Praising God For Pocket Lint

In his book “In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day” author Mark Batterson makes a statement comparing two differnt types of people:

I think there are basically two types of people in the world: complainers and worshipers. And there isn’t much circumstantial difference between the two. Complainers will always find something to complain about. Worshipers will always find something to praise God about. They simply have different default settings.

In his book "Wild Goose Chase", he talks further about praising God and thanking Him for some of the simplest of things. I actually tried this one day - as I got ready that morning, I thanked God for a few obscure things...even pocket lint (there's a purpose for it...right?) As I drove to work, I started thanking God for steering wheels, floormats, cell phone towers, cardboard, gasoline ... it became less and less trivial...and more and more "look at all these things that we have and here are their purposes...these are all from YOU, God!"

We may all have "default settings". Regretably, I'm both a worshiper and a complainer. If something wrong is going on in my lfe...believe me...someone is gonna hear about it. I even try to counter-balance this fact by answering the simple question of "How was work" with "it was there..." just to avoid complaining. The truth is, we can change these default settings if we complain. You see, when I took my drive to work that day, I found it impossible to complain about anything when all I could do was thank God and praise him for all that he created.

Take a look at Paul and Silas. Beaten and battered by a Roman crowd, Paul and Silas were in a prison and had plenty of reason to complain. What did they do?

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened. Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners. (Acts 16:25-26)

So here they are, in a dire situation - and they were singing praises to God! When the earthquake came - they were calm...they were worshipers - not complainers.

Believe me, I will have to fight hard to take the same dose of advise that I am giving each of you - but find those opportunities to always be thankful for what God has done. You can praise him without singing...you can worship without complaining...you can find the beauty of God even in the worst of situations...and even you can find a new way to look at.......

....pocket lint.