I recently read the story of a man named Charles who got a wonderful Christmas gift from his brother. It was a brand new car! You see, Charles’ brother had done very well financially but more importantly, he believed his financial success was a gift from God and that God expected him to use the money he’d been blessed with as a blessing to others.
I’m thankful for…
During November we’ve highlighted the attitude of gratitude in a variety of ways. One of the things we’ve done is to keep a list of those things for which we are thankful. I hope you’ve found that keeping a list like this has been an encouragement to you. One of the things on my list is you!
Developing an Attitude of Gratitude, part 2
One key to develop and maintain an attitude of gratitude is to focus on the right things. In Philippians 4:8 the Apostle Paul gives us some general categories under which we can list the things on which we should focus. He writes, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” When you look at each of these categories you will see that the list of things to think about in each is, for all intents and purposes, limitless. That’s why Paul gives categories and not specifics. It’s up to us to figure out what we’re going to focus on.
Developing an Attitude of Gratitude
Last week I shared with you four benefits of having an attitude of gratitude. This week I want to share some ways to develop this type of attitude. While I’m not an expert in this area I have learned a few things over the years that I apply in my own life. So here’s my take on what’s involved in developing and maintaining an attitude of gratitude. As we begin to look at this, it is important that we address something that is true about gratitude but not often thought about.
Gratitude
I read the story of a grandmother who was watching her only grandson as he was playing on the beach. Without any warning a huge wave came and swallowed up the little boy. As you can imagine, the grandmother was distraught and begin to cry out to God to save him and bring him back. Then, again without any warning, another large wave came and washed the boy back onto the beach. Once she determined that her grandson was alright she looked up to heaven and said, “He had a hat!”
I’m thankful for …
Take a moment to think about and then complete this statement. “I’m thankful for_______.” Don’t rush it. Take your time. Look at your life. Think about your relationships. Think about what God has done for you. Reflect on the people who’ve influenced you. Relax and think. So how would you finish that statement? If you are like me, there are lots of ways to do so.
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