Attitude of Gratitude

 Hello there,

Remember how your mom always said, "Don't forget to say thank you"? Mine did too. And while we all get into the Thanksgiving spirit once a year, sprinkling a little gratitude into every day can actually do wonders.

Paul hits the nail on the head in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, nudging us to "In every situation be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." And he doesn't stop there. In Philippians 2:14, he's basically like, "Cut the whining."

It's a piece of cake to find folks griping when things aren't peachy. But here's the thing: grumbling is a bit of a pride parade, while gratitude is all about tipping your hat to God's master plan.

So, when the going gets tough, and you're like, "Why should I be thankful right now?" remember that God's got this grand design where everything (yes, even the not-so-great stuff) works out for the best (Romans 8:28).

That means there's always something to be thankful for.

Take Jesus, for example. His road was anything but easy, with all the persecution and heading toward crucifixion.

And yet, He was the picture of gratitude.

Before the storm hit, He had this beautiful moment with His disciples, just giving thanks to God (Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22).

Honestly, if I were in His shoes, I'd probably be a grumpy mess, ready to complain at the drop of a hat.

But Jesus? He chose gratitude.

God's looking for us to grow a gratitude garden in our hearts, no matter the season—be it sunny days, stormy nights, or anything in between. Sure, it's a breeze to be thankful when everything's coming up roses, but the real challenge? Keeping that thankful vibe going even when things get thorny.

Thinking it's a tall order to ditch the grumbles, especially when life throws curveballs? Well, with God, nothing's off the table (Mark 10:27).

Staying grateful 24/7 is no walk in the park. You'll get tempted to zero in on the negatives. But as Kingdom people, we're called to live out a Kingdom attitude—gratitude, all day, every day.

Adopting gratitude as more than a habit, but a way of life, cracks open our hearts to the richness surrounding us.

Stay thankful,

Dr. Gwendolyn