Faith - Hope - Gratitude

Gratitude is good for us, for our relationships and our health. Why then, is it so crazy hard to maintain an attitude of gratitude along the way?

Perhaps, if you are like me, we connect “gratitude” to “hope” and “faith”. We can welcome “hope” because we know that everything will eventually turn out for good. We “hope” because we put our trust and “faith” in God and who He is. “Hope” and “faith” can help our attitude toward gratitude grow.

Yet there are days when we can see our gratitude diminishing. Maybe because we are struggling because we are holding on too tightly to a specific outcome, or worse yet we are trying to control it. When we do that we are putting our faith and hope in people, ideas, or things–things are not always reliable or consistent or even the best for us. Maybe we need reminding that the goal is not the important thing but the journey of transformation is what is important. Could our focus be on the goal rather than on the journey? Are we choosing comfort rather than transformation? Might we be putting our faith in our own outcomes rather than in God’s?

We can welcome “hope” because we know that everything will eventually turn out for good.

During the days when my attitude of gratitude wanes, I ask myself questions to help remember, reset, and refocus my expectations for the journey. They go something like this:

Am I still trusting and having faith in God whom I believe is a good God (in spite of my circumstances), or … am I trusting… instead?
Do I still hope in God’s promises (in spite of what I may be seeing or believing right before me), or am I hoping … in … instead?
Have I released my own expectations about how things “should” turn out because I believe God has a purpose for me, or … do I believe it should be …?
Is my focus on the journey to learn, grow, and heal along the way or is it my comfort or … that takes away my focus?
Do I still believe God is a good God or that …
Am I remembering Whose I am or who others say I am, or … ?
Am I embracing today as a gift on the journey of life or am I … wishing … instead?

As we reflect, on questions like these and the answers they uncover, we get a better impression of where we are placing our focus. Another question that can help us reset is to take time to consider and ask God:

What do you have for me today, Lord?

And ask God to help us to live with expectancy today and cultivate a heart filled with gratitude and step into the fullness of life that You want for us today.