“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV
“Gratitude will change your attitude.”
My maternal grandmother told me these words once many years ago when she was living. She advised me to accomplish this goal by taking inventory of my blessings. The older I become, the more I see how she was right.
My grandma also used to say, quite often, “I have so much to thank my Jesus for!” She lived her faith in Jesus Christ by example, daily showing me how to gain and maintain a grateful heart. No matter what the circumstance, good or bad, my grandma would always give thanks to God and trust Him with the outcome.
I remember a time when she received a senior citizen discount for her car maintenance service. The first words she said as we walked out of the repair center were “God is good!”
I remember a time when my Mom ordered repairs for a bathroom in her house. When her mother (my grandma) visited to see the progress, she smiled at the big holes in the wall. When I asked her why she’s smiling at that awful sight, she said something about how it is because she knows that’s how progress is made.
She knew that the workers had to first destroy the damaged wall before making it beautiful again as they rebuilt it.
She was grateful even then, despite the mess, because she was looking forward to the future outcome that she knew would be good.
These life lessons I learned from my grandma still apply today, not just for me but for you too, because when we look for the good and see how God is working in the midst of our mess, we cannot help but give Him praise!
Time and life experience can teach us how God moves and how He is always working. When we pause to be still and take inventory of our blessings, we can see how God has been guiding us all the days of our life.
A few nights ago, my mind was consumed by worries that led to me ruminating over my burdens instead of counting my blessings, but then I remembered my grandma’s advice about gratitude.
Suddenly it was like God gently inserted a thought in my mind about something He did for me, and then another thought of His goodness and before I knew it, my mind was playing gratitude on loop as I recalled all the wonderful things God has done in my life over the years up to that very night.
And true to my grandma’s advice, gratitude changed my attitude as I went from being sorrowful to being overwhelmed with joy as I focused on all God has done for me.
I recalled moments where He showed up for me in ways that only He could, moments where He blessed me beyond all I asked, moments where He surrounded me with His love and blessed me with His favor. All of this made my heart smile and uplifted my mind.
I found it to be true that as they say in Christian church circles, “God is good, all the time. And all the time, God is good!” It may sound cliché but it’s true.
If we take time to take inventory of our blessings, we can see the hand of God over our life.
As we meditate on His goodness, grace and mercy, gratitude beings to well up within us and overflow. And when the attitude of gratitude pours out of you, people take notice.
It inspires them to want to know the source of your joy and that is when you can tell them about Jesus. And when you tell people about Jesus, that changes not just their life on earth, but it can affect their eternity if they choose to follow our Savior all the way to Heaven.
So next time you feel disappointed, discouraged, depressed or in despair, give thanks to God. I know it’s not easy at first but pray for the strength to do it.
Just like God changed my thought pattern that night but inserting a memory of how He blessed me which slowly but surely put me on a roll of counting my blessings which led to me being grateful to God, He can do the same for you.
In closing, I’d like you to consider listening to Thank You, by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and reflect on the goodness of God.
Related Reading:
Pin this for later…
