Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Have you found yourself complaining a lot lately? It’s easy to do. Life is full of enough struggles and frustrations to warrant being disgruntled. And it doesn’t take much to slip into behaviors that reflect it. But once we begin allowing ourselves to react to stress in a negative way, it’s an easy response to fall into and a slippery slope to a full-blown habit. Complaining is detrimental to our emotional and spiritual health, not to mention our relationships with others. And, left unchecked, it can lead into a spiral of negativity that can be overwhelming and depressing.
The Bible encourages us to focus instead on the good things in our lives, cultivating gratitude—the antidote for complaining. The grateful person recognizes the positive things God has given and the blessings that are constantly unfolding. Focussing our thoughts on what is good around us disables our knee-jerk response to complain and helps put our challenges in perspective. Gratitude creates a sense of joy and well-being and builds resilience towards the stress of daily life.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
Challenge yourself this month to focus on one good thing in your life each day. Look around you. Get specific. Find something new to be grateful for every day this month and see how it begins to change your perspective.