Give Thanks But Don’t Add Complaining

I was driving in my car and I heard this song simply called Thankful. Here are some of the words:

“I’m thankful I'm thankful

Yes I am

You've been so good that I’ll say it again

Oh I'm thankful I'm thankful

Yes I am

You've been so good that I'll say it again

I'm thankful

Yes I'm thankful

I gotta say I'm thankful

I think you can conclude just by reading the words the writer is thankful because he says several times he is thankful. As I listened to the song it stirred in my heart that God is calling us to be thankful.

This week we are reminded that we are called to be thankful as we celebrate Thanksgiving.

But that is not always easy for us. Have you ever wondered why we say thanks to God but then complain later? I know I struggle with this. For example, thank you God for this house but why does it always seem like everything is breaking? Thank you for my car but not again another car repair? Thank you for this day but why is the weather so terrible?

I’m starting to realize being thankful is one thing but complaining cancels my Thanksgiving.

God's people did this too. When the Israelites came out of Egypt instead of being thankful they complained. What would have happened if they gave thanks instead? I will tell you.

When Jehoshaphat told the people to praise and gave God Thanksgiving their enemies were defeated. When Jesus gave thanks for the five loaves of bread and two fish or 5000 people were fed. When Jesus went to the tune of Lazarus and said to God thank you Lazarus was resurrected. And when Jesus was walking with the two men from the road on Damascus they broke bread and gave thanks and their eyes were opened.

I wondered if we put aside our complaints, grumbling, anger, and frustration and replace it with a heart of Thanksgiving and contentment what would happen in our lives. I believe we would experience the same miracles the people in the Bible experience too.

A relationship could be mended.

A financial breakthrough would happen.

Healing could take place.

A person could find God.

War could stop.

Crime rates could go down.

We just don't know what God would do if we would simply give thanks.

This Thanksgiving let us say like the psalmist "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name" (Psalm 100:4 ).