Gratitude Is the Lifeline to JoySample

Day 4: Gratitude is a Rope

By Elizabeth Griffin

Read: Psalm 16:11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Reflection:

Gratitude has always been a lifeline to joy for me. I often picture it as a rope being lowered into the pit where I sit wallowing in self-pity, overwhelmed by life, or simply disconnected with what I have. The rope of gratitude is dangling there for me to grasp, and when I do, it pulls me up into the fresh air where I can breathe in new life. All I have to do is be willing to take hold of it.

No matter what’s going on, it is possible to have joy. And the way we have joy is gratitude. Now, gratitude is a choice we make. It's not a feeling, but it definitely affects our feelings.

I can remember many times in my life when my thoughts were going in a negative direction, and I consciously chose—against how I felt—to begin listing what I was thankful for. This does not come easily at first. But I make myself do it, and I would say that qualifies as an act of faith. I actually say out loud or write on the paper the words, “Thank you, Lord, for (fill in the blank).” I usually feel better after 5-10 declarations of gratitude.

Then I do it again the next day. And the day after. It makes all the difference. Gratitude is a way of looking up and focusing on Jesus. When I do that, I see who He is, instead of who I’m not. It is an act of obedience—there are many verses in the Bible telling us to be grateful—and God honors by giving me the grace I need to make it through whatever is difficult for me.

Gratitude may not change my circumstances, but it always changes me. And don’t we all need that right now? We can’t control what’s happening in our world, but we have a lot of control over what’s happening in our own hearts and in our own homes. We set the tone. When we are grateful, our children will be too. It’s a habit we can cultivate that will benefit them throughout their lives.

It takes faith to be grateful when things are really hard. But gratitude builds our faith. It gives glory to God, and it gives us an entirely new perspective on life.

No matter how impossible life seems to be right now, I encourage you to start declaring your gratitude to the Lord today. Do it out loud. Write it down. Put up a large sheet of paper in a prominent place in your home and write out gratitude statements as a family. Do it daily. It will change your life and your family dynamic. Then what seems overwhelming and unfair will become doable and filled with grace.

• Gratitude is the rope that lifts us up into God’s presence. And in His presence, there is fullness of joy.