Category: Gratitude

7 Attitudes That Will Kill Your Gratitude

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While ingratitude comes naturally to us, gratitude is something that we must consciously cultivate and grow in our hearts. Unfortunately, there are are several “attitudes” that will smother, annihilate, and otherwise kill our gratitude.

Here are 7 attitudes that will kill your gratitude:

  1. Comparison

When I hand my children each a pile of goldfish crackers for a snack, their first inclination is to start counting their goldfish. Why? Because they want to BE SURE that the piles are distributed equally. In their selfish little hearts, their first inclination is to test for “fairness” rather than being grateful for the gift that they have been given.

Adults are not immune to this behavior! We are constantly comparing ourselves with other people, afraid that God has shorted us and given somebody else more. All too often, we do not even pause to thank God for all of the amazing, undeserved blessings that He has showered us with.

Antidote: If you struggle with comparisons, try reaching out to people who have less than you do. You WILL come away counting your blessings.

  1. Entitlement

The moment that we start to think that we deserve something is the moment that we cease to feel thankful for it. If I feel that I deserve roses on Valentine’s Day, than I will not feel very grateful when my husband presents me with roses on Valentine’s Day. After all, I deserved them!

The problem with this thinking is that we don’t deserve anything. Every good gift that God gives us is undeserved and should elicit joy and thanksgiving in our hearts.

Antidote: Take a moment to read Philippians 2:1-18. When we pause to remember the judgement that we truly deserve, and the forgiveness that God has given to us through the life and death of His perfect Son Jesus Christ, entitlement is replaced with true gratitude.

  1. Busyness

It is hard to slow down to be grateful when we are so busy we can hardly breathe. If we are so consistently busy that we have no time left to feel and express gratitude, than something is terribly, horribly wrong in our lives.

Jesus told Martha that, in spite of all Martha’s busyness with “good works”, Mary had chosen the better thing – time spent building a relationship with God. (Luke 10:38-42)

God is calling us to first of all have a relationship with Him, and part of this relationship includes gratitude. If we are too busy to be grateful to God, than we are not walking in His will, despite all the “wonderful” things that we might be doing “for” Him.

  1. Worry

Worry about the future quickly saps the energy out of present gratitude. Worry accomplishes nothing but to rob us of joy and gratitude in this present moment and to demonstrate our lack of trust in our Heavenly Father.

Antidote: Read Matthew 6:25-34. Worship is the perfect antidote to worry. Worry says, “My house might burn down to the ground! What am I going to do? AGHHH!” Worship says, “Yes, my house may burn down to the ground, but God is still in control. God has promised me a better home in heaven anyway. May God be glorified in my life regardless of what happens.”

  1. Perfectionism

This one is ugly. It is hard to be thankful when all we can focus on are the negatives and faults of the people and things around us.

Antidote: Imagine what life would be like if that one “imperfect” thing that you are focusing on were completely removed from your life. (For example, your husband may have some quirks that drive you crazy. But can you imagine life without your husband?) Then, take some time to thank God for the imperfect blessings that surround you. Thank God that He does not discard you even with all of your “imperfections”. Ask God to help you really see the good blessings that He has given you.

  1. High Expectations

How would your kids respond if they got up on Christmas morning and discovered that there was just one shoe box for each of them under the tree filled with a couple of small toys, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a box of crayons? Would their faces mirror the delight and excitement of the faces of these children who are ecstatic to receive this same box? What is the difference?
I believe the difference lies in two words: High Expectations. When our lives revolve around high expectations, we will be disappointed. When we have low expectations, we are likely to be thrilled and grateful when reality exceeds our expectations.

Antidote: Remember that we are living in a sin cursed, fallen world. This life guarantees us nothing. Let’s place our high expectations in the life to come. Thank God that, because of His beautiful plan of salvation, this world is not our only hope. Take time to be thankful for the things in life that you have now, remembering that there is no guarantee that you will still have them tomorrow.

  1. Exhaustion

I know that many of you reading this right now are exhausted. Perhaps you have a newborn baby, are experiencing insomnia because of hormonal changes, or are working non-stop just to make ends meet.

If you are in any of these situations, my heart goes out to you. It is difficult to be grateful when we are physically spent.

Antidote: If at all possible, you may need to set some things aside to allow yourself more time to rest. Prioritize a couple of minutes a day to read God’s Word and thank Him for His good gifts. If you have a hard time praying because you fall asleep, try writing your prayers to God in a small journal, including thanksgivings.

Gratitude is a state of heart that we need to be consciously cultivating.
We need to be protecting our gratitude from these seven attitudes that will kill our gratitude.

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By Anna Joy / Picture by Pixabay

A Ticket Without A Seat

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An award winning animated movie by viral fox called ‘ticket without a seat’ based on the simple acts of kindness, thoughtfulness and compassion; and how one’s perception of life can change how you live it and thrive therein.

