Attitude = Gratitude

Happy Wednesday. Remember you have made it half-way through the week. In our continuing to be all we can be for God, our "to be" list continues with this week's charge to be grateful.

Grateful: 1. appreciative of benefits; thankful. 2. Expressing gratitude.

Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful. (Colossians 2:7, CEV)

We talk a lot about being grateful and counting our blessings round about Thanksgiving time. But as Christians, it’s something we should practice every day.

Gratitude is one of the easier Christian disciplines and attitudes to work towards; many of us have been practicing it since our childhood “God is great, God is good …” prayers. But it’s also an easy one to neglect in our striving for more “important” things like forgiveness, patience, service, or self-control.

And though when times get tough....when life hits home....gratitude is the often the farthest from our mind, but it’s also one of the things that offers the most help. Praising God lifts us above our circumstances and invites God into our situation in a real, deep way.

So whether life is wonderful or just stinks these days, we all can find things to be grateful for.

Steps to a more grateful heart:

1. Post the phrase “be grateful” in a prominent spot—especially one where you’re more likely to be a grump … on your checkbook, by the washing machine, by your bathroom scale( yeah I hear that one) and on your computer monitor.


2. Keep a gratitude journal. Every evening write down five things you’re grateful for that day—whether it’s something as small as the taste of whatever or as big as a new job. Don’t forget to read back over these entries in the future for a reminder of how God has blessed you.

3. Write three thank-you notes this week to people you appreciate—your husband, your parent(s), a friend, a mentor, a pastor, or someone else who enriches your life. And express verbal thanks to other people who make your life easier—the person who makes your coffee or latte every morning at Starbucks or the waitress who just served you.



4. Help someone else be more grateful by practicing a random act of kindness this week.

5. Pray for opportunities to be thankful and to see how you can be thankful in every circumstance.

Let's review our "To Be" list:
1. Be hopeful
2. Be happy
3. Be playful
4. Be grateful

How are you doing on your list so far?