-5

Are you in a place of discouragement today? Do you feel miserable?

If so, dwell on this, my friend…

“Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!” ~ Psalm 103:2-5

Live a poured out life for Christ,

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And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ~ Romans 8:28