Abiding in Gratitude

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“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17)

If we are not careful, we will spend an entire lifetime wishing for the things we do not yet have. So often I myself am guilty of this, so today I want to encourage you not to wish one more minute of your precious life away. We must carry hope with us. In fact, Proverbs 13:12 tells us, “hope deferred makes the heart sick.” We must hope and pray for the good things God has in store for our lives, but we must also embrace right where we are because today is a day you will never get back. If we do not guard our hearts diligently, discontentment will rob you of everything good in your life if you allow it too. But we can fight discontentment by digging up the things in our heart that shouldn’t be there and replacing them with good things.

There are many roots of discontentment, so today I want to challenge you to find the cause of those roots, dig them up, and plant seeds of thankfulness and gratitude. You don’t have to worry about your future because God already has it written in the palm of His hand. And if God is already there, you can bet it’s going to be something wonderful. Bitterness, envy, and anxiety breed discontentment, but thankfulness breeds contentment. Gratitude will overflow into every area of your life.

Practice thankfulness in this moment, no matter what your situation may be. Just as the apostle Paul spoke about in Philippians 4:8, set your minds on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, honourable, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. Don’t allow discontentment to rob you of today’s blessings.

By Tiffany Langford from Unveiled Wife

My Testimony – From New Age to Christianity: My Path to Redemption

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I was born and raised in London, England, into a non-religious and a seriously dysfunctional home. Growing up in that environment, I developed a distorted view of life and relationships. From an early age, I had always wanted to travel and experience the world. I believed that all paths led to God, no matter the religion, and that it was simply a personal choice of how you got there. This belief eventually drew me to the New Age movement, which seemed to promise purpose, healing, and truth.

I became deeply involved in practices such as astrology, tarot cards, yoga, and spiritualist teachings. I believed in reincarnation, studied past life regression, and even qualified as a life coach, thinking I was helping others. But in reality, I was the one who was deeply unfulfilled and running wild. I was careless and reckless in my behaviour, mixing with the wrong crowds. On the inside, I was lost, restless, and wounded, masking my pain by chasing after the things society deems as success. Yet, no matter what I did, the emptiness in my heart wouldn’t go away.

Eventually, I hit rock bottom, and my life came crashing down. It descended into chaos—work, relationships, every area of my life fell apart. I became overwhelmed with hopelessness, depression, and despair, feeling like there was no way out. I began having suicidal thoughts, and in a very dark moment, I began contemplating ending my life. At the time, I was staying with my grandmother, who had been praying for me and giving me Bible verses to read. Her prayers had planted seeds in my heart, and I began searching for answers.

That night, Jesus the Christ met me in my brokenness. A warm presence of love and peace flooded my room, and I just knew it was Him. I didn’t need to be told He was the Son of God—I knew. Psalm 34:18 says, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” The truth of that verse came alive for me that night.

The next morning, everything felt different. Inside, I felt refreshed. The heaviness I had carried for so long was lifted, and I felt hope stirring in my heart. At the time, I was staying with my grandmother, who had been praying for me and giving me Bible verses to read. Her prayers had planted seeds in my heart, and I began searching for answers.

I began reading the Bible and discovered that Christianity wasn’t about man trying to reach God through religious efforts. I had spent so much time in the New Age movement, thinking that all paths led to the same God and that Jesus was just a good teacher, but I was deceived. It was about God reaching out to us through Jesus Christ, wanting us to be restored so we can have a relationship with Him, the Creator of the universe. I had to face the truth that the practices I had embraced were harmful and part of a deceptive system. Colossians 2:8 warns us not to be taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophies, and I could see how that had happened to me.

I repented of my sins, renounced my former beliefs, and surrendered my life to Jesus. He wasn’t just saving me from my sin—He was saving me from myself. I discovered that our sin had separated us from a Holy God, and no amount of self-help or religious effort could restore that relationship. But God, in His love, sent His Son to take the penalty for our sin and make a way for us to be reconciled to Him. John 14:6 says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” I realised there weren’t many paths to God—there is only one, and it’s through Jesus, the mediator between God and man.

When I gave my life to Jesus, everything changed. The void I had tried to fill with the world was now filled with His love. I asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to live a righteous life. His Word became my guide, His Spirit strengthened me, and His grace gave me peace and purpose. This wasn’t just a change in behaviour—it was a transformation of my heart, and I was now a baptised, born-again believer.

Looking back, I see how God’s kindness and mercy led me to repentance, and I am now walking in the assurance of His love. The Lord had a plan and purpose for my life ordained from the foundations of time, and He has a plan for you too. My life is a testimony of what God can do when someone repents, gives their life to Him, and surrenders to His will. I now know the peace, purpose, and true joy that come from knowing Jesus, and I am so grateful for the new life He has given me.

This was only the beginning of my journey. As I continued to walk with the Lord, I trained and prepared for certain areas of ministry, but God, in His wisdom, closed those doors and lovingly redirected my steps. Through this, He taught me that calling is not about titles or platforms, but about obedience and trust.

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

Today, my desire is simply to follow wherever He leads. My mission is to share God’s love and nurture faith through the gospel, writing, outreach, and service, as the Holy Spirit directs. I trust that God opens the doors no one can shut and closes the ones that are not His will.

~ Lori 💕

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*How to be saved: The Path To Salvation, please click: HERE / Photo by Eberhard Grossgasteiger