1 Thess. 5:18 says, “In everything, give thanks, for this is God’s will in Christ Jesus for you.” This is our daily bread. This is our life source. The Father doesn’t say be super thankful when you get a new house & your kids have perfect grades and their teeth are straight & every dream has been fulfilled. * The Word literally says in everything. So the good, the bad, & the ugly, give thanks. Those among us that are thankful daily for the blessings in their life; daily counting the blessings; it is not because they have more blessings to count. I will write it twice! It is not because they have more blessings to count. It is because their hearts have come alive to what is all around them. The blessing of life itself. It is because they have chosen to start counting; to start naming what is in front of them. A thankful heart is not denying the rocky places in front of them. But rather, not allowing it to have influence over them.
Brooke: “For instance, we moved 4 years ago and I remember opening my freezer & it had crazy amounts of green mold on the bottom shelf. Cleaning a moldy freezer in the middle of summer (106 degrees), in the midst of moving with no AC, wasn’t all that fun. But I went out and started scrubbing it. When I came inside, Adam looked at me and said, ‘Sorry you had to clean out that moldy freezer.’ I looked at him and simply replied, ‘Thanks for carrying that heavy couch upstairs.’ The entire time I was cleaning out the mold, I was thinking how grateful I was that our friends had even bought us that freezer. Truly I could have had a bad attitude because I “didn’t deserve to clean this, it wasn’t fun, blah blah blah…” Instead, I CHOSE to posture my heart in a place of being grateful for the freezer itself. That is what renewing your mind looks like. God doesn’t renew our minds. We renew our minds. We are responsible for our perspective and what thoughts fill our minds. “
I couldn’t agree more with Brooke. Complaining is the antithesis of thanksgiving. Complaining makes us miserable.
Psalm 77:3 says, “I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed.” The two cannot co-exist in the same heart at the same time. And so, I challenge you to quit complaining for an entire week. Just try it and see what happens. When you feel tempted to complain, instead of “filing your complaint, file a praise.” Instead of speaking out what you do not have, speak out what you do! It will change your life. Philippians 2:13 says, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”
Let’s stop whining, and start shining! How do you shine? By being thankful. Thanksgiving is the landing strip for the goodness / blessings of God. There is so much power in thanksgiving.
Ephesians 5:19 says, “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything.” Always is the key word. Not just on the Thanksgiving holiday. Everyday.
We love you Awaken Church,
Pastor Adam & Brooke