An Attitude of Gratitude Does the Body Good

Having an attitude of gratitude is one of the few things in life that almost all of us can agree is essential for our overall well-being. While we may teach our children the importance of being grateful, hear it preached and taught in our places of worship, the beauty lies in its not something we have to figure out on our own.

This season may be different for many reasons – family loss, financial hardships, illness, and new concerns about family gatherings due to a re-surge of COVID-19. It is also a time when some may find themselves struggling and plagued with the question, “What do I have to be grateful for?”

Note my emphasis on ‘feel’ is intentional. There are, quite frankly, seasons in our life when we may feel like everything is falling apart. Gratefulness may seem far from anything you’re feeling in such moments. As life would have it, it is during these seasons that we can both learn and appreciate 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which reads: “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

As I quiet my mind and think back on those moments, I am thankful for an attitude of gratitude that was good for me. I was not just learning to be grateful, but understanding what it means to be grateful in everything. My ministry’s prayer focus for the month is on thankfulness. Each day I am empowered with scriptures that powerfully remind me that there are so many things to be grateful for despite the seasons we may find ourselves in. When we allow ourselves to become immersed in an attitude of gratitude, it becomes good to our soul – mind, body, and spirit. As I pause in reflection of an attitude of gratitude, I get teary-eyed because despite it all, and I mean it all, I have much to be thankful for. Grateful for how the things I saw as hard, as impossible, as weary, God used it as an opportunity for me to experience His presence through it all.

Beloveds, it is so easy to express joy when life is going great, but what is our attitude during seasons of challenges? One of the easiest ways to grow through our experiences is to develop an attitude of gratitude.

Developing an Attitude of Gratitude

Being a realist, it can be difficult for many to find gratitude for some of life’s most painful and unimaginable experiences. So how do we move our thoughts toward an attitude of gratitude that’s good during painful trials and tribulations?

Developing an attitude of gratitude will require you to shift your mindset intentionally. It will require that you establish consistent practices of being thankful no matter what. That means whether we see it or not, we are to express gratefulness for the trials and tribulations we go through. Some of the ways we can develop and maintain an attitude of gratitude are to:

1.    Maintain a positive attitude that empowers you to bounce back despite the challenge you face.
2.    Master the fruit of patience, which empowers you to persevere and move forward in faith.
3.    Express thanks for the lessons learned from the complicated and sometimes shattered places.

7-Day Action Plan 

Over the next 7-days, I am challenging you to use this week’s action plan as a gratitude journal. Write down what you are thankful for. Give attention to how your thoughts develop over time. While you may start off slowly, watch how you will add to your story and how powerful your gratitude attitude becomes.