Off and on for several years I struggled with anxiety. It haunted and controlled me until I finally found the source of why I battled it so much. During my time of healing from my battle with it, I began taking time to do gratitude journaling. I read that praise and thanksgiving are the ultimate weapons against anxiety. I discovered it was true.
There is actual power in giving praise and thanks. Praise leads to a happy, joy-filled life. You cannot be anxious and happy at the same time. And in the same sense, you cannot be anxious and thankful at the same time.
However, being in a state of gratitude is not easy. It is far from easy. Sure, there are times when it is easy. In November and December when the holidays are focused around giving thanks. When the good times are rolling, it is very easy to have an outlook of gratitude.
But what happens when the holidays end? When our ship is tossed and we are thrown into stormy seas? Our outlook suddenly changes.
Unfortunately, living a life of temporary gratitude has become very easy. Look at the world we live in. There is always someone else who has something better. We compare what others have to what we have. There is not a week that goes by when I don’t think… I wish we could…I wish we had…Why can’t things be different?
We get caught up in what we don’t have and forget what we do have. And for me, I am ashamed to say, that I find it easier to be ungrateful and negative than to try and find something to be thankful for or look on the bright side.
But, I have discovered that when you go down the path of negativity, it can bring you down and create a very unpleasant feeling.
But, how does one conquer being ungrateful? Being in a state of contentment in an uncontended world would appear to be an impossible task. How can I be grateful when I get nothing but hardships? When my family is going through trials? When I see my friends hurting?
It begins with seeking God. Being in a state of discontent and wanting or desiring more, goes against everything God has taught us from His Word. The word thanks occurs 75 times in 72 verses in the NKJV. Nearly all of these verses refer to giving thanks to God, and not everyone who wrote these verses were in a happy position. David was being hunted by King Saul and was on the run for his life, and yet David still gave thanks. During times of War, the Children of Israel gave thanks.
Paul, imprisoned, beaten, starved, and shipwrecked, still wrote verses about giving thanks to God.
Just because they were in rotten circumstances, did not stop them from giving thanks to God, for His goodness, faithfulness, love, grace, protection, strength…God is good all the time.
Psalm 136:1
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
Our trials do not change the goodness or faithfulness of God. And because of that, we can give thanks to God, even in our trials, because He is near, and His grace is new every day.
We need to take time every day and list out the things we are thankful for, the good that there is, and the amazing ways God helps us daily. We need to see the good, and then the bad won’t seem as bad.
Gratitude journaling is the best way to see the good in every day. Either in the morning or evening, list out things you were thankful for that day. The good that happened. The way God protected or helped you. The things that we are thankful for don’t have to be big, they can be small and trivial.
I find Gratitude Journaling rewarding. The more we look for something to be thankful for, the happier and healthier we will feel. And the better prepared we will be when stormy seas arise. I know that seems odd, but practicing daily gratitude can be a big help in trials.
Because when trials arise, or when we are knocked off our feet, our first reaction is often panic, misery, or anxiety. But by practicing gratitude, we change our thought processes and reactions. We change from panic to, calmness…yes this is a bad situation, but God is near and He knows.
The power of gratitude can change if we are willing. Are you willing to try?
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