“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV
Are you a grateful person? Are you a person who is always giving thanks for what you have? Or are you always complaining about what you don’t have?
Gratitude is a tremendous Biblical principle and it is also a Biblical ordinance. If you want to please God and bring God’s blessings into your life, you need to renew your mind and also to change your words.
Gratitude attracts the blessings of God but complaints attract curses on our lives!
“And don’t complain as some of them did. Because they complained, they were killed by the angel that destroys. The things that happened to those people are examples. They were written to be warnings for us. We live in the time that all those past histories were pointing to.” 1 Corinthians 10:10-11
In the same way that Gratitude attracts God’s blessings, complaints attract curses on our lives.
Gratitude is a heavenly language that attracts the presence of God. Complaining is an evil language that attracts the presence of demons.
The text we read talks about the people of Israel. They were freed from Egypt passing through the wilderness and they started complaining about what they did not have and because of that they remained in the desert for 40 years and did not enter the promised land.
That’s why I said that this message is a very serious and very important message, as it can transform your future.
Did you know that what the Bible teaches is confirmed by science?
There are many scientific researches by universities that show that gratitude is good for human health.
I recently read 4 researches. Doctors and psychologists at the University of California, University of Miami, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard School of Medicine have found that gratitude is associated with greater happiness.
In their researches they proved that gratitude helps people to have more positive emotions. Gratitude improved physical and emotional health. The more grateful people were, the better their relationships turned out. The most grateful coped with difficulties more easily, their heartbeats were slower, and they were less stressed, less anxious and less depressed. In other words, gratitude produces healthy life.
This is what science has proven, and this is what the Bible teaches us.
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
It’s easy to give Thanks to God when everything is fine, when we’re okay, when we’re happy, but the Bible tells you to give thanks to God in ALL circumstances!
When you are in a fight or you are suffering, but you thank God, you are recognising that God is in control of all things.
When you thank Him (without complaining), you please the heart of God, and you show that you have faith in Him and you open the door for a miracle in your life!
God didn’t tell us to thank Him for our problem, give thanks to God for the death of a loved one, or the destruction we witness, no , but he encourages us to give thanks “to God” in the midst of every circumstance!
When you are in trouble or struggling with something and you thank God, God looks at you and says: This is my son/daughter and they trust me, their faith has been tested and approved! Now I will open the windows of heaven over their life.
Let’s now read John 6:10-11, that is about the Power of Gratitude in Jesus’ life.
You all know the story of the multiplication of loaves and fish. Jesus was teaching a large crowd and these people had been with him from morning until evening and they were hungry.
Jesus asks his disciples: What do we have to eat? We only have 5 loaves and 2 fish, they answer. Let’s see what Jesus does then.
“Jesus said, “Tell everyone to sit down.” This was a place with a lot of grass, and about 5000 men sat down there. Jesus took the loaves of bread and gave thanks for them. Then he gave them to the people who were waiting to eat. He did the same with the fish. He gave them as much as they wanted.” John 6:10-11 ERV
Jesus did not complain that he had no food, He took the loaves, with hearts full of gratitude and gave thanks to God for what He had and a miracle happened.
Here you see the power of Gratitude in Action!
What was not enough became more than enough.
When you are grateful to God for what you have, you move God’s hand in your behalf and God opens new doors for you.
I challenge you, please stop complaining about what you have or about what you don’t have and thank God for what you do have. Stop complaining about your job, your salary, your church, your leaders, your family and thank God for what you have and you will see the hand of God moving over your life.
“Then Jesus said to her, “Remember what I told you? I said that if you believed, you would see God’s divine greatness.” So they moved the stone away from the entrance. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me.” John 11:40-41
John Chapter 11 talks about the death of Jesus’ friend, Lazarus. His sisters called Jesus because Lazarus was sick. But Jesus took time to come and Lazarus died.
What did Jesus do when faced with the situation of death? Again He looked to Heaven and gives thanks to God! Jesus didn’t even pray for Lazarus, He just God Thank God and the miracle happened.
I know there are some circumstances that are not easy to thank God for. We may lose our health, get sick, we may lose our jobs, be broke, we may suffer from losses.
But when we recognise that God is God above all circumstances and give Him the glory He deserves, you are opening the door for miracles in your life!
