The Power of Thankfulness

“We have sinned in complaining against the Lord...” Numbers 21:7

Recently although I haven’t said them out loud, I have been guilty of complaining. When I think about it, there are a whole lot of things to complain about if that is what I choose to focus on. Yesterday my sister Peggy was with my dad. He is 92 years old and has been unhappy ever since he has been stuck in bed. So Peggy showed him a video of Nick Vujicic, a Christian evangelist born with no arms or legs. Daddy said he was better off than Nick. It matters a lot what we set our eyes on. 

In the 21st chapter of the Book of Numbers, the Israelites were tired and weary of their journey. They complained to Moses, “Why did you lead us away from Egypt, so as to die in the wilderness? Bread is lacking; there are no waters. Our soul is now nauseous over this very light food.” God was so displeased by their constant grumbling and whining that He sent serpents. When we complain, our burden gets heavier instead of lighter. When we grumble, our troubles increase. When we whine, nothing gets solved, we only displease God. 

Like the Israelites, who learned that complaining brings more bitter sorrow, we should turn to God and ask His forgiveness. Instead of focusing on what we lack or how difficult things are, we can count our blessings and see how our load gets lighter and we become wiser. Oprah Winfrey said it better, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”