Can you remember the last time you paused and thanked God for his faithfulness?
Maybe gratitude comes easily to you. Or maybe it’s difficult because you’re going through a hard time at work, or the holidays bring back painful memories.
Whatever you’re going through, God is not absent in your pain. He is always with you.
So, how do we practice gratitude when we’re in a season of deep disappointment or sadness?
Understand our contentment comes from God.
Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Every day is a blessing from God—the good and the bad. It isn’t something we should take for granted but rejoice in.
Wherever season you’re in right now, take time to pause and reflect.
Whether you have a lot or a little to be grateful for, you can always thank God for the gift of his son, Jesus—the greatest blessing of all.
Make it a habit.
Gratitude is a heart posture and a lifestyle. It’s a choice that you have to make every day.
Maybe it’s hard to even think of one thing to be grateful for in the season that you’re in. Maybe the holidays look a little different this year as kids grow up and family traditions change.
It can be hard to feel grateful for the things you have when you’re mourning what you’ve lost.
If you feel distant from God or feel like you can’t even muster the energy to talk to him, he is still near.
Even when you don’t know what to say, God’s Spirit intercedes on your behalf and gives you the right words to say.
Next time you pray, start with thanksgiving before anything else. Thank God for who he is and the gift of Jesus. Before you know it, your list of gratitude will grow as you recognize God in the small things as well as the big things.
Journal your prayers.
In 1 Thessalonians, Pauls says to pray continually.
Any deep relationship requires intentional time with the other person. The same is with your relationship with God. The more you talk to God, the more you will understand his character and create a deeper relationship with him.
Try journaling your prayers and look back at the prayers that God has answered. He may not have answered them the way you thought he would, but he is faithful, and he listens when you speak.
When you take time to reflect on God’s faithfulness in your life, it becomes easier to see things to be grateful for.
Thanksgiving is the perfect day to start a lifestyle of gratitude. But it’s more than just a season. This year, draw near to God, and he will help you find contentment in all circumstances.
When you devote yourself to him, living in a posture of gratitude, you’ll begin to see God’s life-giving joy, peace, and steadfastness even when your circumstances are unsteady.
Thank God every day and watch how it transforms your life.
Kali Gibson is the editor-in-chief for So We Speak and a copywriter for the Youversion Bible App.