Staying Grateful

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This scripture is one of my favorite from the Bible about gratitude. It’s written by Apostle Paul who wrote to the Christian community in Thessalonica. The book was written with instructions on how to live as Christians. This verse, “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” is a verse that I’ve used before in previous devotionals. I think it’s so important to speak on this verse because it simplifies God’s will for our lives. His will for our lives is to be joyful, praying and grateful. That gratitude is something that I constantly have to refocus on. As a human, it can be so easy to fall into the traps of our negative thinking, stress, worries, or drama of any kind. It’s so important to learn how to take leaps of faith and remember to meditate on things to be grateful for everyday.

There are studies that show a grateful heart improves blood pressure and can relieve anxiety and depression. Just by simply thinking and writing down the things you’re grateful for, your mental health improves. So it’s safe to say that gratitude is important. For that reason I love that Thanksgiving is a great reminder to be grateful for all things in our lives. Today I encourage you to make a mental note or a physical one with at least 3-5 things that you’re grateful for today.

While there are so many things constantly happening around us we can always take a step back and look at what is worthy of our attention or not. Let’s let the things that we’re grateful for, remind us how blessed we are and keep us content and at peace.

God bless you brothers and sisters in Christ. Have a blessed Thanksgiving.