The Benefits of Having a Grateful Heart

As you enter this holiday season, God would like to encourage you to pause and take inventory of His goodness in your life. Yes! Count your many blessings! Name them one by one. 

What has He done for you this year, in this season? Where has He brought you from to where you are today? What strongholds has He broken off your mind so you can enjoy greater freedom and victory?

The answers to these questions are your reasons to pause and thank God for His favor in your life. These are the reasons to celebrate His endless love for you.

How often do we go through our days striving to accomplish what we think is necessary, only to find ourselves frustrated, tense, and on edge when God gives us the perfect example of how we can live our lives? 

Luke 10:41-42 reads The Lord answered her, “Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.”

I share this verse with you because I recently found myself like Martha, upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions, instead of being like Mary, positioned at Jesus’ feet, being thankful and enjoying the situation. 

When I realized this, it did not only grieve my heart, but I sensed that it also grieved my Heavenly Team’s heart because I was not trusting them.

The best thing to do when we find ourselves in situations that come to our lives to disturb our peace is to stop, take a deep breath, and remind ourselves of what the Word of God tells us. 

In this situation, He reminded me of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Let joy be your continual feast (be joyous in every season). Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus. 

In this situation, my priority should have been being more concerned about the peace of my grandson instead of the distraction at hand, which caused me to lose my patience and peace. As you read this, I am confident you can relate to a similar situation in your life.

We can learn from situations like these to depend more on Holy Spirit’s power within us and focus on having a grateful heart for where God has positioned us. 

5 Reasons To Be Grateful

Having a grateful heart brings numerous benefits to our lives, such as appreciating the good things God has given us, regardless of how small they may seem.

Secondly, having a grateful heart helps us stay positive and focused on the blessings in our lives, even during those seemingly difficult times. 

Thirdly, having a grateful heart can improve our relationships with others, as we are more likely to express appreciation and kindness towards them.

Fourthly, a grateful heart increases happiness and a sense of well-being, as studies show gratitude is strongly linked to positive emotions.

Finally, having a grateful heart helps us become more resilient and better able to cope with challenges, as we can maintain a positive outlook even in the face of adversity.

Who To Be Grateful For

When we focus on Jesus and what He has done for us, I believe it’s easy to give thanks for the big blessings in our lives. However, we can be encouraged to give our Heavenly Father even more thanks for the little things He does for us every day that we take for granted.

For example, good health, the Godly friendships and relationships that make us better, clean air, and food on our table, even if it’s not our favorite food, it is God’s provision.

So, as you pause and thank God for His goodness and His countless blessings this Thanksgiving season, be encouraged to know that you will find yourself abounding in joy regardless of where you are and what is happening in your life. 

You will be a wonderful expression of Jesus’ life within you for the world to see, and you will enjoy even more victory in your life.

HELPING YOU HEAR GOD'S VOICE TO DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE