WEDNESDAY 14 DECEMBER - DON'T GRUMBLE, GIVE THANKS AND FIND JOY

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22. It’s easy to turn into the Grinch at Christmas! As the season gets busier and we get more tired, there seems to be more to grumble about! Extra activities, queues in shops, late deliveries, a shortage of some foodstuffs, inconsiderate drivers - the list goes on!

It can be a hard habit to break. We seem surrounded by negativity - just watch or read the news if you don’t believe me! It’s easy to fall into the trap of negativity, grumbling and grumping!

But we can choose to be joyful! It’s easy to think that others make the choice for us. We blame others for making us feel negatively - if only people didn’t expect so much from us, if only the shops had more tills open, if only delivery drivers would turn up when they say they would, if only the supermarkets would sort out their supply chain issues, if only people wouldn’t cut me up on roundabouts! But joy is our choice, not someone else’s responsibility.

Paul encouraged the Thessalonians and us to “always be joyful” (v.16). Joy and gratitude are always more healthy than grumbling and complaining. We can choose one or the other. So much of what we grumble about isn’t worth the effort. We get so hung up on the small stuff!

So why not let go of grumbling this Christmas and choose to be joyful instead? You’ll feel much better, I promise! Christmas reminds us that God is always with us, he lives in us and he is for us. That should bring us never-ending joy!

THINK IT OVER

Think about the following:

What are some of the practical ways you can choose joy throughout your day?