Gratitude is something we all strive to have, but can sometimes find elusive.
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. – Colossians 3:17 ESV
Having a heart posture that leans towards thankfulness is an incredible way to live life, it means that more often than not life simply looks better because your focus naturally shifts away from what you do not have and to what God has provided you.
Once you shift your focus to gratitude, it is only natural that your next thoughts will become ‘how can I bless others with what God has entrusted to me?’ which is certainly something I would like to ask myself more often.
There are a number of practices we can take part in regularly to encourage gratitude in our lives.
- Prayer. Thank God for what He has provided.
- Praise and worship. Put on some music, sing, dance, and declare God’s goodness.
- Serve others. Invest your time into caring for the needs of others.
- Give. Use your financial resources to bless your church, community, and the wider world.
- Keep a Gratitude Journal. Write down what you’re grateful for, make it a regular habit so that your mind, body, and spirit keep an eye out for blessings each day.
- Remember God’s Blessings. Take time to recall not only the things God has done in your life and the lives of the people you love, but the promises He made in His word.
- Express Gratitude to others. Share what you are grateful for in your life and through the actions of others with the people you are grateful for. You may find that the people around you will start following your example.
There are so many ways we can train ourselves to live a life of gratitude, and it all starts with us individually taking the time to reflect on and acknowledge the good things in our lives and to then thank God for blessing us with those things.
This week, no matter what we are doing, let’s slow down and start counting our blessings.
Blessings
Karla