Do you believe gratitude is a worthy goal? Discover how much gratitude matters with 10 tips and truths to cultivate grateful life. Though we celebrate Thanksgiving as a holiday, filled with feasting, family, and friends, giving thanks is an everyday grace for bringing the sacred into any moment. On the spiritual side, gratefulness is more than an attitude. It can also become holy habit that draws us closer to God, strengthens faith, and brings freedom from worry. Don’t miss the free Gratitude Journal at the end of this post.
Truths about gratitude make a powerful difference in your life.
Gratitude matters. It makes a difference every single day.
Thankfulness reminds us of the many blessings that come from God’s good presence in our lives. Embrace these truths for a grateful life.
1. Gratitude is an everyday grace.
Holiday’s are important, but gratitude and thanksgiving are an important daily practice connected to our relationship with Christ. Paul instructs believers to give thanks in everything we do and say:
“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17 ESV).
In everything, doesn’t that indicate gratitude is an everyday thing?
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#gratitude #thanksgiving”]The grateful soul is one that has learned to give thanks as naturally as breathing.[/tweetthis]
2. Gratitude is a choice.
God gives us the gift of gratitude to help us not take our blessings for granted. In the trials of life, gratitude empowers us to continue to trust God as we remember His faithful gifts of the past.
How do we love God more than the things that bring us the most delight and pleasure in life? When we remember that every good gift is from our Father, let the gift draw your attention and gratitude to God.
Let your gifts and blessings become windows to see God’s heart for you. Gratitude is inseparable from love. Count your blessings each day, whether mentally or on paper.
3. Gratitude is a gift.
God gives us the gift of gratitude to help us not take our blessings for granted. In the trials of life, gratitude empowers us to continue to trust God as we remember His faithful gifts of the past.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#gratitude #thanksgiving”]Practicing gratitude is a simple, holy habit of loving God. [/tweetthis]
4. Gratitude opens the door to peace.
On our best days and even on our worst, thankfulness matters. An integral part of prayer, giving thanks opens the door to experiencing God’s peace.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
No matter the need or the request, let’s learn the holy habit of saturating our prayers with thanksgiving!
5. Gratitude is the foundation of joy.
Gratitude, contentment, and joy are some of life’s sweetest blessings. Where we find one, we often experience the others as well. A grateful life is also a joyful life. What fills you with joy today?
Tips for a Grateful Life
Building holy habits and making grateful moments doesn’t just happen. It takes intention and practice. When is the last time you started your day in a good mood and all it took was one thing going wrong to plummet your good vibes to negative thinking?
Thank God for who He is, not only for what He gives.
Let every gift, each blessing, large or small, become a reminder of the magnificence of God. Stretch your heart to look beyond the gift to the wonder of the Giver.
When our gratitude is dependent on the gift, we develop a consumer mindset toward God. In A Godward Life, John Piper writes, “God is not glorified if the foundation of our gratitude is the worth of the gift and not the excellence of the Giver.”(214)
Enter God’s presence with gratitude.
Thank God for something specific every time you enter into his presence through prayer. We need to be specific when giving thanks – this keeps us focused and personalizes it beyond a rote practice. King David, writer of many psalms, instructs us that thankfulness is the appropriate attire of the heart.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the Lord is good… (Psalm 100: 4-5a, NASB).
Challenge yourself to give thanks in every circumstance.
It takes resilient faith to look for something to thank God for in the midst of hard times. We may not be thankful FOR everything that happens, but we can, at the least, be thankful for God’s promises that apply even ON our most difficult days.
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV)
If we really look for something everyday to be thankful for, we will find it. This will create a habit of thanksgiving that is fundamental part of a joyful life.
Express gratitude by giving to others.
Because God has loved us, we can freely love others. In Christ, we are full and complete, so we have grace and mercy to extend to others. God has forgiven us, so we can forgive others. Forgiving someone releases us from the burden of resentment and anger.
The sacred habit of gratitude is one way the Holy Spirit works in our lives to teach us how to live God’s way. Holiness on the inside, changes the way we live, making a practical difference in our days.
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. (Colossians 2:6-7 NASB)
Write down what you are thankful for as part of your daily Quiet Time.
If we really look for something every day to be thankful for, we will find it. This will create a habit of thanksgiving with the end result being contentment. Gratitude and contentment are the foundation of joy. If you keep a journal or Quite Time notebook, keep an ongoing gratitude list. You can also keep a gratitude journal, a specific journal or notebook solely for the purpose of recording all the things you are grateful for.
If you’d like help getting started with this, be sure to sign up for my free Grateful Moments Workbook at the end of this post. It is one of my most popular resources in my Subscriber Library of premium content for my newsletter community.
Express gratitude by giving to others.
Because God has loved us, we can freely love others. In Christ, we are full and complete, so we have grace and mercy to extend to others. God has forgiven us, so we can forgive others. Forgiving someone releases us from the burden of resentment and anger.
The sacred habit of gratitude is one way the Holy Spirit works in our lives to teach us how to live God’s way. Holiness on the inside, changes the way we live, making a practical difference in our days.
“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude” (Colossians 2:6-7 NASB).
Cultivating a grateful heart takes time and intention that is worth our every effort. As thankfulness becomes a holy habit and a natural part of your day, you will experience a deeper life with God. Are you ready to discover how gratitude can change your life? Let’s start today!
More posts on gratitude and thanksgiving:
- Pondering Gratitude
- Thanksgiving is More than a Holiday
- Preparing for Thanksgiving from My House to Yours
Download Your Free Gratitude Challenge Journal
Challenge yourself to apply the tips in this post with your free gratitude journal. 30 days of prompts and encouragement to cultivate a more grateful heart. Join thousands of readers who have benefitted from this simple resource. Download and print your copy today!
P. S. I’d be so grateful if you pin one of the graphics from this post. Enjoy and thanks for sharing!
So glad you're here. I help busy women—gals like you— build healthy habits for living well with biblical wisdom and practical steps to deepen your faith, increase your hope, and thrive in your purpose.
