A Listening Heart
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“The secret of happiness is to count your blessings while others are adding up their troubles”
William Penn
There are so many blessings and benefits to cultivating a grateful heart. People who are thankful sleep better, stay healthier, have meaningful relationships, are less worried and depressed.
Why is gratitude important?
When we are going through difficult times, it’s easy to focus on our problems and lose our joy. In the current climate, many of us are struggling to maintain our inner peace. Truth be told, stress, worry, and anxiety are at an all-time high.
So, you are not alone whether you are battling with sleepless nights, stress, and worry.
I invite you to challenge yourself to slow down and notice God every day and everywhere to see what we can be thankful for this week.
Cultivating a Grateful Heart: What can you be thankful for?
- The pile of laundry on the floor means you have clothes to wear.
- A child running around your house means you are blessed to be a mom.
- Being able to pay your bills means you have a job.
- Ability to laugh means you are alive.
- Waking up this morning and going about your day
- Family and friends who love and care about you
- You not sick or in the hospital
- Ability to sleep and rest
- See the sunrise and sunset
- Receive surprise gifts
- Changing seasons
Friend, we have so many reasons to be thankful. Gratitude is a remedy for anxiety, tension, and worry.
Thankfulness is like a soothing balm that calms the soul and restores our joy.
God commands us to be thankful.
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 MSG
Apart from God’s desire for us to be thankful, gratitude has enormous benefits.
- Cultivating a heart of gratitude will improve your mood and attitude.
- You’ll have more peace.
- It will give you a different perspective and shift your focus from grumbling
- Help you pay more attention and appreciate the beauty all around you.
- It will help you lose your worry and fill your heart with joy.
- Prepare you to navigate difficult seasons well.
Cultivating a Grateful Heart: What does it look like?
There is power in being grateful. How can you cultivate a heart of gratitude in everyday life?
- Start a habit of writing down 3-5 things that you are grateful for daily. You can do this either in the morning or evening.
- Pause throughout your day and take moments to give thanks for the blessings in your life.
- Appreciate others. Tell them how they bless you and what you are thankful for.
Gratitude takes practice so, don’t get discouraged. Every day, be open and aware of the things that God is doing in your life, big or small. We are not grateful people by nature, so it is a decision you have to make every day to be more grateful. As you do, you will reap many, many rewards in your life.
This month is the second anniversary of publishing my devotional, “Weathering Storms and Finding Treasures in the Ruins.“ I recently published a companion thankful journal to help you navigate rough seasons well and cultivate a heart of gratitude.
I encourage you to get a copy of the ” Thankful Every Day Journal “ to start your new habit of gratitude. If you do this, you’ll start the new year with a thankful heart and be a blessing to others.
You and I don’t have to go looking for happiness, and it is right in front of us if we are willing to pay attention and practice thankfulness. Being grateful will also prepare us to weather the storms of life well.
Cultivating a grateful heart is about trusting God even when we don’t understand all that is going on around us. As we exercise our gratitude muscles, thankfulness will become as natural as breathing.
During a difficult time in my life, gratitude helped me a lot. I would pray and tell God that I don’t understand what is going on, but still, I thank Him for all the ways he is working that I cannot see. This prayer helped me stay in peace during that dark season.
In what ways are you willing to choose to turn the uncomfortable moments in life into thankfulness?
In closing, let us praise the Lord for his great love
And for the wonderful things he has done for us. Psalm 107:21
Grab your FREE Gift Bundle of Blessings to help you cultivate a heart of gratitude and find joy in uncomfortable moments.
Prayer
Lord, we bless you for helping us to start a new habit of cultivating a grateful heart this week. You command us to pray and give thanks in everything. Thank you for your unfailing love toward us. Forgive us for times when we grumble and complain. Thank you for healing all who are sick. Thank you for your favor for those in need of financial blessings. Thank you for providing food, shelter, and basic amenities. We thank you for your amazing love and kindness. Please help us to continue to grow in gratitude. We bless you, Lord! We pray with thanksgiving in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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You may also be interested in Gratitude: The Secret of Joyful Living
