Gratitude Starts At Home Part 2

Keeping It Young

How can we develop a grateful home?

1) Model gratitude by being heart thankful. (It’s a heart matter and a choice.)

2) Model gratitude in our gratefulness to God. (Site verses from previous episode)

What has Christ done for you? Count your many blessings!

Psalm 68:19, “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”

3) Model gratitude in our gratefulness for our spouse, family, and others.

Some “Instigators of Ingratitude,” according to Choosing Gratitude:

Unrealistic Expectations

Forgetfulness

Entitlement

Comparison

Blindness to God’s Grace (on us; on others)

4) Model gratitude in our ability to be grateful during stressful, busy, difficult, or even painful seasons.

5) Model gratitude in response to stress and busyness:

In the midst of relentless ministry deadlines and seemingly endless, tasks, I find that the ‘burden’ of my workload is lightened when I approach it as a high and holy calling, a gift to be received with gratitude.” Choosing Gratitude, NDW,

In response to difficulty or pain:

“Do we only give glory to God for the part of our life that’s going the way we want? Or do we…give Him thanks, just because He is God—regardless of the dark, painful,…places we encounter…?

6) Model gratitude by expressing it!

Model gratitude by expressing it in all those same spaces and places: to the Lord, our spouse and family, and others.

Smile it! (A grateful heart, makes a happy heart, which makes a happy face.)

Say it! (Aloud and Often.)

“Silent Gratitude isn’t much use to anyone,” Gladys Berthe Stern.

Write it! (Thank you notes for gifts, for help, for just because.)

Encourage family and corporate expressions of it! (Church, family altar, ` family table, reminders of gratefulness instead of grumbling, willingness to be humble and admit when we are ungrateful.)