we are really blessed…

have you ever stopped to think about how really blessed we are? we often forget that most of the world is barely struggling to survive. let me just put this into perspective…

•  if you have food in your refrigerator, if you have clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of all the people in the world. you’re in the top 25%.
• if you have any money in the bank, you have some money in your wallet, and you have spare change in a dish someplace you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy. you are richer than 92% of the people in the world. you are blessed.
• if you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are already ahead of five hundred million people who have experienced those things.
• if you can attend a worship service without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are more blessed than three billion people on this planet. what we will do this next sunday is illegal for three billion people somewhere in the world.

we just forget how blessed we are.

the bible says that everything you have in your life is a gift from GOD. you wouldn’t have it if it weren’t for the grace of GOD. in fact, without GOD’s blessing you’d have nothing in your life.

john 1.16 (tev), out of the fullness of HIS grace HE has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another. everything you have in your life is a blessing from GOD. we think that we’ve earned it. we think that we deserved it. but GOD says, no, it’s all by GOD’s grace. it’s all because of GOD. “but i worked for what i got!” where did you get your ability to work? where did you get your intelligence? where did you get your health? where did you get your life? it’s all a gift of GOD. it’s all from HIM.

here is a list of some of GOD’s gracious blessings. just a short list. we’re saved by grace. we’re forgiven by grace. the bible says we’re strengthened by grace. we’re set free from problems and sins by grace. all of the talents you have were given to you. you didn’t choose them. they were just gift of grace that GOD gave you. you’re used by GOD’s grace. you’re transformed by grace. and we grow by grace.

just a thought from the front porch…