From an Attitude of Gratitude to a Lifestyle of Gratitude

By Maria Prudhomme

So, while we step in boldness and confidence, are we grateful? A lot of the times we say we have an attitude of gratitude, but an attitude is an orientation or a way of thinking. Having an attitude doesn’t always translate to behaviour. I prefer now to say gratitude without practice may be like faith without works. Practising gratitude is a call to action; it’s our putting that attitude to work.

When I sit and really think about how I express gratitude, a lot of the time it’s in my thoughts. Am I truly grateful in my habits? Just imagine this with me: imagine you are at the dining table ready to have lunch or dinner that your parents would have just prepared for you and you just say to yourself “thank you, start eating, finish eating and that’s it no words to them. I wasn’t surviving that entire meal not sure about you.

The picture I am trying to paint is when God blesses you, you say the blessing. When God gives you, provides for you, blesses you, feeds you, you better say something and that something is your practising gratitude. We might be thinking how do we do this?

We say “Thank you for the ………………”

Thank you for the breath in my lungs

Thank you for the job I have

Thank you for the food in the cupboard

Thank you for the friends and family although dysfunctional they contributed toward my character development

Thank you for the Starbucks I could afford this week

Thank you for the money to pay rent

The world we live in doesn’t market appreciation to us that doesn’t mean we don’t express it.

I will say don’t only praise and thank Him in times of provision and blessings but even when you are in the face of enemies, difficulties and trials. Psalm 23:4 says it the best “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” He will always be there to comfort.

So, a tip you can integrate into your daily life is to start expressing your gratefulness; you can even start a gratitude journal, practise contemplative prayer I will recommend doing ‘Examen’. You can download the app or search it on YouTube and it will really help you to practise gratitude. And as you make this a daily practice, you will grow from an attitude of gratitude to a way of life that is grateful.