In Everything Give Thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Talking frankly here, I don't know about you, but I have a tendency every now and then to get in a habit of complaining.  About what?  Everything.  Anything.  Big and small.  I know in my heart how blessed I am, but sometimes that overwhelming urge to say something negative and off-hand carries more weight than I realize, and isn't uplifting, and I rarely feel better.  As a matter of fact, complain too much and you'll drop friends faster than you can make them.  

God asks us in the Bible to give thanks.  To pray continually.  Rejoice always.  If our hearts are in a place of worship and resting in God, talking with him non-stop, rejoicing in his faithfulness, it's pretty safe to say you won't want or need to complain.  If you are always rejoicing in God, if you are always praying, and you are always giving thanks, your heart has little room for negativity.

This month of November, I am attempting to take this verse to heart.  Constantly thinking about God and his blessings to me (regardless of whether those blessings are misbehaving again today).  Rejoicing always (even when I find another sticky mess in the house).  I want to be uplifting (rejoicing in my trials as well as my blessings, as those produce deeper faith).  

I found this great calendar (I know it's from 2013, but it's still just as good) as a FREE download on Pinterest.  You can follow the link here:  http://www.pinterest.com/elisapulliam/.  

I am excited to start this at our family devotion time, where we are reading straight out of scripture, and taking one thing a day to focus on being thankful for.  What a better way to get us in a groove of giving thanks to God!  

(Click the photo to go to the link for a FREE download)

I hope this helps you also as we open our hearts to being thankful this season and getting out of the habit of complaints!