We all have struggles and trials in this life, and I am sure that there have been times when every one of us has uttered some version of the following saying:

I know that God will not give me more than I can bear.  I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.

There may be times when you feel pushed to your limit.  You may feel like you’re hanging on by a thread even.  When you’re at your wits end and are not sure how much more you can take, know that God will not give you more than you can bear.  He won’t.

Also, know this.  God will be with you every step of the way, even carrying you when He needs to in order for you to make it through.

With everything that you’ve been through, know that there is someone else in the world that has it worse than you do.   When we stop to consider just how blessed we truly are, our problems begin to lose their grip on us.  The problems may still be there, but it helps to change your way of thinking about them.  Instead of focusing on the negatives of your situation, try to think of a positive in the situation.  I promise you, as bad as you think your problems are, someone somewhere else in the world has it a lot worse.

It takes a lot of effort, but when you find yourself starting to dwell on your problems, try changing your focus to something a little more positive instead.  Easier said than done, but trust me.  You have so many blessings in your life.  You have so many things to be thankful for!

You are blessed!

I am blessed!

We are blessed!

We are so blessed in this lifetime! Why, then, do we focus only on the negatives? Why do we give them so much power over our lives?  Let’s do something about that, shall we?

When your eyes open in the morning, immediately start your day with a positive thought and a word of praise.

Oh thank you, God!  Thank you for waking me up this morning!  Thank you for the gift of another day!  Thank you for another opportunity to live my life to the fullest.

It matters how you start your day!   If you wake up and begin with negative thoughts before your eyes ever open, you won’t have as good of a day as you would if you begin your day with words of thankfulness and praise.

When you wake up, take a deep breath in and thank God for waking you up with the morning light.  Thank Him for allowing you to be with your loved ones another day.  Some people didn’t get that extra day that you’ve been given.

When your feet hit the floor, thank Him that you can get out of bed in the mornings.  Thank Him that you had a bed to sleep in last night and covers to warm you.  Some people do not have this luxury.

When you walk to the bathroom to get a shower, thank God that you’re able to walk!  Thank God that you’re able to do for yourself.  Others have to depend on people to bathe them as they are unable to do that for themselves.  Think of how blessed you are, and say a special prayer for all of those that are going through this and for the precious caregivers.   Neither the patient nor the caregiver have an easy road ahead of them that day, yet here you stand under the warmth of the shower.

Don’t give into the temptation of a complaining spirit.  You have much to be thankful for!

When you sit down to have your breakfast and drink your coffee, thank God for the food!   Some do not have anything to eat at all.   (Be sure to thank God for your food before you begin your meal.  I always notice when people don’t do this and just start eating or stare at us when we get ready to bow our heads to say the blessing before we eat.  Be thankful in all things … even for the food that you’re about to receive!)

Make time to read your bible or a daily devotional and pray before starting your day.  I have heard people that say they just don’t have time for this.  I say that you DO … you don’t have to get down on your knees every single time to pray.  You can pray while you’re in the shower, having breakfast, or driving down the road going to work or school.  You CAN find time.  If your mind can wander to all of the negatives, you have time to gain control of your thoughts and go to God in prayer.  That is when you need to re-focus your attention any way instead of remaining in a negative state of mind.  You DO have time to pray!  As far as not having time to read your bible or a daily devotional, that isn’t true either.  There are some devotionals that don’t require a lot of time, yet their messages are powerful and will have you thinking on them all day.  My husband reads Joel Osteen’s daily devotional every morning.  I am partial to Joyce Meyer’s daily devotional.  Jesus Calling by Sarah Young is also a very powerful daily devotional.   They do not require a lot of time, yet they leave such an impact!  Try it!

We are blessed in this life.  If we would just take a moment or two to redirect our thoughts, it will make a difference in how our day goes!  It has been proven!

Will you try it?  Will you make an effort to be more positive and to start your day in a more positive manner?

Will you count your blessings instead of focusing on your troubles?