COUNT CORRECTLY
What we count in life is a reflection of our attitude and focus. A life out of focus counts the wrong things and produces an unhealthy attitude. Counting the right things is an indication of a good focus in life that is expressing a healthy attitude. Counting correctly counts!
We’re counting a lot of things this season. We’re counting people for the census, daily counting the number of COVID-19 cases, counting calories, counting votes, counting points that determine school grades and athletic contests, counting dollars to spend during the holidays – the list for counting goes on and on. I challenge you to focus on counting correctly. Here are some guidelines:
- Count your BLESSINGS – not your BURDENS. A correct count will show how much our blessings outnumber our burdens. The old Gospel hymn tells us, “Count your many blessings; name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” Counting burdens causes us to live on Grumble Street. Counting blessings puts our address on Thanksgiving Avenue! “…Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.” (Psalm 144:15)
- Count your FRIENDS – not your FOES. We always have people with whom we are at odds. It’s natural for some people not to like us or like what we are doing. If you put a lot of crabs in a basket and one tries to climb out, the other crabs will pull him back down. Count your foes, and they will pull you down. Count your friends, and they will build you up. “A friend can be more important than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)
- Count your OPPORTUNITIES – not your OBSTACLES. Opportunities always come with obstacles to overcome. You will be overwhelmed if you count your obstacles – you will be encouraged if you count your opportunities. God puts opportunities in front of you – count them. Issac said, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?” Jacob replied, “God put it in my path.” (Gen. 27:20)
- Count your SUCCESSES – not your SETBACKS. Everybody has some setbacks, but everybody can find more successes to count. If you wake up in the morning, get out of bed, see and hear, are able to walk and able to think – you already have a lot of successes to count. “David continued to succeed at everything he undertook for the Lord was with him.” (1 Samuel 18:14)
- Count your COMPLIMENTS – not your COMPLAINTS. If you count correctly, you will find more compliments than complaints. If a complaint is legitimate, consider it a compliment of how it can help you improve. “Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” (Proverbs 27:6)
- Count your TRIUMPHS – not your TROUBLES. An unhealthy focus on troubles will greatly impair the possibilities of even more triumphs. A healthy view of triumphs will dissolve troubles. “Thanks be to God who leads us along in Christ’s triumphant procession.” (2 Cor. 2:14)
- Count your ASSETS – not your ADVERSITIES. God has richly blessed each of us. We do have adversities, but they nowhere compare in volume to our assets. David said, “Praise the Lord, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me.” (Psalm 103:2)
Counting incorrectly counts the things that don’t actually count. Counting correctly counts the things that really count. (Tweet this!)
