Have you ever thought about the ways gratitude can transform our relationship(s) with God and with other people? God is a relational Being and He designed us to be in a life-giving relationship with Him and those He brings into our lives. These relationships are nurtured by mutual and reciprocal love, time, care, trust, respect, and honest communication. 

But when life feels hard, we can fall prey to the enemy’s invitation to harbor a mindset of defeat and ingratitude. This makes it hard to see beyond ourselves and can fracture those relationships we desperately need in our lives and should be investing in. 

In my experience, when I’m filled with the grumblies, I block myself from listening, seeking, and hungering for so much more of God, and this leads me to harbor some unchecked fears and doubts about drawing closer in earthly relationships as well. Ingratitude quenches the Holy Spirit and makes us vulnerable to the enemy’s lies. It can lead us to believe God has abandoned us and we need to self protect because we’re all alone in this world. 

The enemy likes to find us in this state and will fight to keep us there by leading us to isolate and desire no accountability instead of giving God and His people permission to enter into our mess and bring His healing light into our situation.

Faith Leads Us Forward

I remember during a particularly hard season in my life, a ministry leader invited our small group to join her in practicing and cultivating gratitude no matter what was happening in our lives. At first it was really awkward because sometimes faith needs to lead us forward a bit before our feelings have a chance to catch up. 

It’s been twelve years now and I know it will always take intentionality to take notice, pause and refocus when my thoughts begin to spiral. But gratitude has helped me to keep an eternal mindset and has filled me with incredible hope and joy. We can never fully explain or understand how God works but I believe my willingness to cultivate gratitude freed Him to bring deep healing in multiple areas of my life. I am not the same person I used to be.

But I do know this for sure: Gratitude changes our minds, our hearts and the way we interact with God and other people. It may not necessarily change our situation but teaches us to see every part of our lives through the eternal eyes of our loving Heavenly Father. 

Gratitude helps us to be sensitive to Jesus’ soft, sweet voice. The more I praise Him with gratitude in my heart, the more I can feel His joy, see His goodness and sense His sweet Spirit leading and teaching me. This helps me feel so loved, seen and cherished by Him. 

Gratitude declutters our souls so we can listen, learn, seek, understand and hunger for so much more of God. Gratitude helps us to live with overflowing cups so we are less likely to go into our earthly relationships with unrealistic or unhealthy expectations. 

The Ripple Effect of Living Loved

When we steward our relationships with friends and neighbors from this sweet place of living fully loved and accepted by God, we won’t look to these folks to ‘complete’ us or to fill the deep cavern within us that only Jesus can fill. Instead, gratitude gives us the ability to create and hold greater space in our hearts to love them well. The way Jesus would . . .

Gratitude is powerful in the lives of God’s children. Gratitude doesn’t change God, it changes us. A life lived with gratitude and thankful prayer is a life that is lived in the power of His Holy Spirit which will always lead to a beautiful ripple effect in all our relationships.

The good news is: we can choose which mindset we will operate in for today. 

We all have times when life gets difficult and an attitude of gratitude doesn’t mean we are naive or ignorant of evil. And I’ve learned to let those closest to me keep me accountable so I don’t accept the enemy’s invitation to isolate. Nothing good ever comes from this.

Gratitude Helps Relationships Flourish

My friend, my heart is for us to grow in sweet gratitude so we can live the abundant life Christ came to give us. Cultivating gratitude will richly bless us; our lives, our hearts and our relationships will become like well watered gardens in Christ.

Live loved today,

Donna

Meet Donna Miller

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Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.

If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.