Growing Your Gratitude in Five Simple Ways
You might be here to learn about gratitude because this is all new to you.
Maybe you already know something about gratitude and have been developing it in your life for a while, but you want to grow your gratitude some more.
Or, maybe you're here because you're kinda cynical about the whole gratitude thing.
I know it can be easy to get caught up in the crap in your life, especially if you're going through a lot of rough stuff.
If that's your situation, you might even be thinking, "Ya right. You try and focus on what you're grateful for when you have as much crap in your life as I do."
I get it.
I've been there.
And gratitude works. Even if you can only think of one seemingly ridiculous thing to be grateful for at the beginning.
So no matter why you're here, read on to learn about gratitude and how you can grow it in your life in five simple ways.
What is Gratitude?
Gratitude is actually hard to define.
Here are some attempts:
1 - "[Gratitude is] the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful" (www.dictionary.com).
2 - "Gratitude, thankfulness, or appreciation is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive" (Wikipedia).
3 - "Gratefulness is responding to life in all its fullness" (www.gratefulness.org).
I love that last one because I think it gets more to the heart of what gratitude actually is.
These definitions show that gratitude is about being thankful.
It's about being appreciative.
It has to do with your thoughts and emotions and attitudes.
And it has to do with your responses to life - - your actions.
But, for me, these things don't really get at what gratitude really is. That's why I say that gratitude is hard to define.
It's more than this.
It's a "beingness" - - something that is within you and flows out from the core of you.
It's a mindset - - a way of perceiving things that you choose to frame your life with.
It's an acceptance of things and an understanding that there's a purpose in all things . . . a lesson in all things. This implies that there's no resistance. No focus on what's missing. No focus on how much stuff sucks.
It's a choice. It's choosing to look at everything for what it has to teach. It's choosing to be thankful for it all. And it's choosing to move forward, making your life all that you want it to be.
Sarah Ban Breathnach on Gratitude
This very short clip is extremely powerful.
Can you write down 100 reasons why you're grateful for your life just as it is right now?
Gratitude by Sarah Ban Breathnach
49 Gratitude Quotes and A Poem of Thankfulness
Thanksgiving Bible Verses:
15 Great Scripture Quotes
Thanksgiving Day is a time to reflect and be thankful for all that God has given us. Let us not only do this one day a year but celebrate the greatness of our God with thanks everyday! This collection of Thanksgiving Bible Verses focus on reasons to praise our great God.
Featured Thanksgiving Verse: Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.
These Thanksgiving Bible Scripture Verses are great for reading before any prayer on thanksgiving day.
Singing Thanksgiving
Psalm 28:7 -The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.
Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with song, And shall magnify Him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 95:1-6 - O Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, And a great King above all gods, In whose hand are the depths of the earth; The peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
Powerful Thanksgiving
For His Deeds
1 Chronicles 16:8 - Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.
For His Power and Strength
Psalm 107:29-32 - He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet; So He guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men! Let them extol Him also in the congregation of the people, And praise Him at the seat of the elders.
More Strength Bible Verses
For His Foundation is Firm
Colossians 2:6-7 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.
Speaking Thanksgiving
1 Chronicles 16:34 O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalm 100:4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.
Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay Salvation is from the LORD.”
Ephesians 5:3-4 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
Everything Thanksgiving
Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
1 Timothy 4:4-5 - For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Christian Quotes About Thanksgiving:
“A sensible thanksgiving for mercies received is a mighty prayer in the Spirit of God. It prevails with Him unspeakably.” ~ John Bunyan
“We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” ~ Harry Ironside
“That action is not warrantable which either fears to ask the divine blessing on its performance, or having succeeded, does not come withthanksgiving to God for its success.” ~ Francis Quarles
“We ought to shout out our thanksgiving as if every war were over; as if there were no more big taxes; as if there were no sickness, no crime.” ~ John R. Rice
“I preached on the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of faith. While I was speaking, several dropped down as dead and among the rest such a cry was heard of sinners groaning for the righteousness of faith that it almost drowned my voice. But many of these soon lifted up their heads with joy and broke out into thanksgiving, being assured they now had the desire of their soul – the forgiveness of their sins.” ~ John Wesley
For What Are You Thankful?
Tell us about it, share in the comments below how you have been blessed by the Lord. You might also find some of these other great Bible Verse articles helpful:
20 Bible Verses About Friendship- How should you treat your friends? What does the Bible say about choosing friends? Read these great scripture quotes.
15 Quotes from Jesus in the Bible- What did Jesus say when He was with us? Check out these amazing quotes.
Source:
www. Biblegateway.com
The Holy Bible- New American Standard Version
The Holy Bible- New American Standard Version
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995
by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995
by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Life Song - Casting Crowns