Thankless
It’s not a great word. It’s not a word that I want to describe my life, or me.
It’s definitely not the way I want to live out my faith.
But sometimes this is who I am.
When that starts to happen I need to slow it down and count the cost of my ingratitude.
It damages my faith
I start to see God as my personal genie
I get upset when He doesn’t do what I think He should do, in the timing I think He should do it. I forget that Jesus willingly suffered humiliation and pain to stand in the gap for me, and that if He never did a single thing more, He’s given me more than I ever deserve.
Lord, thank You what You did for me.
It stunts my growth
He’s not there to fulfill my every wish and whim, and sometimes He leads me down hard paths because there’s growth and maturity and joy in those places. He hears my prayers, but His answers might not line up with mine and that’s okay.
He’s called me to a race.
If I throw up my hands and give up because I have a thankless heart, or I somehow think that I deserve a life that is always easy, I’m stalled at the start line.
Lord, thank you for not leaving me at the start line.
I forget what I love
Deadlines. Word counts. Assignments. Get up early. Keep going. Juggle, juggle, juggle.
When I say it like that, it sounds awful.
Who would want to sign up for that?
Um, me. I did. I was the girl waving my hands in the air. Pick me, Lord. Pick me! A message burned in my heart and I prayed that somehow I could share it, and the Lord said yes.
All of the words I said a couple of seconds ago define my work and ministry, but let me add a few:
Blessed. Amazing. Adventurous. Privilege. Joy!
How many times do we ask — beg — God for something, and He graciously gives it to us — only to take it for granted, or grumble because this gift came with responsibility?
Lord, at one time I considered it a treasure. It’s still a privilege, Father. Let this be worship instead of work.
Our children are sideswiped
My kids are grown, but they still watch me. A thankless heart impacts them, because we have this thing called a relationship. When I’m a disgruntled thankless grouch, it affects us, not just me.
My littles are all five and under and they watch me like a hawk. When I head down the thankless road, they follow. Or they get sideswiped by my thankless heart, my thankless faith, and thankless me.
Whining, griping, complaining, discouraging words, grumbling, a critical heart — those are the trademarks of a thankless heart, and it’s what we pour out over those we say we love the most.
Jesus, remind me to smile and laugh with those I love.
I blame others
If I need to adjust my schedule or say no to a couple of things to be in balance, that’s on me.
If my thankless heart makes me feel sad, it’s not someone else’s fault.
If I point fingers and assign blame, nothing changes.
Lord, it’s me.
I hold up my thankless heart and ask You to change me. Start with me first.
Here’s some good news.
We don’t have to live with this condition.
Worship is the way we flip from a thankless heart to a thankful life.
I know it sounds odd, but when we begin to truly thank Him for who He is, for what we’ve been given, for the smallest or biggest of treasures, and even in the hardest places — something happens inside.
Our eyes are opened.
It’s not necessarily that our situation changes, but we are open to change.
If you’re struggling with a thankless heart, will you do something with me?
When you wake up every morning, slip to your knees. Tell Him thank you. Whisper at least one thing that makes you smile.
That’s not fake. It’s not to get anything.
A thankless heart crumbles under intentional, consistent worship.
I’m doing this myself, because I refuse to live with a thankless heart. I don’t want my loved ones to be burdened with a thankless me.
And that’s not where following Jesus leads me. He’s got some pretty amazing things He wants to show me, and miracles He desires to do in and through me.
Just like He does for you.
Suzie
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I love your thoughts here! Being intentional about giving thanks is so important and can really make a big difference to our focus and our attitude.
Thank you!!!! Just what I needed to hear this morning…. Woke up being unthankful (as usual) blaming others for my unhappiness & most of all expecting our FATHER GOD to be a “genie”….. Thank you for your obedience in expressin what our HOLY SPIRIT places on your heart & putting it in perspective….. Going on my knees now and thanking JESUS for HIM…… With Love!!!!
Yes! This is me for sure. I have been thinking about this same subject all week. Remembering not to blame others for our busy schedules is so important. I am so happy to have a smile on my face throughout the day verses the the grumbling. So Thankful I got up early to read this!
God is always so faithful to show me perspective when I need a gratitude adjustment. And for this, I am thankful. <3
Suzie-Thankfulness is something I try to practice before I even get out of bed because I’ve learned it’s that important to setting the tone for my day. However, as the day, the deadlines, the deeds in my life multiply, so do my grumbles. This is such a great reminder of how they can impact me and those around me. Let me worship instead of grumble. Amen and thanks!
I’m thankful for your heart this morning….I needed this reminder!
How easily we forget all He has done! Thank you for sharing.
A clear-eyed understanding of who God is and all that He has done is my doorway to worship – but how soon I forget all that I know in my head! Thanks for helping the truth to reach my heart today.
