Maybe you’ve already heard this line: Why can’t you be contented with your shoes? Others don’t have legs.
Or this: Why are you complaining haven’t you been promoted like the rest of your friends in the office? Others are still looking for jobs.
We fall into the trap of complaining that we don’t have what others have. We also complain about how little we have. And when we have what others don’t have, we gloat over it and become vain.
Complaining is not being grateful.
We complain because we do not have what other have. We also compare what we have over others. As much as possible, we don’t want others to have what we have at the same time desire for what others have.
The Latin word for “desired things” is desiderata.
In 1927, American writer Max Ehrmann wrote the poem “Desiderata.” It has become my all-time favorite and these are some of my favorite lines:
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence…
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they, too, have their story….
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself….
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass…
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth…
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness… Be gentle with yourself…
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here…
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
I put to heart the third line—“If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”
Whenever I start to think I’m better than others or have more than other people, I remind myself not to be vain. And whenever I think I’m a loser compared to people around me, I poke myself to stop feeling bitter about how unfair life is.
Having a thankful heart makes us better persons. When we are not grateful, we lose productivity. Because we are so absorbed with ourself—what we should have, what others should not have over us, and how we have more than others—we fail to be useful. We became complacent and un able to give back what God has given us.
For example, just because we breathe every day, why should we abuse our bodies with alcohol, drugs, cigarette and sex. Shouldn’t we preserve it so we can show to God we respect the body He has given life to?
Just because we are gifted with intelligence, we use it to cheat, deceive and lord over others. Shouldn’t we use it to help others understand more about God’s goodness?
Just because we are born rich, we don’t look for work. Shouldn’t we use our wealth to help others improve their lives?
The more we are grateful, the more we should share because the more we will be blessed. And with more blessings, we can give back to God more. It is in giving that we receive.
A thankful heart does not say, “Why can’t I have more?” but rather, “What can I give back to God for what he has given me?”
Last Thursday was the traditional observation of Thanksgiving Day in the United States, an occasion more celebrated than Christmas Day.
We may not have an official Thanksgiving Day in the Philippines because we should be thankful every day.
The “attitude of gratitude” is not a duty but a channel of blessing. The best gift we can give ourselves and others is to say “thanks” for what we have already received, even for all the little things in our life.
A thankful heart is a blessing to others. It gives us a positive attitude. Those who are grateful to God find they are ready to give to others. Gratitude and generosity go hand in hand.
A thankful heart is a blessing to ourself.
To give thanks is to admit that we are dependent, to say, “I couldn’t have done this on my own but you helped me.” Thanksgiving highlights God’s grace on us. It is only by grace that we escape from the temptation to boast and instead accept our unworthiness before God.
If there’s one theme that should be running through our lives, it must be one of giving thanks to God always.
Do you have this theme in your heart today? If not, better start singing it now. There may not be much time left.