Hateful or Grateful

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy." II Timothy 3:1-2

I think we can all agree that complaining is a contagion of our times. People are just not happy and seem to always want to tell other people about it. It is very difficult for me to imagine how any follower of Jesus Christ would believe that complaining is a worthwhile or edifying pursuit, and yet it occurs day in and day out. An ungrateful spirit poisons the air around us, and suffocates our JOY if we allow it to continue. Would you rather be around people who are hateful or grateful? How do these hateful complaining negative people make you feel? Then consider how others feel when they are listening to the words that are coming out of your mouth….. life and death is in our mouths, do your words speak LIFE or do they wound and kill those around you who listen?

God is so generous with the people of this world; He gives and gives and gives continually. He even gave His only Son when no other price would cover the vastness of our sins so that we could return to a relationship with Him for eternity. This beautiful gift of Grace and so much more should create gratitude in us. William Law, writing centuries ago, said, “Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most, it is not he who gives alms most…but it is he who is always thankful to God…who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it.” We take SO much for granted, as if it is guaranteed to be there for us every day, and if it’s not, we become indignant and complain. Shouldn’t each of us pause at least once every single day just to say thank YOU to God first for all the wonderful things we take for granted? How about the air you breathe, or the roof over your head, how about the freedom to choose to go to church each week without fear of arrest or execution, how about that car (no matter what shape it’s in) that drives you to church or work or to your home, how about your beautiful family, how about your beautiful Church Family and the servant hearts of your pastors and teachers and helpers in the house of the Lord.

Do we really have a heart of gratefulness and praise and thankfulness, or are we falling into the status quo of these last days as our verse above warns us about. Is your testimony of victory through grace being tarnished with your attitude of unthankfulness spilling onto others around you who are watching and listening to what you are choosing to complain about? Ephesians 5:20 says “Giving thanks ALWAYS for ALL things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Colossians 3:17 says, ‘Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” I want to encourage you to really consider abandoning the urge to complain, and instead to pray for those people and situations when you may not see the full picture or that you may not fully understand. Let us not fall into the group from the passage in II Timothy that Paul warns us about, and consider the others in that group that you would be linked up with: unholy, proud, lovers of self and money, disobedient blasphemers.

"Heavenly Father, let the words of our mouths, Oh Lord, and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable and pleasing to You, Father God. Heavenly Father, place a guard over our mouths so that only what glorifies you can come out, and what is of our flesh blows away in the wind of your Spirit, never falling on ears of those around us. Help us to not allow complaining and hatefulness to flow from our lips, but rather release thankfulness and gratefulness from deep in our souls. God, help us to remember to say thank you to those around us, and to look for opportunities to sow seeds of gratefulness wherever we go, and to see how blessed we are each morning when we wake and each night when we lie down to sleep. Renew a right spirit within each of us this day, Most Loving God. Thank YOU for all that You do that we see, and all that You do that is hidden from us. We trust You to be in control of all that surrounds us, and we thank you for the peace that comes in trusting you as you cover us in Your blessings every moment of our lives. Release a Spirit of gratefulness on all who seek You with a sincere heart. In the name above all names, Jesus Christ, I pray, AMEN."

Shalom

Sister, Lahoma

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