Jesus’ gratitude resurrected Lazarus. Your gratitude will bring many things in your life back to life as well!
Let’s now look at the power of gratitude in the life of the Apostle Paul and Silas.
“They were beaten severely and thrown into jail. The officials told the jailer, “Guard them very carefully!” About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake so strong that it shook the foundation of the jail. All the doors of the jail opened, and the chains on all the prisoners fell off.” Acts 16:23, 25-26
Here we see that Paul and Silas were unjustly imprisoned for preaching the gospel. They had every reason to be complaining.
They could be saying:
God, why did you allow this situation? God, why didn’t you protect us? God, we are suffering unjustly and You don’t do anything to deliver us.
No, they didn’t say any of that. They were arrested, they took many lashes, they were with their bodies in pain, but around midnight they were praying and singing praises to God and all the prisoners were listening to them!
What are people listening from you? Complaints or gratitude?
It’s so sad to see Christians who claim to love God complaining all the time!
If the weather gets cold, they complain because it’s too cold. If it gets warm, they complain because it’s too hot. If you have work, you complain that you are working too much. If you don’t have a job, you complain you don’t have any money.
Christians, please stop complaining, as complaining attracts curses and demons into your life!
Be grateful, for what you have, be grateful for the people around you and stop complaining.
Paul and Silas were unjustly put in prison but because of gratitude and for not complaining, God make an earthquake that shook the prison and even the jailer was converted and born again.
Your gratitude can transform your life!
We need to repent of this sin, the sin of complaining!
Beloved, God has many promises for you, but because of your complaining you can miss out on the best from God.
God delivered the people of Israel from Egypt, but they were people who would never stop complaining, and that’s why Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness and they died without entering the promised land.
Your attitude can determine your future. Get this sin out of your life!
Gratitude involves much more than saying “thank you” when someone shows you kindness. Gratitude is a practice of valuing, valuing the people around you and being grateful for the things you already have.
Even doctors and professors confirm what the Bible teaches. Researchers claim that one of the main benefits of gratitude is health. People who practice gratitude have less muscle pain and feel more energetic during the day. Also, it can relieve stress and prevent depression.
I want to finish by giving you some practical advices.
1- Learn to appreciate the small things and give thanks to God in all circumstances.
If you’re going to wait to feel grateful and happy only when good things happen such as a job promotion or buying a new house, you’ll not experience the power of gratitude in your life.
To enjoy the benefits of gratitude, you need to appreciate what you have, especially the little things.
2- Express your gratitude
In addition to feeling gratitude, it is important that you express it through your attitudes and words. You have to give thanks to God, but also tell people how grateful you are for their presence in your life, show to them how important someone’s help was to you. Share and express gratitude and you will have a great life.
3- Replace complaints with gratitude
Recognise that God is taking care of you and that you trust Him in every situation. Try to see the good side in every situation.
For example, if you find yourself feeling down because it’s cold or raining and you need to get up for work, you’ll soon remember that at least you have a job and many people don’t.
Replace complaints with gratitude and you will see God working many miracles in your life.
Have you thanked God today for being alive and breathing?
Because there are many people struggling to even breathe!
Have you thanked you for your health? There are so many people sick fighting for their lives. Do you always thank God before eating your meals? Because there are many people who don’t have anything to eat.
Are you grateful for your family, your spouse, your children, even if they are not perfect? Because many no longer have their family members alive.
Are you thankful to God for your church, your brethren, and for the freedom to be in church’s Services and meetings?
Because in many countries they want to worship and can’t, they can be arrested because they don’t have religious freedom.
Stop complaining and express your gratitude!
Let’s pray together?
Lord, forgive the sin of complaining in your children’s lives.
Because of the sin of complaining, many are suffering, sad, and losing their chance to have the abundant life the Lord has promised us.
Help us to give thanks to You in any and all circumstances.
Forgive the complaint of the people who claim to know you.
Help us to be grateful to You and to be grateful to the people who are by our side. Help each of us to express our gratitude to others and to have gratitude instead complaining.
In the name of Jesus I pray and declare that from today on I will live a life of gratitude and will experience many miracles as a result of my gratitude.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
May the Lord bless you and help you to live in gratitude!