Difficulties are inevitable but complaining is optional. I’ve heard it said that some people don’t just complain occasionally, they complain recreationally. We all know people who are tethered to negativity. The problem is that negativity and ungratefulness result in faithlessness. You can’t be who God has called you to be while living in negativity. Some people are missing out on being blessed because they are too busy being stressed.

God wants us to live with gratitude. He wants us to live with gratefulness. In fact, our gratefulness will determine our faithfulness. Your ability to live with intentional gratitude impacts your future. One of the most important characteristics we can display is a heart of gratitude. In fact, God knew this to be so true He even incorporated it into how we are to approach Him.

Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.

We are to enter God’s presence with thanksgiving. But it must be more than just a one time act, it has to become a lifestyle of thanksgiving…I call it Thanksliving. It’s not just about having an attitude of gratitude; it’s about having a habitude of gratitude. This means we make it a habit to live with an attitude of gratitude.

What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

Instead of waking up complaining and allowing it to consume our lives, we need to start developing a habit of thanking God each and every day for Who He is, what He is doing, and what He will do. Turn your attention to what you do have to not be consumed with what you don’t have. I hope it helps us all tweak our perspective a bit to enable us to live with gratitude. When we can learn to live with gratitude we will learn to walk in victory over our circumstances. Thanksliving is about aligning our heart to the heart of God in all that we do. I came across this poem that is somewhat cliche, but none the less very true.

I am thankful for the mess to clean up after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
I am thankful for the income taxes I pay because it means that I’m employed.
I am thankful for the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.
I am thankful for the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.
I am thankful for all the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.
I am thankful for the lady in the next row who sings off key because it means that I can hear.
I am thankful for the piles of laundry because it means my loved ones are nearby.
I am thankful for the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
I am thankful for my huge heating bill because it means that I am warm.
I am thankful for weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means that I have been productive.
I am thankful for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I am alive.