Times Are Often Tough
In today’s world, it’s not easy to be truly grateful. Many have lost their jobs, some have lost loved ones, some have become sick with the Covid-19 virus and face an uncertain future, many suffer from depression.
I believe God wants us to be grateful even in these stressful times. We need to focus on things we have to be thankful for. According to vocabulary.com gratitude means thanks and appreciation. Gratitude, which rhymes with “attitude,” comes from the Latin word gratus, which means “thankful, pleasing.” When you feel gratitude, you’re pleased by what someone did for you and also pleased by the results.”
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Being grateful is one of the best ways to remind yourself of all the good around you. So why is gratitude not a part of our daily lives? Maybe because we live such a fast pace, stressful, interrupted life which makes us focus on all the bad things and forget the good ones. Unfortunately, it is our human nature to dwell on the bad and skip over the good.
Things I Am Grateful For
I am a worrier and could come up with a long list of problems, but instead, I try to come up with things I am grateful for:
- I have a roof over my head and food in my kitchen
- Our children and grandchildren are healthy
- I have friends and family that love me
- I have a job I enjoy and during these social distancing times I can work from home
- Even with some health issues I wake up each day and can live a normal life
How can we cope with depressing things and focus on thankfulness?
- Find something simple to be thankful for and write it down. Continue to do that until you have a list of many things. This can lead you to a new way of living a joy filled life. A gratitude journal can make a positive impact on your life.
- Find someone to have a gratitude conversation with. Tell a friend or coworker how they make your life better.
- Find a way to show someone your gratitude to them by helping in some way.
- Write – Talk – Show – Repeat. The best thing about gratitude is that the more you choose it, the easier it gets. The more you profess gratitude, the more you notice things to be grateful for.
Gratefulness breeds positive vibes. The more thankful you are the happier and more satisfied you become. Even though it is not a cure-all, gratitude is a tool to help us get through difficult times. Read your Bible verses and remember that this too shall pass.
Thankfulness Includes Body and Mind
Along with the thankfulness exercises, remember to stay healthy.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Exercise. This is the hardest one for me because I don’t like it. But exercise helps you build up brain chemicals that naturally fight depression. It also helps you stay mentally focused.
- Don’t stay in bed. Every day get up, shower, get dressed and be presentable even if you have no plans. If you look better, you feel better and vice versa.
- Eat healthy and drink lots of water.
- Don’t be a hermit. Human interaction and discussion are vital to your wellbeing.
- Turn off the TV and take a break from social media.
- Declutter your home and life.
- If you can have a pet – get one! I find a lot of joy from our dogs! Just be sure you can logistically and financially take care of them.
- Pray, meditate and study your Bible.
The Bible Is Our Roadmap To Being Grateful
So, what does the Bible say about gratitude?
“In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
So, it sounds like it is the will of God that we are thankful!
A psalm for giving grateful praise.
“The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised”
The story of Job teaches us that suffering comes upon all, sinful or guiltless. We must trust God and give thanks even if we don’t understand our problems.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
This is a command from God. We should trust God with prayer and thanksgiving.
Remember that reading Bible verses about gratitude can encourage our faith no matter what we are facing.
As a believer, we can have peace and joy through prayer and gratitude. When we pray and give thanks to God, even when it’s hard to, we are promised to be given grace and faith.
As a believer, we can have peace and joy through prayer and gratitude. When we pray and give thanks to God, even when it's hard to, we are promised to be given grace and faith. #Gratitude #Faith #Prayer #Thankful Share on X
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