Thankfulness is a choice!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

God has instructed us to give thanks unto Him in the midst of every circumstance. I believe that thankfulness is a choice and the more thankful we are the happier we are. In contrary, murmuring and complaining is an expression of being unthankful. Everyday we are given a choice to be thankful for God’s goodness or complain about everything that isn’t going according to our plan for life. God’s will is that we be thankful no matter what!

Philippians 2:14-15 KJV says, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;”

Our heart is like a magnifying glass; what we focus on we magnify or make bigger. Every time we complain or murmur about our problems we are magnifying them in our heart. Every time we choose to be thankful to God for His goodness we magnify God in our heart. Whatever we magnify will determine whether our heart is filled with faith or unbelief. The Israelites choose to complain about their problems in the wilderness and not believe God, the result of that was that Moses’ generation didn’t enter into the promise land.

Hebrews 3:18-19 KJV says, “And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief”

Murmuring and complaining is an expression of being unthankful and it also expresses unbelief. If we really believe that God is able to work all things together for our good, then we can be thankful in the midst of bad circumstances. The problem is that many people don’t believe the promises of God and so they aren’t thankful. They are more focused on their problems then on God’s promises, therefore they remain in the wilderness because of their unbelief, rather then possessing the promises of God. Maybe some of the promises you are waiting on are just a thankful heart away from being fulfilled. I would encourage you to choose to find everything good you can be thankful for and express your thankfulness to God. I believe as you do that God will work strong on your behalf and you will see the salvation of the Lord.

2 Chronicles 16:9a NASB says, "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”