The Gratitude Contentment Connection

I invite you to close your eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. Now, try and call to mind the most beautiful thing you saw last week? Now, imagine the most important person – or people in your life. Take just a minute and say thank you to God.

Consider for just a minute what gratitude does to the heart.

In the letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul wrote, “Do not worry about anything, but everything by prayer and supplication -with thanksgiving – make your requests known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Paul seems to be making a connection between prayer that includes thanksgiving – and God’s peace. He’s making a connection between gratitude and contentment.

What if we made a habit of listing 5 things we are thankful for every morning? Can you imagine a better way to start the day?

Let us pray: God of Grace, thank you so much for children, laughter, smiles, hugs, flowers, and butterflies, for family and friends, for life and health, for sunny days, and rain. Thank you for our families of faith, for grandmas and grandchildren, for Love, for goldfish, and for the ability to think and imagine.

And God we could go on and on. Help us never take these gifts for granted. You have given us so much. We receive and we receive and we receive.  Help us to appreciate, but not to stop there. Help us to allow our gratitude to be reflected in the way we live. As we have received, may we, in turn, give; for we pray in the name of the One who gave even his very life. Amen.