Your spiritual growth—absolutely vital for entrance into God's Kingdom— is measured in large part by the vital Christian quality of gratitude.
"What a beautiful day!" I exclaimed. "Look at that clear blue sky and those snow-capped mountains on the horizon!" I was in France, conversing with a Church member as we stood on the balcony of a hotel room facing the Alps.
"Yes, indeed," he answered without the slightest hesitation. "It certainly is a magnificent day. It is breathtaking."
All of a sudden, I felt embarrassed, rather ashamed of myself. My companion, a war veteran, was blind. But somehow, in my enthusiasm, I had forgotten this.
"Please don't feel bad about it," he assured me, sensing my embarrassment. "Even though I am unable to see, I can smell and hear. I can touch and feel what you sometimes only see with your eyes! I'm not terribly handicapped after all, am I?"
No, he was not. He was not handicapped much at all. Actually, he could see better than I. There was no trace of sadness on his face, not a single word of complaint on his lips, no bitterness whatsoever in the tone of his voice. He was a grateful person— grateful to be alive, grateful to have friends and, above all, most grateful to be in God's Church.
What a pity most people do not know how to count their blessings—how to appreciate what they have, how to be thankful and grateful.
Meditate on These Things
Does your mind dwell on all the things that you as a Christian can be positive about, or do you have trouble thinking of things for which you can be thankful?
As the Apostle Paul wrote, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things" (Philippians 4:8).
Did you notice that there is not a single unhappy thought in these instructions? No complaints. No gripes. No negative attitudes. This truly is a commandment of God, but how many of us in God's Church today respect it? A lack of gratitude can prevent us from putting this teaching into practice.
Have you learned to be grateful? Are your prayers to God filled with praise and thanksgiving, or do you continually bother Him with requests and complaints? Examine your heart the next time you get on your knees to talk to Him in secret.
One of the most frequently quoted verses in Scripture, even by those who do not consider the Bible to be inspired, is Romans 8:28: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
Do you actually believe that all things are working together for your good? You should, if you fulfill the clearly stated conditions: You must love God, and you must be one of those called according to His purpose. This promise definitely applies to those of us in God's Church!
Consider the story of the ten lepers who begged Christ to have mercy on them. What happened after they were healed? Only one of them, "when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks" (Luke 17:15–16). And he was a Samaritan, not even an Israelite!
Whether Gentiles or Israelites, where were the other nine? Were they also healed? Yes! That is the very question Christ was posing when He asked, "Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" (v. 18).
David's Example
What made King David a man after God's own heart? Was it perhaps his courage? Was it his willingness to repent of his sins? Was it his earnest desire to search God's ways?
Undoubtedly all of these were contributing factors, but one of David's greatest qualities was his gratitude toward God. Amidst sorrows, trials, and persecutions, David constantly praised God; he always sang psalms of thanksgiving and appreciation.
Notice Psalm 100: "Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations."
How uplifting! Do you, as a Christian, feel this way? Do you share David's sentiments? Are you grateful to God for everything? Be honest! What are your thoughts most of the time? When you rise in the morning? In your conversations during the day? What is your attitude toward the people around you at work? What thoughts do you generally entertain when you are alone?
If you are truly converted, the thoughts of Psalm 100 should be on your lips and in your heart, whatever your circumstances.
Christ: A Man of Joy
Suppose you were asked to count your blessings one by one? How would you go about it? What would be at the top of your list? Your spouse? Your children? The health you may enjoy? The job you have? The country in which you live?
Would you think of God's love for you as your greatest blessing? Are you grateful for your calling—for being in His Church with the tremendous opportunities it offers you to serve? Some lack gratitude—they do not truly appreciate their calling.
But how about you?
Life is not always easy—for anyone. You may be having serious problems today—experiencing trying moments that are hard to understand, and for which you do not honestly feel you can be grateful.
But can you name any servant of God who did not encounter hardships and persecutions? Of course not! Life challenges us with circumstances that contribute to our growth. Did Jesus have an easy life on earth? Easier than yours? You know better: "For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin" (Hebrews 12:3–4).
