I've been noticing something about myself and pretty much the rest of the world, and it's bothering me. We're grumpy. Some of us are old, yes. Some of us are not. We're just grumpy. I go through seasons where everything makes me grumpy. My kids make me grumpy. Laundry has always made me grumpy. Cleaning the house makes me downright impossible to live with.
And it's not just me. No, I've been noticing that the whole world seems to be grumpy - especially if you get on social media. Politics make us VERY grumpy. World events make us angry and sad (which often happens to me). The worst thing is that other people make us grumpy, and we want to air that dirty laundry for the world to see. And that, folks, just isn't right.
But we're not just grumpy on social media. Try going to the grocery store or just driving down the road. You see it all over the place - people are just plain crotchety, testy, and as the "youngins" say, salty.
You know, in our defense, we probably have a lot of reasons to be grumpy. This year has been hard. Life is hard. Some of us are going through hard stuff. Some of us are sick or we have financial issues or family issues. Some of us have suffered huge losses. But why is it that some people can handle life's hardships with grace and the rest of us get grumpy?
I was searching the online Bible for the word "grumpy." I was almost sure it was in The Message Bible, but I was wrong. I don't think God wants us to be grumpy. In fact, I'm almost sure of it. I think He wants us to be thankful. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 that we should "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." Paul said to give thanks in all circumstances. In fact, he says that this is God's will for us. If we belong to Christ, that's how it should be.
So here's my point: if we're grumpy, people might see us being grumpy. Is that a good witness? They might say, "I thought you were a Christian! Where is that God of yours now?" Or maybe we're going through a hard time, and we've totally left God out of the equation.
What is the cure for grumpiness? Thankfulness. Praise. Appreciation to the God who has given us good gifts - especially His Son. So often my tendency is to complain to God and not offer Him the praise He is due. I forget to be thankful. This time of the year, it's so easy to let Thanksgiving pass us by because we're so focused on getting to Christmas. That's great. I get it. But let's not forget that gratitude will cure our crabbiness. It will slow us down and help us remember the reason for the fourth Thursday in November is not just turkey and football. It's about thanking God for all He has done for us. Let's make it our goal this week to live in thankfulness and not grumpiness.
The choice is yours: grumpy or thankful?
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