From Complaining to Thanksgiving

Recently, I spoke to a friend who was having a self-confessed “pity party” and she invited me to the party to ask for my counsel. Her problems where bigger than any answers I could come up with and she was in such a hopeless state that my heart broke in compassion. I felt like I couldn't offer her any advice until I remembered some words of wisdom I received last year. Every time you feel like complaining, stop and thank God for something. Start small and work your way up.

Thank you God that I woke up this morning.

Thank you God that I’m breathing.

Thank you God that my heart is beating.

Thank you God for my health.

Thank you God for my car.

Thank you God for a roof over my head.

Thank you God for food to eat.

Thank you God for my family and friends.

And so on and so on….

I often lose sight of Jesus when I’m focusing on myself. When I feel sad, mad, or hurt, I emotionally shut down. When my problems are overwhelming, I want to run. When I’m fearful, I want to hide. I'm learning to stop the downward emotional cycle by changing my spiritual attitude from complaining to thanksgiving.

When I choose to give thanks to God in obedience, laying down my attitude at His feet, my thanksgiving eventually turns into worship and praise. I am purposefully taking the focus off my circumstances and back to the characteristics and promises of God. Humbled by the majesty and greatness of God, my problems shrink back into proportion.

Did you know it is God’s will that we give him thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:15) The good, the bad, the ugly.

Because when we give thanks we are reminded of his goodness and steadfast love. (Psalm 107:1)

For He has given us every good and perfect gift. (James 1:17)

We should give God the thanks he is due because he is righteousness and just. (Psalm 7:17)

It’s spiritually dangerous to deny God’s goodness by neglecting to worship and give him thanks. In our foolishness and pride, we exchange the glorious, ever-living God for useless idols (Romans 1:20-23).

When we change our attitude from one of complaining to one of praise, we remember that He is the God who made us, we are his, and that his love for us is everlasting. We than come into his presence with singing. We enter into his gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering. We enter into his court with praise. We are instructed to be thankful and tell him so. We are to bless and affectionately praise His Name. (Psalm 100:1-5 AMP)

So this Thanksgiving, in addition to thanking God for all He has done for me, I’m going to give Him thanks for who He is: KING, LORD, CREATOR, SAVIOR, THE GREAT I AM, WHO WAS, AND IS, AND IS TO COME. 

Psalm 105:1-8

Praise the Lord and pray in his name!
Tell everyone what he has done.
Sing praises to the Lord!
Tell about his miracles.
Celebrate and worship his holy name with all your heart.
Trust the Lord and his mighty power.

Remember his miracles and all his wonders and his fair decisions.

You belong to the family of Abraham, his servant;

you are his chosen ones, the descendants of Jacob.

The Lord is our God, bringing justice everywhere on earth.

He will never forget his agreement or his promises, not in thousands of years.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Love,

Yolanda

Below is a video of an awesome sermon titled, "Extreme Thankfulness". The sermon starts at 46:12 on video. Great teaching.