Accustomed To Our Blessings

“I have felt for a long time that one of the particular temptations of the maturing Christian is the danger of getting accustomed to his blessings. Like the world traveler who has been everywhere and seen everything, the maturing Christian is in danger of taking his blessings for granted and getting so accustomed to them that they fail to excite him as they once did. Emerson said that if the stars came out only once a year, everybody would stay up all night to behold them. We have seen the stars so often that we don't bother to look at them anymore. We have grown accustomed to our blessings.

“The Israelites in the wilderness got accustomed to their blessings, and God had to chasten the people (see Num. 11). God had fed the nation with heavenly manna each morning, and yet the people were getting tired of it. "But now our whole being is dried up," they said, "there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!" (v. 6). Nothing but manna! They were experiencing a miracle of God's provision every morning; yet they were no longer excited about it. Nothing but manna!

“One of the evidences that we have grown accustomed to our blessings is this spirit of criticism and complaining. Instead of thanking God for what we have, we complain about it and tell him we wish we had something else. You can be sure that if God did give us what we asked for, we would eventually complain about that. The person who has gotten accustomed to his blessing can never be satisfied.”*

As believers, we have so much for which to be thankful!  But, like the Israelites, it is so easy to become accustomed to our blessings -- to take them for granted.  Perhaps that is why Paul is so insistent that we be “...always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father…” (Ephesians 5:20).  Thank You, Father, for everything!

God loves you!

Mike

*Warren Wiersbe, “God Isn't In a Hurry,” pp. 77-78