In last Thursday’s post, I shared how overwhelming kindness can be in our lives. One act of kindness blossoms into a garden of positive fruit. A natural outcome stemming from kindness is gratitude.
Kindness elicits gratitude.
When we express thankfulness and praise, we distinguish ourselves as believers from those separated from God and still struggling to make life work on their own terms. An attitude of gratitude not only demonstrates the love of God living inside you, but it attracts people to you.
Did you know that practicing gratitude increases the amount of dopamine in your brain, encouraging your brain to seek more of that special stuff that makes you feel good? So the more grateful you are, the more reasons you will discover to be grateful.
Gratitude fuels joy.
Have you ever met a miserable grateful person? Me neither! Let’s face it—joy can’t thrive in grumpy soil. But, when planted in a grateful heart, joy flourishes and shines from the soul.
5 Bible Verses on Gratitude
“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!”
Psalm 95:2
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24
“You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.”
2 Corinthians 9:11
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”
Colossians 3:15
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
5 Ways to Demonstrate Gratitude
1. Start your day by praising God for the people and things in your life that fill your heart with gratitude.
2. Write a list of the things you are thankful for in your life.
3. Take a minute to write someone a thank you note sharing how grateful you are for the role they play your life or for the positive impact they had on your day.
4. Surprise someone with an act of kindness. Paying it forward creates a wave of positive results rippling through your circle of influence and beyond.
5. Experiencing some challenges in your life? Thank God for those, too. Don’t waste time and energy on complaining about things you can’t do anything to change. Expressing gratitude for even those things that challenge us can be a life-changing action.
Prayer:
God, cultivate an attitude of gratitude in my heart. Help me see the blessings in my life that I need to be thankful for and show me how to demonstrate kindness and show gratitude toward others. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Blessings,
The Devotional Guy™
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The Devotional Guy™ 
Amen!!!
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