Do you often find yourself waking up on the wrong side of the bed in a slump? It’s something we all experience. Today I encourage you to push beyond that much too easily adopted attitude of “meh” into one of gratitude. Your feelings upon waking are not who you are. As you learn to renew your mind in God’s word, you actually tell your body, soul, and spirit how to respond to your day-to-day life.

Recently, I found a note on my phone titled “thankfulness”. I created it months ago in an attempt to remind myself of things I was grateful for.  In it were all the random bits of my days that crossed my mind. I wrote them as an ongoing list of “thank you’s” to God. Reading the list made me giggle and realize how the attentiveness of finding gratitude in my daily life had the power to re-frame my heart. Taking the time to consider, for a single moment, what I could give thanks for shifted my mindset.

Focused On God’s Goodness

As I scrolled through the list, I remembered God’s blessing in every aspect of my life. There were small things (like my favorite foods) and larger ones (like blessings at work). I couldn’t deny God’s goodness while reading it. This simple practice took me from grumpiness into joy. My list was comprised of people, things, and events. It had random objects, specific days, and memories. These pieces made up the days of my life that I could hold as a thank you to God. In doing so, I felt my heart leap at the beauty of life with Jesus.

Gratitude Refreshes Our Hearts

In making thankfulness a priority in your life, you grow your understanding of God’s goodness. Even more, you soften your heart, positioning it receive from the Lord.