Tag: thankful

Practicing Gratitude Year-Round by Seeing the Good

Posted on by Evangeline

Practicing gratitude can cause a sizable and positive shift in how you view life. The practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness has been in the mainstream for years. Long-term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in work, better health, a higher sense of well-being, and even a faster rate of recovery from surgery.

While we may acknowledge gratitude’s many benefits, it still can be difficult to sustain. It’s more “natural” for us to notice the negative and not the positive. We tend to focus on what is broken, undone or lacking in our lives. And for gratitude to meet its full healing potential in our lives, it should be more than a word we speak about every Thanksgiving season. We have to learn a new way of looking at things, a new habit of seeing the good on purpose. And that can take some time…and practice.

gratitude

Practicing Gratitude by Thanking God

That’s why practicing gratitude makes so much sense. When we practice giving thanks for all we have, instead of complaining about what we lack, we give ourselves the chance to see all of life as an opportunity and a blessing.

Remember that gratitude isn’t a blindly optimistic approach in which the bad things in life are ignored. It’s more a matter of where we put our focus and attention. Pain and injustice exist in this world, but when we focus on the gifts of life, we gain a feeling of well-being. We develop an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude balances us and gives us hope. Gratitude helps us to see the love of God being expressed in so many ways in our lives.

Some of the things I’m grateful for today: family, God’s promises of good health, clean water, my body and mind working well, friends who listen and really care, chocolate, fresh food, the ability to touch YOUR life through my writing, spring weather, butterflies, and so much more!

What’s on your list?

Tell me one thing you’re grateful for today! 🙂

Gratitude balances us and gives us hope. Gratitude helps us to see the love of God being expressed in so many ways in our lives. Click To Tweet
Thankful in advance

Being Thankful in Advance Helps to Kindle the Flame of Your Faith

Posted on by Evangeline

Being thankful in advance of seeing the answer to your prayer request is a means of fanning the flame of your faith.

Praying God’s Word is an important principle for answered prayer. Philippians 4:6 encourages us to pray instead of worrying. In the midst of that prayer, we need say what God has said in His Word. And before the end of that prayer, we need to thank God for the answer, even before we see it or experience it. It’s a matter of expecting Him to show a high degree of integrity by following through on His word.

Paul wrote this verse to encourage the Philippians to freely give thanks; to use grateful language as an act of worship. Giving thanks to God is an expression of joy toward Him– of gratitude for HIs favor. Paul also wrote on the topic of being thankful in his letter to the Colossians. He encouraged them to live with an overflow of gratefulness. We’re to never stop giving thanks to God because it’s a form of praise. Praise keeps us aware of His presence!

Thankful During Infertility

I don’t believe I ever felt thankful for the infertility I experienced. But I did find ways to be thankful in it. I was thankful for Jesus’ comfort and wisdom, my supportive husband, my praying mother. My numerous caring and fun friends, the doctor who was understanding about my desire to avoid fertility treatments, my job with benefits, etc. were additional blessings I was thankful for.

Gratitude gave me strength and hope. It was a foundational building block for my faith that I would have a baby.

Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 CEV

Being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith…and overflowing with gratitude.
~ Colossians 2:7 CSB

In the midst of infertility, it’s hard to see much to be thankful for because your focus is always influenced by what you don’t have… a baby. So it becomes a choice to admit that you can’t get along without Him, to purposely recognize God’s kindness, and to have a mindset of gratitude. This mindset involves thinking of ALL that God has done for you, especially in other areas of your life that aren’t directly connected to your fertility. And, it involves thanking Him for His loving hands working on your behalf, even when you can’t see it. You can find ways of thanking Him in advance of seeing the manifestation of your desires.

Thankful in Advance

With each expression of gratitude, you acknowledge the good, the favor, and the sweet harmony in your life. The more you give thanks, the more your awareness shifts from the negative to all the positive experiences you have. Using thankful language regularly redirects your focus to His love for you and away from any pain and lack.

Thankfulness is a way to kindle the flame of your faith. As the intensity of your faith grows, you find yourself more and more in line with God’s plan of abundance in your life. Keep fanning the flames of your faith by expressing your thankfulness!

I never felt thankful FOR the infertility I experienced. But I did find ways to be thankful IN it. Gratitude gave me strength and hope. Click To Tweet