1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus."
Ever wondered what Gods will is? Here is a piece of it. Gratitude.
How can we make it more of a natural occurrence? By being Spirit led. Gratitude is a Godly attribute.
5 years ago, I was living in a hotel, broken and lost. I was alone and desperate for a new life. In that very hotel room I was born again and transformed into a new woman in Christ. With the new eyes the Lord had given me to see, I was so grateful for the small things. Yummy smelling soap, a good snack, a comfy blanket, or my favorite show being on at just the right time. All of these little things caused me to send a "thank you, Lord", up to heaven. He was providing all of these lovely things to me, and before I knew Him, I never realized it. As I went through growing in my walk and practicing the 12 steps of recovery, I learned how important gratitude was. Gratitude changes your entire thinking, in a moment. You see, the enemy wants you to compare, covet, frustrate, and avoid in all things. He does NOT want you to see what God has done and say "Thank You Lord". That would be giving God glory, and he wants the glory to himself.
Before I sat to write this, I sat on my front porch this morning, with coffee and a toddler, and I had tears in my eyes with gratitude for all He has given me. I felt the presence of the Lord with me on my porch, just highlighting the beauty of the day to me. The sun in the sky, the birds in the trees, my two year old playing with chalk, and my Grammys swing that I sat on. I was grateful for it all. I have always loved the truth behind gratitude and how it really can change your mindset and day when practiced. But I am realizing without the Spirit leading you, it doesn't come as easy to be grateful. I pray today you lean into the Spirit to see what He shows you the Lord has done that you can say "thank you" for!