Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:15-17 (NIV) emphasis mine
This verse keeps the attitude of gratitude. Note that gratitude is mentioned three times in these three consecutive verses.
I think that maybe it’s important…
When it comes to presents, my daughter is incredible at being thankful. On Christmas or her birthday, it’s fun to see her open her gifts because she’s enthusiastic about every single one. If she gets something from a friend she doesn’t like or want, she still says a sincere, “thank you.”
This makes my mommy heart happy.💓
However, when it comes to food, she has a problem with contentment. There is a large link between ADHD, autism and BED (binge eating disorder),[read about it here] so I do worry about her eating habits.
At night, if Kayla doesn’t have a prayer request, we tell her to thank God for something. We can ALWAYS think of something to be thankful for.
Practicing gratitude actually helps us. It makes us look at the good in our lives and focus on something outside ourselves. For us believers, it keeps our eyes on Christ, even when things are going well, and helps us find joy. God designed gratitude to benefit us physically and mentally as well.
- Better Health—
Research shows that practicing gratitude is associated with less anxiety and even taking better care of our bodies, such as exercising.
- Better Relationships—
Imagine if every boss out there showed appreciation to their employees. Also, imagine never saying thank you to your spouse. 😬
This 👉article👈 goes into more detail about the research and results.
One way I used to cultivate gratitude was what I called a “positive pocket,” which was a coin purse that I would fill with strips of paper on which I’d write the day’s positive memories or positive attributes about my AuDHD daughter. It helped me stay positive to remember the good versus the bad.
No matter what our kids are struggling with, there is always something to be thankful for. Let’s teach them gratitude by practicing gratitude.
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✨What do you do to cultivate thankfulness? Share in the comments below.👇
