Cultivating a Thankful Heart All Year Long – Part 2

Cultivating a thankful heart is a process, a heart habit..a journey.  Today is a bit of a tough subject but really it needs to get right out into the light.  Let’s get it right out there and look at it.  Are you a complainer?  No I don’t mean do you complain…I mean…are you or do you know someone that is never happy about their life,  the weather, the state of the economy, the color their house, the amount of money they have…well you get what I mean.  A COMPLAINER.

Complaining is a heart habit that MUST GO! 

We all complain at some time or other.  Sometimes I look out the window and long for some sunshine here in the Pacific Northwest and I will complain about it…for a minute anyway.  Sometimes when standing in line at a store I will complain in my heart about the slow checker…when I’m in a hurry.  In other words…we all complain…sometimes.

However I’m talking about a habitual complainer.  Someone that is always complaining.   I hate to say it..but a complainer to me is like listening to someone scratch their fingernails on a chalkboard. 

When I was growing up I had lots to complain about..especially when I was a teen! LOL Teens can find many things to complain about anyway..but honestly I had some rough things going on in my life.  When I complained though my Dad would ALWAYS say in a matter of fact way “I used to complain that I didn’t have any shoes until I met the man with no feet.”  The end.  He simply wouldn’t hear of me complaining. 

Complaining simply does not glorify God.  It reveals an unthankful heart. 

Try these 4 things today if you are a complainer:

• Every time you FEEL like complaining replace your thought with something to be thankful for.  Even if you are in a tough situation..
• Every time you FEEL like complaining quote scripture (use the one above if you don’t have another favorite)
• Every time you do complain, apologize to the person you are with for your negative attitude (especially to your children) and explain that you are working on changing it this heart habit of complaining.
• Remember you are working on cultivating a thankful heart all year long, not just for Thanksgiving

Usually a habitual complainer is someone that refuses to change their circumstances and chooses to complain instead.  Or they choose to complain about things that they have no control over anyway…like the weather. 

I’m sure you have heard the Serenity Prayer before:

God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, 

Change the things I can and

the wisdom to know the difference. 

This is a very true statement…one that should be practiced day in and day out.

Oh and if you live with someone or have a friend that is a complainer…you can’t do anything about them sooo…don’t complain about that either…take it to God and let Him deal with their hearts.

So tell me how YOU feel about complaining?