It is only too easy to complain.

We all do it. When life becomes too hectic, too uncontrollable, when our ambitions and desires seem frustrated, when we face true pain, human nature tends to prompt grumbling.

As Thanksgiving teaches, though, all have reason to express gratitude for the blessings in life. More than anything, Thanksgiving should prompt us to praise God for His provision and love.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name,” Psalm 100:4 instructs. As the psalm teaches, a grateful heart and a desire to magnify the Lord enable us to draw near to Him. A thankful heart prepares the path to true fellowship with our maker.

The desire to praise also reminds us, as the psalm continues, that “the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations.”

Just as the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 urges Christians to pray constantly, we also should cultivate grateful hearts. In the very next verse, the apostle urges Christ’s followers, “in everything give thanks.” Thankfulness should govern our every thought about every situation, from the least to the most significant. God deserves our thanks for everyday displays of His faithfulness as much as for the most astounding miracles.

Moreover, we are called to thankfulness even through the greatest of challenges. National crises, from war to economic distress, and personal tribulations -- disease, family discord, a loved one’s death -- bring pain that can be healed only by acknowledging God’s presence and unfailing love.

“Consider it all joy, my brethren,” the Apostle James writes, “when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” In our country, in many troubled areas of the world, and in our own lives, great hardships may have arisen this year. Thanksgiving, however, should remind us that even in the midst of suffering, God works to purify and strengthen those who trust in Him.

The source of a Christian’s trust -- Jesus Christ, who died and rose again to give abundant life to all who believe in Him -- is the greatest reason for giving thanks now, and even after holiday festivities pass. As Paul explains in Romans 7:24-25, Jesus purchased redemption from the power of sin. How should we live in light of that good news? With a heart that, like Paul’s, cries out, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

With an attitude like that, there’s not much room left for complaining.