Gratitude and Thankfulness: A Positive Way Forward

Gratitude and thankfulness are often the first steps toward understanding and following God. He created us in His image and loves us deeply. Because of that love, we are called to love Him in return. As Jesus tells us in Matthew:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)

Many believers see gratitude and thankfulness to God as foundational to obeying this greatest commandment. When we recognize His love and provision, our natural response should be heartfelt gratitude.

Gratitude Is Good for the Soul

Gratitude is more than just a pleasant feeling—it has the power to transform us. When we feel thankful toward God, our minds and hearts shift. Negative emotions like anger, resentment, and fear often begin to fade in the light of gratitude. They are replaced by peace, warmth, and hope.

Starting the day with praise and ending it with thankfulness helps set a tone of peace and stability. Morning gratitude brings hope to our day; nighttime thankfulness brings rest to our sleep.

However, with the pain and struggles many face, gratitude can feel like a difficult or even impossible emotion to access.

Struggling with Gratitude in Difficult Times

In my work as a Christian counselor, I often hear heartbreaking questions like:

• “How can I feel gratitude to God when I have no money and my husband screams at me and hits me all the time?”
• “My grandson is addicted to drugs and I don’t know where he is. God has given me nothing to be grateful for.”
• “My entire life has been awful. God has never answered my prayers. He’s turned His back on me, so I’ve turned my back on Him.”

These are real, raw emotions. Many people live in deep turmoil, surrounded by fear, bitterness, and disappointment. In such a state, gratitude feels foreign—perhaps even foolish. But often, those overwhelming emotions stem from focusing solely on the painful parts of life while overlooking the blessings that remain.

Gratitude and Thankfulness Can Be Learned

Gratitude is not always natural—it’s a spiritual practice we can learn over time. Instead of living under the weight of anger, resentment, and fear, God invites us to live in hope and peace.

I often encourage my clients to make a simple list of things they’re thankful for:

• A roof over their head
• Their children or grandchildren
• The beauty of nature
• The breath in their lungs

At first, this can be a struggle. Many people are so focused on what’s broken in their lives that they can’t see what’s still whole. But with practice, their hearts begin to open.

Once the list is made, I ask them to pray—to thank God for every item:

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”(James 1:17)

For two weeks, I encourage them to pray each morning and evening with gratitude, even if it feels unnatural at first. They are learning the spiritual discipline of thanksgiving.

This is the beginning of following the first commandment—to love God. As we grow in gratitude and praise, the grip of negative emotions loosens. We begin to live in the peace and joy that God desires for us.

Once you have completed the first two weeks, try to do two more weeks. Then do two more until gratitude becomes a habit in your life.

Making Gratitude the Center of Life

When we place gratitude and thankfulness at the center of our lives, we are transformed. We may not control the difficult or unfair circumstances we face, but we can control how we view God and how often we praise Him.

The Bible mentions gratitude, thankfulness, and praise over 500 times. Clearly, God wants us to embrace these attitudes—not as denial of hardship, but as a path toward healing and peace.

Let us choose to live in gratitude—not because life is perfect, but because God is good. His love, mercy, and faithfulness never fail.