Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

How often we get frustrated and beaten down by the challenges of life; whether we are trying to get ahead by working and going to school, a stay at home parent trying to keep children on track, house organized, spouse happy, and personal sanity, a single parent trying to provide for and raise children at the same time, one challenged by trama, addictions, or personal tragedies, an executive or professional with a hectic schedule competing with family priorities.

I think what Jesus was telling the crowd, and is trying to tell us, is to look to Him and place our confidence and faith in Him; He will help us have peace amidst life’s challenges.

Dear Lord, help us remember that You love us, like a caring parent with outstretched arms waiting for us to come and find comfort and security. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Many kids have had this discussion over the years, “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?” The answers are all over, invisibility, ability to fly, X-ray vision, teleportation, etc.

I believe there is a superpower we can all give ourselves. Gratitude.

Gratitude is a Superpower.

Gratitude is the state of being thankful. Being in this state of mind pushes out anger, bitterness, envy, and fear, and makes us feel like being kind, compassionate, and generous. More gratitude always makes us feel better, and act better.

Some scriptures that encourage us to live in gratitude include:

1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all things for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Chronicles 16:34, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; His love endures forever.”

Psalm 100:4, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”

Gratitude is the superpower we all can have by controlling how we think.

Dear Lord, we can always be more thankful for the gifts you have given us. Help us to remember that our gratitude for all you have given us makes our lives better and helps us make other’s lives better as well.

How many times have we golfers, if you are a golfer, reminded ourselves to keep our heads down during the swing, but still occasionally still make the mistake of looking up before completing the swing. Or, were you ever told, not to end a sentence with a preposition, or to count to 10 before speaking when you are angry.

There are many things in life that sound simple enough, but are very difficult to achieve in practice.

Paul gives us another rule in Philippians 4:6, that sounds easy, but is challenging to practice. he says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

“Don’t worry,” is not as simple as it sounds, but it is worth practice. When we feel the concern becoming worry, remember to pray, and put the issue in God’s hands.

Dear Lord, you tell us in 1 Peter 5:7 to “cast our cares on you, because you care about us.” Help us keep practicing this skill of giving our worries to you in prayer and thanking you for addressing them. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I think one thing that many of us get wrong, when we come to God for help with the difficulties in our lives, is complaining and looking for God’s sympathy. We sometimes think if we show God how difficult things are for us, out of pity, he will help us. The problem with that approach is, it is not what God tells he responds to.

God responds to our faith. In Hebrews 11:6 we are told, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

God knows the challenges we face in our lives. In some cases he is allowing these difficulties to occur to bring us closer to him. So complaining to God about these things will not influence him. He tells us is to respond to our challenges with faith. When we want God to help us, we should come to him with a faithful petition like:

Dear Lord, You know the challenges we are facing, whether these are things we brought on ourselves, or they are trials you are allowing us to experience, to make us better, we come to you with no doubt that you will bring us through these trials better, stronger and more confident in your unlimited power. For this we thank you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

In modern times we make a distinction between our brain and our heart as the separated places where we think rationally, our brains, and feel emotionally, our heart. In ancient times, they had a different understanding. The brain may have been where information was received and processed, but the heart was where it was considered, evaluated and put to use.

Proverbs 4:20-23 writes, “My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

St. Benedict expressed this text in a beautiful way, “Incline the ear of your heart, Receive willingly and carry out effectively your loving father’s advice.”

Dear Lord, it is difficult for us to open ourselves up fully to your advice. Our preconceptions, prejudices, pride, and fear fight against it. Help us open up the ears of our hearts to receive your wisdom and direction. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.