Many experts agree that listing all the things you can be grateful for is an effective way to stay positive and joyful. And it’s true that focusing on what’s going right in your life can bring perspective to what’s going wrong. However, that mindset can also fall short of how God wants us to respond to our circumstances.
The Bible tells us not only to give thanks for everything in our life (including what we see as negative) but also to give thanks continually. In other words, it is possible—and desirable—for believers to maintain an attitude of thanksgiving regardless of the circumstances. That’s not easy to do, but we can trust that our good, loving God will never ask us to do something He won’t help us accomplish.
An ongoing attitude of gratefulness isn’t only a helpful spiritual discipline—it’s also medicine for the soul. It keeps us aware of God’s place in our life and reminds us to look for His purpose in every situation. A mind full of gratitude brings us into alignment with the Lord’s will and frees us from relying on ourselves instead of Him. Then our anxiety will be replaced with peace, which helps us trust God even when we don’t understand why something difficult is happening.
Remember: Gratitude begets more gratitude. What can you thank the Lord for today?
Bible in One Year: Proverbs 1-4
