Somewhere along the line grumbling became all too easy for me.
Complaining a little here. A little there. It begins subtly but swiftly takes hold of the heart, choking thankfulness while liberating a murmur that may or may not be audible to others, but with all certainty, is discernible to our God.
Last year, God revealed how my grumbling – my lack of gratitude – not only displeased Him but also negatively affected my relationship with Him as well as my testimony to others.
Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be
blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a
crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the
world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I
may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
Philippians 2:14-16 ESV
Grumbling dims God’s brilliance in our lives. Gratefulness amplifies it.
This is one reason why I’ve added Ann Voskamp’s devotional One Thousand Gifts to my spiritual arsenal. Nothing battles the ease of complaining than the power of gratitude. Each day contains scripture, a brief devotional, and “grateful spaces”, numbered lines for listing those things for which I am thankful — both great and small.
Replacing the habit of grumbling with gratefulness is a journey. I have not arrived. But as I pen each praise, each morsel of gratitude, I sense God gaining much ground in my heart, and for this I am very thankful.
The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one
who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”
Isn't Ann's prose beautiful? I'm in awe because it's so NOT my style. Love the Thousand Gifts merchandise. It really does make a difference when we choose eucharisto
Happy 2013, Cathy!
Beautiful, indeed.
Have a wonderful weekend, my friend!
I received that book last5 year and have yet to read it. Sounds like a good time to start. Thanks for the kick in the rear!
It's a great time to start it, Ellen! The book, though, is separate from this devotional.
Enjoy!
From the first time I read Ann's blog, I was hooked. I LOVE her word-pictures that always point me to Christ!
Just letting you know that God spoke to me through your words…like "the pit in your gut" reaction. Thank you for sharing this post. I think I will order this devotional with a gift card I received for Christmas. Blessings my friend.
Vonda, I give you all the credit for "introducing" me to Ann Voskamp's writing. After hearing you talk about her book I knew I had to grab a copy for myself…so thank you very much!
Kim, thanks so much for sharing. God is good! I pray He will use the chosen scripture, the beautiful prose, and the empty lines to fill your heart with gratitude, as He is doing in mine.
Let me know what you think when you begin the journey!