“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good: his love endures forever.” – Psalm 118:1

I had an assignment this week. My pastor at my church asked the congregation to read Psalm 118 and let him know what we learned. “Yes!” I thought. My inspiration for writing this week was handed to me on a silver platter. Definitely made my job easier. And, this came at a timely manner. With financial struggles and family issues on the forefront, I needed to reflect on the positive things with deeper faith God will carry me through.

After listening, reading and studying Psalm 118, I learned this is a reminder we have so much to be thankful for. God is good and loves us no matter what our circumstances are, what we have done or what we haven’t done.

Many of us are focused on what we don’t have instead of appreciating what we have. It’s a me, me world where we want more, more, more. This causes discontentment creating desire and attachment for the next, best thing instead of enjoying what lies before us.

But, if we take just a couple minutes a day and think about what we are grateful for, then we know we have enough. When we thank God for His love and the wonderful things He has given us, we will be blessed as our hearts become filled with joy.

In what other ways does gratitude towards God, yourself and others improve your life?

Creates Peace
If you’re having a bad day at work with unhappy clients, your kids are behaving badly or you’re worried about finances, find something within that to be grateful for. Be happy you have a job to support yourself and your family. Be grateful you have children who love you unconditionally. And, usually with money issues, things end up working out just fine even if it’s a little uncomfortable.

Mental chaos is transformed into peace when you look at the positive things in your life. It’s easier to let go of negative thinking when living in a state of praise and gratitude towards God and yourself. This is helps change the direction of your ship reaching the shore of peace and contentment.

Even though it’s difficult, thank God for the tough times. Usually, a negative situation leads you towards something greater serving you better in the long run. God can always turn a tough situation into triumph. Trust He has a plan and believe in His will for He knows what’s best for you.

Know What’s Important
It’s easy to be grateful when you’re aware of what’s important. And that is love. Love is the most powerful energy in the universe. It has the amazing ability to heal and transform your mind, body and spirit. When your child gives you a big hug saying they love you, this shared love far outweighs the stress and worries of your day.

God always loves you for His love is unconditional. There is nothing you can say, do or think in order to stop God from loving you. Learn to recognize this allowing His love to pour into your heart. When you accept God’s love with gratitude, you begin to love yourself extending it towards others.

Be Thankful Towards Others
When you are grateful, it reminds you to thank your loved ones and those who have helped you along your way. Whenever you can, say thank you to the people you encounter daily. Thank the cashier at Walmart even if the line was too long. Thank your parents for their support even when you didn’t agree. Thank your children for their joyful energy even when they test your patience.

And, thank God for all the grace, healing, love and guidance He has blessed you with. Make it a priority to thank Him during both the good and bad times for His unwavering love and commitment carries you through every circumstance.

Take the time daily, even just for five minutes, to reflect on the beauty of life God has given us. It’s difficult sometimes to give thanks when you are worried about paying the bills or dealing with stress at work. But, this is necessary in order to get closer to God with a deeper understanding of what truly matters in life. It deepens your faith drawing you closer to one another and your community. With gratitude for all that you have, you become open to receive God’s love and blessings.

Starting right now, let’s be grateful and thank God, yourself and each other, today and every day.

Thank you.