Despite all this, Jesus was a man of joy. And He told us to share His joy with Him! Trials, tribulations and persecutions are necessary in building our Christian character.
On one occasion, when Christ told a man that being a true Christian meant to be willing literally to give up everything and follow Him, His own disciples were upset at hearing this. They thought the conditions Christ set were much too harsh to allow anyone to be saved.
But Christ told them: "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions— and in the age to come, eternal life" (Mark 10:29–30).
A Christian, therefore, is promised not only blessings, but also persecutions. That is part of your calling—part of your joy. Are you willing to accept your share of the covenant—and to meet life's challenges? Sadly, when persecutions come, some weaken and forget to be thankful. They forget their blessings and begin to count their sorrows.
Actually, all of us in God's Church, whatever our condition, are very blessed. All of us—whatever our problems—have more reasons to be thankful to God than any other human beings on earth.
James wrote: "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:2–4).
Do you really understand this teaching? You need to "count it all joy" not only when things go right, but also when they go wrong. Anyone can be happy and joyful when life is full of smiles. But only a true Christian can express gratitude when undergoing trials.
Paul Rejoiced
The Apostle Paul suffered more, perhaps, than any other disciple of Christ. Yet his epistles are filled with thanksgiving and gratitude. He exhorts us to "Rejoice always" (1 Thessalonians 5:16). You cannot possibly rejoice if you keep complaining and counting your miseries. And you cannot be in the right attitude if you forget the will of God. Remember: "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God," wrote Paul (v. 18). Rejoicing, prayer and giving thanks are commanded by God.
Like King David, Paul too was a man after God's own heart. He was courageous, obedient and repentant, and wanted to learn God's ways. He had learned, as we all must, to be happy in whatever state he found himself (Philippians 4:11–12).
Here was Paul's secret. He knew that God's Spirit in him strengthened him in all of his trials, and actually enabled him to do "all things" in the fulfillment of his mission (Philippians 4:13).
If you have this type of attitude, then no matter what happens to you—whether you are sick or in good health, whether you are poor or rich—you can always get down on your knees and praise God, saying: "Thank you, God, for your blessings. Thank you for your love and mercy. Thank you for your patience with me."
No Temptation Too Great
You probably have read Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong's autobiography. You saw the way God dealt with him and brought him down to his knees. After reading his story and seeing what he went through, would you say that Mr. Armstrong's life was an easy one? Certainly he suffered much hardship and many adverse circumstances. But God blessed him for enduring. Notice how much Mr. Armstrong's heart, despite all his trials, was filled with gratitude toward God.
God tells us that He will never allow any temptation to test us beyond our endurance. "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Growth in gratitude is a sign of spiritual growth.
The moment you stop being grateful, you put yourself on Satan's wavelength and become vulnerable to his attacks. Satan wants you to complain, because that is one sure way of making you turn away from God.
Decide To Be Thankful
Here is a challenge for you: Make up your mind that for twelve consecutive hours, you will not complain. Do not allow any gripes or murmurs to enter your words or your thoughts, no matter what happens. Say to yourself, "All things work together for my good." You may be surprised at the result and the sudden wonderful change in your life.
In all probability, you may find this challenge rather hard to meet, because complaining could very well be a part of your daily life—a routine you follow, whether consciously or not. But try it—force yourself to try it. Set your mind, your eyes and your thoughts on the ultimate goal—on the purpose of your existence, and on the opportunities you will have in God's Kingdom to help and serve. Discard from your mind any thoughts that may be a hindrance to your resolution. Like my friend who was blind, feel what you cannot see, and be joyful and thankful for what you have.
If you do not succeed the first time, try it again until you succeed. And then make a habit of it. God Himself will give you all the help you need. The promise He made to the ancient Israelites also applies to you: "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace" (Exodus 14:13–14).
What more encouragement do you need? God will fight for you, so you can "hold your peace"—stop complaining—and express gratitude.
Then, having done so, you will fully grasp the deep meaning of Paul's words, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).