Being Grateful is the Best Way to Go Through Life
We’re all familiar with the question regarding a glass filled halfway. “Is the glass half empty or half full?” This presents a contrast between optimistic and pessimistic outlooks in a specific situation or on the world at large. “Half full” means optimistic and “half empty” means pessimistic.
This small change of perspective is a big change of attitude.
In the children’s message Sunday, the kids were shown the word ATTITUDE written on a large piece of cardstock. They were asked what the word meant. There were several answers given. They all had to do with having a bad attitude. This led to needing an attitude adjustment. We’ve all needed attitude adjustments.
Then there was a small change made to the word on the cardstock.
One of the Ts was crossed out and the letters GR were added at the beginning, and the word was transformed to GRATITUDE.
Being grateful for our blessings and focusing on them leads to a half-full attitude.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he was most likely in prison. Yet he writes with an attitude of gratitude, reminding them that our salvation comes from God through His grace, not by our works.
In Chapter 1, he is focused on how blessed we are. And how God chose us, for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, before the foundation of the world according to the purpose of His will. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses. He has lavished us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to the riches of His grace to fulfill His purpose, set forth in Christ.
Gratitude starts with our understanding of what God has done for us.
We have been given the gift of eternal life, through our acceptance of Christ as the Son of God and our Savior, and that is something to be grateful for.
Life is full of blessings if we just look around with an attitude of gratitude. It’s up to you to decide how you’re going to look at the half-full glass.
As part of my daily journaling at the end of each day I list five things I’m grateful for. With so many negative things going on out in the world, it helps me to keep life in a proper perspective.
What are you grateful for?
