The Power of Gratitude

The daily mental approach in life is monumental in living a life of joy. I can’t stress enough how important it is to view the little day-to-day things that happen in life from a viewpoint of gratitude. One of the most powerful bits of scripture that shows a view of complete contentment in God’s journey through life in every circumstance comes from the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:11-13. He describes an uncommon mindset of gratitude focused on contentment. “For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything (i.e. highs and lows), whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength”.  The last verse is the one that gets quoted a lot by people out of context, and usually doesn’t get the complete message understanding. Paul has experienced a whole lot of persecution and was completely deprived from a physical standpoint during his lifetime. He described that he understood in God he will provide strength for him: a true of a mindset of trust and contentment through hills and valleys here on earth. He was humble enough to understand who is strength was coming from even during his time on top of the mountain; which many people fail to keep in perspective. Paul’s mindset of gratitude is unnatural to a world full of wanting more. But, if people focus on enjoying and having complete gratitude for each opportunity/circumstance, it’ll bring a sense of joy and success not measured by the world’s standards.

There are so many things that people take for granted and feel that they have a right to. This mindset is selfish and will only cause bitterness, loneliness, anger, jealousy, envy, and emptiness. The world constantly puts in people’s minds that they are not complete until they have ______. It’s in everything; whether in sports, jobs, social life, etc. For example if a person or team wins a national championship, the next step is if he/they can get another. Comparison to others has achieved utmost prestige in everyday life. With a job, it’s a comparison in salary and status. Who is in charge of whom? In social life it’s who has the best looking significant other, and how many people has he/she hooked up with. Or who is the greatest athlete in their sport in the past 10 years, 50 years, or in history. The need for more is how commercials get people to buy things, making them feel incomplete until they get something. In this world right now, many people are unhappy because they don’t allow their minds to think about what they been already blessed with.

            A total shift in mind can only come from within, and also has the power to make a profound impact on everyday a person’s joy. Content people don’t always have the best of everything, but they make the best of everything. Let that sink in…. It’s the daily gifts that a person should look at from an optimist point of view. It takes discipline in mindset and a consistent process to develop a sense of gratefulness in the daily actions, not focused on comparison with others. I am working to develop this mindset each day, and I get caught up in wanting more and comparison at times. Most importantly, each person must look within and feel an incomparable value. I believe this sense of value is only found as a child of God. In 1 John 3:1, John a disciple of Jesus, explains the value of being a child of God. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on each of us, that we should be called children of God!” God’s love for every believer adopted into his family is priceless. Beyond anything we can understand as humans. God gave each and every person unique talents and he uses each to accomplish his ultimate plan of glorification and oneness with God. 

One thing that I have been making a habit in doing is consistently writing down two things I am grateful for in the morning when I wake up and then two things in the evening before I go to bed. I give thanks to the gifts provided by God our Father. The action of writing down things makes my mind think positive and feel satisfaction in life. Contentment settles in and reduces thoughts fixed on needing more. I am a huge advocate of striving for goals in each stage of life, but it ultimately comes down to a sense of peace found in the midst of the process in day-to-day satisfaction. For example, I have been grateful for the strong friendships that have helped me grow as a man of God. I believe God has placed certain individuals to guide me in life. To further develop a mindset of gratitude, I have been consciously catching the things that occur and attributing them as a gift. It could be as small as a conversation that helped build a connection. Or it could be someone paying for a meal I had. Honestly, it’s really anything that is outside of the theme in society of: “F*** you, I’ve got mine!” Believe it or not, that phrase used to be the exact words that my dad described his place or work being like. I think a lot of society lives on “what can I get from or out of this person/place”. It is a scarcity mindset and destroys any trust between people. If we switch to a view of how can I benefit others, it’ll be returned in even more ways than we can imagine. Kindness to others, all of God’s people, is the best way to reflect God’s love and generosity.