The Christian faith comes with many challenges. Gratitude for God’s goodness is one of those challenges.
Gratitude 1:
Thesalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
Gratitude 2:
More thoughts on gratitude and a thankful heart:
Our default thinking may be negative—remember, gratitude takes time and practice. God tells us, through Paul’s words in Philippians 4:8 to think about true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable things.
It takes daily practice to build the habit of finding the best in people situations, and events, but with God’s help, His Spirit working in us, it gets easier!
Prayer:
God, show me where my thoughts are going wrong. I want to think about things that are going right, not those going wrong. Bring it to my attention when I have slipped into negative thinking, and remind me how blessed I am.
Gratitude 3:
Have you ever noticed that when you get a new car you suddenly notice just how many cars like yours are driving around the world? How about deciding to paint your living room a new, special color, and suddenly that color shows up everywhere you look?
This is called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. Our minds become more and more aware of things that are emphasized in our lives.
How often are we aware of blessings that pop up in our lives? Does our mind see these blessings everywhere we look or does it always see and dwell on the negative moments of life?
It’s a great time of year to create a new habit out of noticing and counting our blessings. Once you see them, you can’t unsee them. Look for those simple blessings today. They are everywhere.
Prayer:
Lord, I have so much to be grateful for! Thank you for the air I breathe, the clean water I drink, and the roof over my head. I am grateful for all you do for me every day. Please remind me to notice it! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Gratitude 4:
Practicing gratitude isn’t a magic trick that will change our lives. However, actively looking for the good in our lives and being thankful can certainly change our trajectory.
Giving thanks for all the things our Father has done for us is a way to practice gratitude. Meditating on his word, and his goodness is how we make gratitude our habit. And habits are how we change things for the better (or worse).
Gratitude is the way through hard times. It makes good times better.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1)
Eric is our associate pastor, working with outreach and youth ministry as well as adult discipleship and growth. Eric retired from a 28-year career in public education as a high school band director in 2019 and is now living his lifelong dream as a pastor. Eric and his wife, Diana, continue to live in Henry County where they have been lifetime residents. They "raised" three children and are now making their best attempt at "raising" themselves.