Gripe. Gripe. Gripe.

Have you ever met someone who, no matter how good life was to them, never seemed satisfied? I have. They may have a great position within a very stable company, they make good money, and the hours are good. But they constantly complain about their boss. Or co-workers. Or that the coffee pot is too far from their desk. Do you get my meaning?

This person may have the perfect marriage, but when they talk with others, their wife spends too much time with her family, or their husband ignores her when he gets home from work. There has to be something wrong to talk about! If there’s not, let’s make something up!

Many people have fine homes with marbled floors, vaulted ceilings, and manicured lawns. But they have a challenging time sitting around a holiday meal and finding something to be thankful for. They wear the finest clothes, and they have tailored attire for every event and holiday; right down to custom-made jogging suits for walking their prestigious doggy. But when they look in the mirror all they see is someone that is too old, too fat, too skinny, and not good enough.

We have many people in our community who just cannot bring themselves to say something good about the blessings God has given them. Their minds are full of dirty little spirits that want to rob them of their joy and keep their focus on what is wrong with life. This focus is on themselves and all things of this earth, not on Jesus.

Luke 19:1-10 tells us the story of Zacchaeus, a man who had everything. Everything but Jesus, that is. He was rich, he had the best of homes from that period of time. Zacchaeus wore the finest robes, and welcomed the most elegant visitors to his home. I hesitate to say friends. But he was not thankful for any of this.

I speculate that when he stood in the courtyard of the town, his conversation was similar to ours. Complaining about not having enough of the best of everything.

As Jesus was walking through Jericho, Zacchaeus decided he wanted to get a better look at this man he had heard so much about. Luke 19:4 says, “So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way.”

Zacchaeus forgot who he was for a moment and reverted to childhood. He hiked up his rich robe and climbed a tree, expecting Jesus to walk under him so he could get a good look at Him.

But Zacchaeus got a surprise, “When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.'”

Suddenly, nothing of this world mattered anymore. The only thing that mattered was Jesus, God in human form, had noticed him, a lowly tax collector. Zacchaeus knew his sinful state, and when Jesus spoke to him, he was convicted of all the sinful things he had done and all the negative things he had said.

He blurted out confession, and he promised restitution at that very minute. Jesus honored Zacchaeus’ conviction by saying, “Today salvation has come to this house.”

I can picture the smiles on his and his family members' faces as they realized the changes that took place in their home. Joy, thankfulness, cleansing. It’s a beautiful feeling to be thankful for God’s blessings.

We have a choice. We can be miserable in our fine homes, designer clothes, and life in general. Or we can, as the old hymn says, turn our eyes upon Jesus.

I challenge you today to look for at least one thing to be thankful for and share that with your spouse, a friend, or even your boss at work. Let your face shine with the joy that Jesus brings.