Bless the Lord

**I wrote this post back in January, but it's still something the Lord has been teaching me lately. Guess I am a slow learner...

A couple weeks ago I was really struggling with my attitude. I was negative. I was more impatient than usual and easily irritated. I don't like being that way. I know that I need to exhibit patience and hold my tongue, but I was choosing to sin, to say things in an unkind tone, words that I wanted to take back almost as soon as they came out.  I was not allowing the Holy Spirit to work in me. I was trying to do things in my own strength and it never works when I try. It was a battle (and still is a daily one) because I know the right thing to do. I know that I need to put aside my sinful nature and yield to the Holy Spirit. I need to be ok with not always getting my way. I need to model what a follower of Christ should look like. I need to take the time to discipline and train my kids but do it with kindness and love because I want them to obey God and not just please me. So, what do I do when my attitude is bad? 
There are a couple of things that really help have a servant's heart rather than a selfish one.
  • Start my day in the Word of God. Just reading a chapter of God's Word encourages me and helps me prioritize my day.
  • Memorize scripture that remind me what I should be doing. (Passages like Colossians 4:6, Philippians 2:5-8, Ephesians 4:29)
  • Spend time with godly women. This may seem obvious, but my spirit is encouraged when I'm around women who love the Lord. We spent one morning several week with one friend who speaks so graciously to her children. After spending time with her, I want to be like that toward my kids. 
  • Listen to sermons by men who preach the Word. One of my favorites to listen to is Alistair Begg. Some other faithful men are: John Piper, John MacArthur, Chuck Swindoll and David Jeremiah. 
  • Listen to theologically-sound music. There is some great music out there that exalts God. Sometimes you can find Scripture put to music. Songs that remind me of the greatness of God and his other attributes are good for my soul. (Keith and Kristyn Getty, Fernando Ortega, Chris Tomlin, Sovereign Grace Music, Laura Story and Selah are played often arond here.)
  • Look at others around me. Many times I have a bad attitude b/c life is not going my way. When I look outside my circumstances and see others who are hurting and suffering around me, my attitude changes immensely. I am grateful that the Lord has blessed me with several friends who have gone through some tough trials but chosen to trust the Lord. They encourage me to trust Him.
We've sung this song in church lately and I love it. It reminds me of the passage in Psalm 103:1-5 where David writes these words:
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your [a]years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

I've heard it said that King David is telling his soul to bless the LORD. He's reminding himself to bless the LORD. You'd think that I'd never forget to bless the LORD, solely for the reason that he saved me from the kingdom of darkness, but if you're like me, you forget. We forget all the many ways He's blessed us(salvation, health, another day of life, a home, family, etc). We get bogged down with life. Maybe there are some really stressful situations going on or maybe it's just the busyness of life. I know I focus too much on the here and now and forget about the big picture. I forget why I'm here.  When I remind myself (tell my soul) how great God is and try to be obedient to Him and bring him glory, my attitude changes drastically. 

The first verse of "10,000 Reasons"
"The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning.
 It's time to sing Your song again. 
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, 
Let me be singing when the evening comes." 
(What can we sing to the Lord? A few ideas are listed in verses 3 and 4 of Ps. 103)

The second verse to the song gives more reasons:
"You're rich in love and you're slow to anger,
Your name is great and your heart is kind.
For all your goodness I will keep on singing,
10,000 reasons for my heart to find."

Chorus: 
Bless the Lord O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul,
I"ll worship Your holy name

If you've never heard the song or you are blessed when you hear it, here's a link. I pray it encourages your soul to bless the Lord! 


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