Creating a Heart of Gratitude
One of the most powerful emotions is gratitude. If we can find ways to be thankful and grateful throughout our life, we will find the power and emotional strength to walk through some of life’s hardest seasons.
It's not always easy to find ways to be thankful and grateful. But, one of the things Scripture teaches us throughout the Psalms is that there is always something to be grateful for.
The Psalms teach us various songs and poems for every season of our life. But more than that, they also teach us how to cultivate a heart of gratitude and worship towards God.
We belong to a God who loves us and cares deeply for us. God’s love and goodness will never end. Psalm 100:5 praises God for these things:
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Through Psalms like this, we can begin to build a habit of gratitude towards God and all that He has done. We can thank God for what He has done in our lives, what He is currently doing, and what He will do in the future as we follow after Him.
Because God is always good, loving, and faithful, there is always something we can be grateful for—even in the midst of difficult seasons of life.
Take a few moments today to strengthen the habit of gratitude in your life.
First, begin by thanking God for who He is: that He is good, faithful, and loving towards you.
Next, thank God for all that He has done in your life. Thank Him for the good things in your life, and that He has walked with you through the hard times.
Lastly, thank God for all He will continue to do in your life.
How to Start Making Decisions that Honor God
Think back to a decision you made that you now regret. We’ve all done things that weigh us down and make us wonder, “Why do I seem to do what I know is wrong?”
The apostle Paul knew what this felt like…
“I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.”
Romans 7:19 NLT
The apostle Paul described this as a struggle between our old and our new natures.
Our old nature is marked by a desire to do whatever seems pleasing to us in the moment, regardless of the consequences. And while this might feel freeing at times, it ultimately leads to conflict, chaos, and destruction.
Before Jesus’ resurrection, the Hebrew people kept this old nature in check by closely following the laws God gave to Moses. These laws were meant to help people draw near to God. But they didn’t fix human nature—they revealed humanity’s brokenness.
The law separated from God by revealing how far people naturally ...