Be Thankful and Obedient

“To Him who smote the Egyptians in their firstborn,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting” [Psalm 136:10]

There are many things in this world we “perceive” to be power or strength: money, social status, knowledge, and good health to name a few. Yes, these things are sources of strength, and how much or how little we have of it can determine our success in this world. But, these are all superficial forms of strength. We can have all these things, but if God drains and weakens us, it all goes for naught.

Take a look at Saul. He’s a king. He’s powerful. He’s wealthy. He has all the perceived elements of power. However, when God drains him of his power, being a king turns out to be a curse. Because God snatches his power, he leads a miserable and tortured life. He was once a great warrior, but he can’t even kill David who eludes his spear and escapes. He is so lost and dejected he summons a medium to talk to the ghost of Samuel. In the bitter end, he falls on his sword and dies.

We are like Saul. On the outside, we are kings and queens, but we are dead on the inside because God has left us powerless and feckless. In many cases, what is on the inside vastly differs from how we appear. To avoid Saul’s fate, we need the power of God in our lives. God must bless the work of our hands. His power must live inside of us.

How do we do this? At every step of our lives, give thanks. Be grateful for everything in your life. Be thankful for the things God has given you instead of complaining about what you don’t have. And we must be obedient servants. Ask yourself, “What does God want me to do here?” If we are thankful and obedient, we connect to God and His power. And whatever external power we have, whether it is money or status or health, will not turn on us and cause our doom.

As a student, instead of turning knowledge into idols, thank God. Thank Him for allowing you to study. Thank Him for giving you the health to study. Thank Him for giving you the desire to study. Thank God and do according to His will. Thank God for giving you a job that provides for your family. Thank God for your business, your health. We turn our thankfulness to action by seeking and doing what God commands. “I’m so thankful for my job and family. What does God want me to do here?” Be thankful and obedient at every turn!

Recognize everything inside this world contains power and strength. Instead of giving thanks and obeying God, we run into trouble when we turn those perceived elements of power into idols. We turn money, knowledge, and our jobs into idols. Instead of connecting to God and having Him as a source of our strength, we rely on these other powers and turn them into idols. We place them above God, mistakenly thinking they are the keys to our happiness and success.

We can choose to recognize God as the main force driving our lives, or we can give up on God and rely on money and status. If you recognize true power in life comes from God, start by being grateful and obedient. Connect to an invisible but infinite and boundless power by living according to Truth, Holy Inspiration, and His Blood.

The secret to living an empowered life is marshaling everything you have to connect with God. It doesn’t matter what we look like on the outside; we are formidable and strong if we have the power of God working inside of us. David wasn’t as big or handsome as his older brothers, but God chose him because He judges by the heart, not outward appearances.

Summary: