The Attitude of Gratitude (2)

The Grumble

In order to define something often times you have to determine what something isn’t before you can fully understand what something is.

So this morning we are going to talk about the nemesis of gratitude and it’s called the grumble.

Because our attitudes begin with our mindset, if our perspective is stuck in the muck of negativity, our body, behaviors, mental, emotional, and even physical health will begin to take on this posture – a posture of negativity.

Last week we discussed how having gratitude can position ourselves inline with the blessing of God. So it stands to reason that if we have an attitude of ingratitude than we can remove ourselves, not from salvation, but from the position of blessing.

Ingratitude

The failure or refusal to acknowledge receipt of something good from another; the forgetfulness of or poor return of kindness."

Here is one of the major issues with ingratitude: It can slip into our mindset during tough times, but it can also slip into our minds during great times.

When Job lost everything he began to challenge God in his position of obedience, but the one thing he let slip was his gratitude for what he had. Once he regained that perspective than everything else fell back in line.

David-He was in a high position in his life. But yet he started taking advantage of the blessings of God and fell into sin causing him to temporarily lose everything.

We see ingratitude in

Genesis 40:23 ESV

23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

Where Joseph was in Jail the cupbearer and baker were in prision and Joseph helped them out with a dream interpretation. The promise was when one got out of Jail they would potion the king for his freedom. But Joseph was forgotten about.

2. The Grumble

In Exodus chapter 16 we see the provision of God. Israel, who had just been saved from Egypt begins to grumble against Moses.

Exodus 16:2 ESV

2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,

Here’s the issue: Overcome by fear of starvation Israel began to complain.

Fear is a killer of blessing

When your desires override the will of God you have wondered into dangerous territory.

Because ingratitude often makes us turn around and look at everything we had as opposed to everything God has currently given to us.

Exodus 16:3 ESV

3 and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

One of the tall tell signs that ingratitude has overtaken your life is when you long to go back to the slavery you left behind.

When we hold onto our grumble, when we cling to the past, when we are in search of the blessing rather than the blesser we can walk away from our salavtion. And Moses understood this. This is why he told Israel to be careful. He told Israel when you complain against Aaron and Moses you aren’t complaining against us, but rather God.

The same is true about me, the church, or the situation in your life.

James 1:12–15 ESV

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Grumbling, complaining, or ingratitude boiled down to it’s most basic for is: rejecting the grace of God gifted to you.

It shifts our focus from God’s provision to our problems and when we are over taken by our problems we are more apt to walk away from God to find a solution.

3. Overcoming Grumbling

Here’s the problem: There is a difference between requesting and grumbling. Israel began the bad habit of grumbling against God, which later cost many their lives, when they should have just made their requests known.

Philippians 4:6 ESV

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Grumbling closes the door to God’s blessing Requesting opens the door the God’s blessing.

When we grumble we close ourselves to God.

But when we request we wait expectantly with for an answer.

By changing our focus we shift our mindset from questions like: Why won’t God provide, or why don’t I have to questions like what will God provide? How will his provision come? When we begin to ask those questions we position ourselves inline with God and therefore inline with his blessing.