At least there we had plenty to eat. We had all the food we needed. But now you have brought us out here into this desert to make us all die from hunger.” – Exodus 16:3 (ERV)
Have you ever given any thought to how to develop a habit of thankfulness? It’s certainly not easy. More than likely, you don’t have every pair of shoes you want, the car you want, the phone you want, the friends you want, the fame you want, or whatever else you want. Obviously, that list could go on and on.
So how do you practice thankfulness if you’re not feeling thankful?
First of all, learn from the Israelites. They did a really bad job at being thankful. They were professional complainers, so much so that they’d rather go back to being slaves. Isn’t that crazy?
Here’s what it boils down to. When we get into the habit of complaining, we are really choosing to not be thankful for what God has done in our past. We choose to not remember the ways that He’s come through for us, and the miracles He’s already done in our lives.
Also, we are showing that we don’t believe that He will come through for us in the future. Because if we believe He was going to come through for us in the future, we wouldn’t complain.
So what do we do? We have to remind ourselves of God’s goodness, and also build our faith for the future. If we’re convinced that God isn’t done writing our story, then we will have faith that He will continue to move on our behalf. Regardless of whether we see it yet or not.
So today, encourage yourself to practice being thankful. Realize that thankfulness starts when we are thankful for what God did in the past and hopeful for what He will do in the future.