An Attitude of Gratitude

Thanking God throughout the day

You may have heard the old joke about a monk who took a vow of silence. According to the rules, he could only say two words on the yearly anniversary of his vow. At the end of the first year, he met with the monastery’s abbot to say his two words -“Food cold!” The abbot talked to those who prepared the food and made changes to ensure hot food. On the second anniversary, the monk and abbot met again. This time, the monk said, “Bed hard!” The abbot immediately purchased a new mattress for the monk’s bed. On the third anniversary, the monk said, “I quit!” To which the abbot responded, “I’m not surprised. All you have done since you came here is complain.”

The Key to Gratitude

If anyone should have a gratitude attitude, it is Christ Followers. But what is the key to gratitude? What makes some Christ Followers seem so grateful and others constantly complain? I think the main key to becoming a person of gratitude is contentment. If we are not content, we will not be grateful. We will constantly complain. It is that simple. Gratitude is linked to our contentment. The apostle Paul stated…

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Philippians 4:12 NIV)

In every situation? Surely, not every situation. Yes, in every situation! A few verses before his “I have learned to be content” declaration, Paul said.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6 NIV)

So, what is the key to being content and thus having an attitude of gratitude. It is simply trusting in the Lord. What a cop-out statement you may be saying. “Just trust in the Lord.” Are you serious, Greg? Yes, just think about it for a moment. If I truly trust the Lord, I will believe at least three things.

1. He has my situation in control - He is all-knowing and all-powerful.

2. He has allowed my situation to happen - He is a sovereign God.

3. He will give me the strength to walk through the days ahead. He is a loving God who will empower me through Holy Spirit - “Even though I walk through the darkest valley.” (Psalm 23:4).

Moving from Complaining to Gratitude

How do we move from complaining to contentment to being a person of gratitude? First, know that it takes time. A lot of our complaining is habitual, and it takes time to break a habit. Second, begin to practice gratitude in your daily life. Here are a few suggestions.

• Begin the day with gratitude.
  Remember the “five-minute” focus when waking—“Emmanuel Greeting?” Begin your day by thanking God for the things you are grateful for. How has he blessed you? “His mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:23 NLT). I love the following quote by Trevor Hudson.

                  "Lord I thank you that I am waking up to a day I have not made, 
                                    to enjoy a salvation I have not earned."

• Practice “five-minute” focuses on gratitude throughout the day.
  Be aware of what is happening around you. When and where is God blessing you during the day? Thank him for each blessing as you go about your day. When you begin to complain about something or someone, ask God, “Where is there reason to be thankful in this situation?” “Where is the blessing here?” This is very powerful because it begins to break the habit of complaining.

• End the day with gratitude.

  As you lay your head on your pillow each night, practice a “daily debrief.” One of the parts of the debrief that I explain in my “Goodnight Emmanuel” post is “review your day with thanksgiving.”

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Complaining is easy, and so is living with an attitude of gratitude! But gratitude does not come naturally. We have to intentionally allow Christ to shape us into his image. The question is, “Will we do it, or will we continue to be stuck in a rut of complaining?”