A Daily Dose of Gratitude

 “A Daily Dose of Gratitude”

Gratitude is an important spiritual discipline.  The apostle Paul exhorts the church at Thessalonica to “give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:17)  This recommendation at first seems odd if not possibly insensible.  Are there not self-evident situations in which one finds one’s self for which one could not reasonably expect to be grateful?  I recall a bereavement visit to plan the funeral program in which the surviving widower forthrightly refused to include “Words of Comfort” in the service.  He asked, “What could someone say that could possibly comfort me at this time?”  What if a loved one was in a car accident and was injured substantially?  Are we to be thankful for the incident, the expense, long road to rehabilitation and recovery, and the forthcoming bureaucratic maze with the hospital and insurance company?  What about the stack of bills on the kitchen table and the definitively limited funds in the checking account?  Where should someone find thankfulness in the chasm of those two realities?  Many other versions of these questions come to mind.  Yet, in every instance, we can be grateful to Almighty God and for the myriad blessings we receive notwithstanding the daily adversities we face.

In droughts of gratitude, we see the glass as half empty as opposed to being half full.  We ponder that half that is missing.  We ruminate about the different strategies that we might employ to acquire those things that we feel we lack.  Usually, we begin with making a list of missing items from our lives.  Compiling this list necessarily means that obtaining these things will result in the wonderful, happy and successful life that we always imagined.  A new job with a fancy title is a great start.  Of course, a promotion yields a salary increase.  That achievement enables the purchase of clothing, technology, décor, furniture, and cars that we have desired for some time.  A new job, wardrobe, car and home inevitably brighten the essence of marital and familial relationships as well as friendships.  The list could proceed infinitely.  However, we fail to appreciate that making such a list usually eclipses the things already in our lives for which we can and should be grateful.  Wish lists ironically cause depression.  We lament what is missing instead of offering gratitude for what we have.

A most effective and practical way to practice the spiritual discipline of thanksgiving is to make a gratitude list.  I particularly recommend taking a pen and paper and itemizing every person and each thing in your life for which you are grateful.  Writing a gratitude list when complaining excessively habitually disperses the clouds of doubt, anger, confusion, and ingratitude.  By the time that I list the fifteenth item, I am typically so thankful that I forget my complaints.  They pale in comparison to the tremendous blessings that I already enjoy.

Gratitude lists fundamentally change my perspective on life.  When my children irritate me, I out their names on my list because they are a blessing.  They are healthy, gifted, talented, smart, handsome, pretty, vocal and spiritual.  Every father can appreciate the depth of such a blessing.  I have ten-point list of repairs that the house needs.  Dwelling upon the finances, timing, and extent prevents me from being grateful for having a home in the midst of the national housing crunch and mortgage crisis.  Drooling about my possible dream car impedes my ability to be thankful for my current transportation and the divine provision of fuel.  My family is comfortable in this vehicle.  I rejoice at their satisfaction and because of it I am most assuredly grateful to Almighty God.  I could go on ad infinitum.  Effectively, reflecting upon one’s enduring blessings of life, health, love, marriage, family, and daily sustenance yields an “attitude of gratitude.”  You will find joy and praise swelling up within your mind, heart and soul.

What about Paul’s admonition to give thanks in all situations?  He urges this action on the basis of God’s unquestionable faithfulness, unfailing love and unending grace.  Paul assures the Church at Thessalonica that regardless of dire state of affairs God is always there to sustain them with His love, power and presence.  Each daily challenge affords us a new opportunity to experience the character, love and provision of Almighty God.  We need not fret or be afraid; God is always with us.  Indeed, we can be thankful because we never walk alone.  Moreover, God redeems our pain and suffering toward His eternal purposes.  He uses these adversities as mechanisms in which to conform us more greatly into the character of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

An attitude of gratefulness trumps the bottomless pit of desire that our natural eyes create when we dwell upon what we lack.  An enduring hymn admonishes us to count our blessings and name them one by one.  In counting our many blessings, we reflect upon what God has done in our lives.  Taking a daily inventory of God’s faithfulness eradicates the tendency of indulging our fears that new challenges will eclipse God’s power.  A daily dose of gratitude parallels an insecticide that exterminates the mental pests of doubt, cynicism, greed, complaining and restlessness.  Moreover, gratitude leads to praise and worship of Almighty God and a renewal of faith in His ability to supply everything that we need and even some of our desires according to His infinite riches and limitless grace.