You don’t know how good you have it until it’s gone Quotes & Inspiring Words: Sometimes, we just don’t know how good we have it!

You don’t know how good you have it until it’s gone Quotes & Inspiring Words:
Sometimes, we just don’t know how good we have it!

1/19/17
A while ago, I sat my 9 and 11 year old sons down and said these words to them. I tried my best to explain to them, along with practical examples: Life is more than what it seems. You are living someone else’s dream. I pray you will realize how good you have it.

I’ve been in their shoes, I’ve been a child too! I know what it’s like to sometimes live in a little bubble, with your loving parents trying their very best to show you that life is more than this. That really, you have it good! I know what it’s like. So I hoped and prayed that God would also help my dear children grow into this realization in every area of their lives. I hoped and prayed that God would continually grant my husband and me wisdom to raise our precious gifts. I hoped and prayed that an attitude of gratitude and contentment would permeate every heart in our home, and that love, joy, peace and unity would always reign supreme.

You don’t know how good you have it until it’s gone.

Just a couple of days later, my own words came back to me. You see, something frustrating had happened to me that afternoon, it had been a long day, I was tired. So I started feeling sorry for myself. I found myself sinking into the very same “woe is me” attitude I had encouraged my sons to climb out of just a couple of days earlier. Who needed a talking to now?

Friends, what happened reminded me that gratitude and contentment are a continual journey. So we have a post titled 5 steps to gratitude, and I truly find that post helpful! However, we never truly fully “arrive”, do we? It is a continual journey, it is something we must constantly work at, constantly remind ourselves, constantly encourage ourselves – by the grace of God!

It’s like being married, or even being in a non-romantic relationship with a loved one. Sure you learn a lot with time, and by God’s grace, it keeps getting better and better. But do you ever really truly “arrive” at a perfect marriage? I don’t think so. You have to keep working at it. Do you ever “arrive” at being a perfect Christian? I don’t think so. You have to keep working at it.

You don’t know how good you have it until it’s gone.

When you experience temporary setbacks and discouragement, your problems and disappointments may sometimes threaten to overwhelm you, and you may start to feel sorry for yourself, thinking “woe is me, life is so tough!” Dear Friends, I am by no means trivializing huge trials that people sometimes experience in life, and I truly empathize – If this is you, please continue Trusting God in the midst of the storm – please remember that God will give you the strength to endure!

But Friends, when we are frustrated, hungry, tired, angry, or disappointed, our problems will seem much larger than they actually are, and we forget how good we have it.

When we take our eyes off our blessings and start comparing ourselves to others, our problems will seem much larger than they actually are, and we forget how good we have it.

When we’re stuck in our little “bubble”, our problems seem much larger than they actually are, and we forget how good we have it.

Psalm 103:2, NLT Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me.
1 Thessalonians 5:18, ESV in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:8, NLT And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Dear Friends, please, value what you have! Enjoy what you have while you have it!
Sometimes we just don’t know how good we have it!
Our Merciful God will help us all.
See also: Bible Verses about Complaining ; Having a Thankful Heart; How to live a Joyful Life

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Thanks for reading, Dear Friends!
Have a wonderfully blessed, stress-free, productive, and joyful day!
Much Love & Blessings,
Bomi Jolly ~ JollyNotes.com