Count Your
Blessings!
We sing a song with the title, “Count Your Blessings.” That sentiment is
repeated often throughout the song. “Count your blessings, Name them one
by one.” The vocal chords strain to encourage all in the assembly to
recognize just how blessed we are.
Unfortunately, however, all too many seem to want to “count” what they
do not have, rather than what they have. “I wish I had that house to
live in,” the wife laments. “Why don’t you fix something different for
supper?” the husband inquires. The children are heard complaining (and
why not? they’ve learned such from their parents) about everything from
not being allowed to have that candy bar to not having enough elbow room
in the car. I wonder: Have we ever stopped to consider how our words
of complaint must hurt our spouse, child or parent?
But even more so, have we ever considered how it must make the God of
heaven feel when He hears our grumbling gripes? Don’t we listen to what
we sing?! Our song goes on to express, “Count your many blessings, see
what GOD has done!” But in complaining, we are looking at what God has
not done. How truly ungrateful we mortals can be. If we would consider
how richly blessed we are in food, shelter and clothing (and beyond),
how could we ever think to complain about what we don’t have? And
therein lies our problem: We fail to dwell on and be thankful for what
God has abundantly provided for us. When we thus fail we act like
“spoiled brats.”
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down
from the Father of lights...” (James 1:17). The next time you hear
yourself utter a word of complaint, bite your tongue. You deserve it.
--Mike Noble
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