The Weekly Word - A Devotion for the Week of September 11
Is it easier to complain rather than give thanks?
A lot of the time, we are easily irritated and are quick to react by grumbling when things don’t go our way. The mundane parts of life—like waiting in traffic, doing the laundry, and going grocery shopping—tend to get under our skin. Do we find ourselves forgetting to thank God or show thanks to those around us?
In Philippians 4:6, Paul tells the Philippians to not be anxious about anything. And when Paul wrote those words, he was in prison! You would think that being in prison would make you anxious, but Paul trusted in the Lord and thanked him through it all. If Paul could be thankful even when he was stuck in a prison cell, then we can show gratefulness to God in our everyday lives.
An interesting way to think about complaints and gratitude is to look at how you think about yourself. Do you put yourself at the center of your life? If you act on your wants, feelings, and emotions, then you will have an inflated idea of what you need—and that will fuel your need to complain. The reality is, of course, that the world does not revolve around us.
When we acknowledge our sins and realize we deserve God’s wrath instead of his never-ending grace, it’ll be easier for us to find reasons to be thankful that we serve a loving and caring God. Our hearts will be filled with gratitude and love rather than disappointment and entitlement.
Try to find ways to thank the Lord each day, even during the hard or mundane moments.