Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. Henry Ward Beecher
At this time of year our thoughts turn to family and friends, and we gather together to connect and enjoy one another. For some of us this is easy and fun; for others this can be very challenging. Family is, well, family. But whether it is easy or tough, we get to choose, with God’s help, how to engage with the people He has placed in our lives.
Choosing Life is Powerful
As sons and daughters of the One Most High, we are powerful people. The source of our power is found in how we align our hearts with the heart of God. The power is in partnering, in love, with the One who is all powerful. As we choose His heart, the essence of heaven flows through our very bellies and the river of life invades earth, changing the atmosphere and bringing light into the darkness. Even with family!
A Spirit of Gratitude Changes our Lives
One of the most effective ways to align ourselves with heaven is to cultivate an attitude of gratefulness in how we approach our lives and relationships, from the big things to the very small details. Thankfulness is fertilizer for our hearts, that softens and creates a renewed receptivity to God. It is a quality that brings healing and wholeness, and aligns our thinking with heaven’s ways. Philippians 4 encourages us to “have no anxiety about anything, but in everything through prayer and supplication through thanksgiving, let our requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The scripture goes on to describe many amazing virtues that begin to fill our thought life as we allow thankfulness to saturate our perspective.
Gratitude: Prime Ingredient of the Kingdom of God
So cultivating gratitude in our prayer life and relationship with God leads to peace, freedom from anxiety, and an enhanced ability to focus on truth, honor, justice, purity, loveliness, graciousness and excellence. I don’t know about you, but that’s where I want my mind to live! And allowing thanksgiving to fill our hearts helps us enter into God’s presence; we “come into His presence with thanksgiving”! (Psalm 95:2) Who doesn’t want more of His presence?
A Thankful Heart can be developed
So although many of us weren’t raised in an atmosphere where thankfulness was modeled, we can learn, with God’s help, to incorporate this quality that will absolutely revolutionize your thought life. Like any other “spiritual” muscle, this one can be developed with practice. It is counter-cultural, as the world around us encourages us to complain and compare. A grateful attitude makes us revolutionary in a world that says there’s never enough. Our response: our Father says that everything He has is ours! And we give praise with a thankful heart!
Susan
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