Thank you for the reminder. Yes, unfortunately, I have looked to God to grant me my wishes exactly as I think I need them fulfilled. Have a blessed week Suzie!
“How many times do we ask — beg — God for something, and He graciously gives it to us — only to take it for granted, or grumble because this gift came with responsibility?” This part right here is regrettably true. I am working on being thankful in all circumstances but I am not there yet. Thank you for this post!!
This Suzie, “A thankless heart crumbles under intentional, consistent worship.” I needed this. Intentional and consistent are words I know and need. It’s so easy to just live and stop being intentional and consistent. Worship is such a necessary part of life and it begins with simply saying, “Thank you, Lord.” Linking up an older post today as it fits the writing prompt. I hope you have a great rest of the week!
Thank you Suzie. The timing on reading your post is exquisite – of course! Tired, drained, overwhelmed with a long list…or blessed beyond measure to be able to move within a mile of my 90+year old parents as dad deals with cancer, to be able to gut and redo a little lake house. To find a Fish Camp cabin (all of 10′ x 32′!) to stay in while we remodel. Blessed to be a daughter of The King who loves us so much, He gives…
His Son. Hope. Thankfulness. Joy.
I love our mighty God! And the birds started singing. Really!
Gratitude was always something I struggled with growing up and even in the last couple of years with all of my health struggles. I started off 2016 keeping a gratitude journal, and it’s amazing how God used that to transform my heart. It took almost five months, but I’m happy to say I’m living within a place of constant worship and gratitude, and I owe it all to his work in me! <3
As we go through testing times. Our faith our determernation . Showing gratertuded for all the lessons we had to learn. We come a long way by the grace though their are still some things we struggle with. Thank u for all the warm and generous guidance.
Thank you. This is an extremely timely reminder for this girl…. I’m in tears.
love this suzie and will add your list to mine: advantages of a grateful heart – the converse but the same. hope to meet at She Speaks!
Hi, coming over from the Coffee for Your Heart linkup today. As I started reading your blog post I began to think of several women who I thought could benefit from reading it but then I realized, what about ME? What can I learn from this and where are my own areas of thanklessness? This was truly eye-opening to contemplate. Thanks for sharing on this topic and how to combat it in our lives!
Such a great reminder to live with a worshipful thankful heart Suzie! I think it’s so easy to be thankless…thank you so much for this today! I didn’t write a post today, but will leave encouraging thoughts for others and pray!
This is such a needed reminder! God hates a grumbling heart! And yet … He loves us so abundantly even though we are all guilty of at least some grumbling. Some, more than others — and I am unfortunately on the “more” side too often. The enemy knows our weaknesses better than we do! And he will prey upon them. We are wise to also know our weaknesses (“search me, O God, and know my heart!” Psalm 193:23) so we can pray that God would transform our hearts and minds in these areas. A great lesson on ungratefulness and grumbling is found in Numbers. The Hebrews had been set free from captivity – shown miracles beyond their comprehension – led and protected by God himself day and night on their travels – given a perfect heavenly supply of food in the middle of the barren desert – and yet … they grumbled. And the moment they let their hearts begin to grumble … they began to desire evil in place of God’s provision. “[T]hey spoke against God and against Moses, and said, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!'” Can you imagine!! They were honoring their captors in Egypt more than God! I gasp at reading this! How ungrateful! How could they say such things after all God did for them! And yet . . . how often I’ve been guilty of the same ungrateful attitude and grumbling heart. God gave them a chance to change their hearts. He was patient – as He always is. But they continued to grumble and speak against Him and against Moses. So … God gave them what they wanted. And woe to them! There is so much joy to be found in having a thankful heart – and God loves to bless those who cherish Him above the things He gives. When HE becomes our greatest blessing, our hearts overflow with thanksgiving for everything else.
Hi, so sorry to crash into here; but, thought you needed to know. The link to your website that posted on Michele’s guest post is “broken” and goes no where. then when I tried to subscribe to your site, it failed to ever send me a link. Hmmmm. That being said, I loved your guest post. It was exactly the message I needed today. I have been writing 6 years and managing a website. Sometimes I wonder if my message matters then I realize that the ones who faithfully come are the very ones God needs to come and visit. There are those from around the world. Besides it stretches me to always be studying His word–there is that. So, one more time. Well unless God tells me to quit writing I will keep writing and proclaiming His name to anyone who will listen.
Oh, the subscription link did finally work–only had a delay. Patience was the key. Thank you
Suzie, how did you know I SO NEEDED to read this today?!😉 (I’m sure I needed it the day it first posted too) Thank you for making me see my thankless heart needed a wake up call! Going to my knees…🙏