Gratitude should be easy

While cleaning a closet yesterday, I found my mother’s diaries and a prayer calendar. It had requests for various countries and people groups with a few lines to write in prayers. In almost all of them, mother began her notes with, “Yes, I pray for these people. . . .” and in almost all, she expressed thanks for something in her life.

I did not inherit that gene.

Being thankful is more than simple good manners. It is understanding that God is the source of all things and because He is wise and good, I should give thanks for all things. For some, this is easy. Like my mother, thankful people seem to be predisposed to gratitude with some sort of built-in thankful mechanism. For me, this is a discipline.

From reading Scripture and personal experience, I’ve noticed that when anyone (myself included) begins to turn from God, the first thing to go is thankfulness. This does not mean that all thankful people are in right relationship with God, nor that those who seldom give thanks are not. Rather, in a general sense, when I have stopped saying thanks, something is wrong in my spiritual life.

Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. (Psalm 107:8–9)

I know for fact that if I complained less and praised more, I would be happier and God would be more glorified. Yet in my flesh, that is, in my natural self, I tend to be a complainer. As an idealist, nothing is ever perfect and without the filling of the Holy Spirit, I tend to focus on the imperfections, forgetting that grumbling ruins my testimony of God’s goodness and power.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world . . .  (Philippians 2:14–15)

Grouchy complaining is easy. Anyone can do that. As a child of God, I’m supposed to display the changes He has brought to my life. One of them is a sense of humility, knowing that I have been given a treasure in the Lord Jesus Christ that I do not deserve. Humble people praise God.

Complainers also forget who is in charge. Instead of believing God is in control and is wise in all He does, my griping reflects doubt or dissatisfaction. This goes deeper than not appreciating the stuff of life; it is griping against my sovereign God who provides for me. Really, who do I think I am?

A few years ago I began a “gratitude journal” where each evening I record what I am grateful for. This is a discipline to develop gratitude, yet sometimes my expressions are far too external. I’m certain that God wants me to be thankful from the heart with a genuine sense of gratitude, not just going through the motions.

I can daily praise Him for common mercies, like food, clothing, shelter. I can be grateful for eyes to see, ears to hear, health and strength to do daily tasks, good food, clothing, a nice place to live. I can be grateful for my lot in life and for my family, friends and neighbors. I can also thank Him for liberty, our church, our country and so many gracious and abundant blessings.

For some reason (my pride?) these mercies are more difficult to be satisfied with. The easier praise flows from my heart for God’s redeeming love, for salvation, for Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on my behalf. No matter what else happens, I am totally grateful that God pulled me out of darkness and into the light of His kingdom. I am humbled and blessed that I live in an eternal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Actually, this should be the sweetest and the loudest song of praise. Even if my eyes fail, ears cannot hear, body shuts down, food and friends are gone, liberty is taken and our country overrun with enemies, nothing can take away the love of God from me. I know that if all good things drop out of my life, He never will.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31–39)

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Lord, the discipline of praise should not be a discipline but an overflow of Your Spirit in me. Break in me the source and cause of my complaining and release in me the sweet Spirit of praise — so that instead of focusing on what I think is best, my life more easily gives glory to You.