Gratitude is a pure and honest mindset.
Unlike the common idiom on the subject of confidence, “fake it till you make it”, being grateful is not something you should fake. In sports and other arenas, faking confidence may fool an opponent or a teammate. Faking confidence may very well lead to real confidence if you start to excel at a sport. But faking gratitude does no good for you, for your relationship with others, or for your relationship with God.
The term “organic” has increased in use in recent years. We look for food labeled organic, we talk about organic relationships, many want a more organic lifestyle. For our purposes, when I say organic, I just mean natural. When I say Organic Gratitude, I intend to convey a mindset that naturally occurs. You don’t need to fake it, conjure it up, or stress out trying to work your way to being grateful.
If you are a Christian, ask God to help you be more grateful, then be open to a new attitude.
Whether you are a believer or not, you can become more grateful by focusing on the good things in life. You don’t have to fake it, you don’t need to be unrealistically positive all the time. Life can be tough, but even in the trials we go through, gratitude is not only possible, but readily available to us.
Determine to see the good in people, and in circumstances. Decide to look at your past with gratitude for lessons learned and joys experienced. Don’t let the future worry you, be grateful for the opportunities that will come into your life. Make it a priority to live in the moment, let gratitude rise up in you while you enjoy today.
Be patient, it would be easy to get frustrated if you don’t see natural or organic gratitude springing up in your life immediately. Just like physical exercise, results come from devotion and perseverance. Plant seeds of gratitude in your mind and heart, cultivate gratitude when it’s possible, let the roots of a thankful mindset go deep. Allow the water of prayer and the sunlight of God’s encouragement grow the gratitude inside you.
All of us should practice gratitude, but there is no need to force or fake it. Let gratitude become an integral part of who you are as you pray, intentionally look for the good in each situation, and let go of attitudes that stifle your thankfulness. Our hope is that we all become more grateful, not just during this series, but in the days to come.
Our prayer is that we all understand, the byproduct of relationship with God is a heart filled with gratitude.
