Looking back at the past eleven months, I am thankful for the many times God answered my prayers and for God’s gracious provisions in meeting all my needs: physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual. I am thankful also for God’s strengthening and sustaining grace in my life and ministry.
Throughout these months, there are ups and downs. I do not want to give the impression that I am always thankful for every circumstance I am in. What would it be like when one is not thankful? The opposite of thankfulness is grumbling!
We know that grumblings are not good; they are not going to lead us to any viable outcome. They only make the situation worse. They are the attitudes of a sinful heart.
In the Old Testament, we see how the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron. In Exodus 16:2-3 ESV, the Word of God states that the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
When you are asked to do something, do you respond with a thankful heart or a grumbling one? A few weeks ago, I found myself doing a task with a grumbling heart instead of a grateful one. Along the way, I was reminded of why I was doing it in the first place. Sometimes inconveniences can easily shape our mood and attitude.
But once I finally got down to doing the task and completed it, I realised it was not an inconvenience at all – it was a necessity. And if I had left it undone, the consequences would have been far more troublesome.
This experience taught me an important lesson about having the right attitude toward what I do. It is a learning curve I need to learn, re-learn, and keep on learning.
With a humble and teachable heart, I can overcome the obstacles in whatever I do – especially when I do it unto the Lord and for His sake.
In the New Testament, I know that I should “do all things without grumbling or disputing.” (Philippians 2:14 ESV). The purpose is very clear. It is so 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 2:15 ESV).
To be that bright shining light for Christ, I ought to live my life differently, following Christ instead of the pattern of this world which is full of grumblings and complaints.
“Be thankful” is a good and right attitude which I should cultivate in my life in Christ. This is what Colossians 3:15 ESV has taught and ministered to me: “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”
For the sake of Christ and His Body, and for the unity of the Church, it is vital that the peace of Christ rules in our hearts. Whether we realise it or not, our actions always affect others. What we do carries implications for the entire community of believers. If we serve one another with a thankful heart, it will go a long way to build up the Body of Christ. But I am aware that it is never easy to have a thankful heart.
At the same time, I know that, by the grace of Christ and the help of the Spirit of God, I shall be empowered to do so. If it is impossible to accomplish, the apostle Paul would not have told the Thessalonians Christians to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV).
I thank God for:
- Turning my sorrow into His joy.
- Turning my disappointment into His appointment.
- Turning my failure into His success.
- Turning my pessimism into His optimism.
- Turning my discouragement into His encouragement.
So, no matter what situations or circumstances we are in, we need to look at them with the right perspective. “Be Thankful” will help us appreciate what God has in store for us and at the same time, help us entrust the whole matter into the loving hands of our generous and kind Heavenly Father.
As for me, I thank God for everything He has allowed in my life. Even when I don’t fully understand, I trust that He knows how I feel and will provide the strength I need to endure and navigate every situation.
My encouragement to all of us is to cultivate a thankful heart, trusting that God holds our best interests tenderly and lovingly in His care.
