a life of gratitude

gratitude:  a feeling of thankfulness or appreciation, as for gifts or favors 

synonyms: thanks, thankfulness, appreciation, gratefulness

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Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. psalm 50:14
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Over ten years ago I sat in a church service that changed me forever. I don't remember the topic or the passage of scripture being read. The only thing I remember is this: "Gratitude is not a feeling, it is an act. We must chose to be grateful, by choosing to give thanks." When the Psalmist said, "make thankfulness your sacrifice" He was right on. It is work.
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How are we to do the work of thankfulness? The Pastor continued sharing practical ways of living a life of gratitude: "Give thanks to God for everything! When you wake up, thank God for being alive. When you shower, thank God for the water and soap. As you have breakfast, thank God for the coffee (Lord knows I do this one daily!). As you drive, thank God for your transportation. Thank God for the tree you pass every day. Thank God for..." You get the drift, give thanks to God for everything. If God is the giver of all things, and I am His follower, a life of gratitude is a logical act of worship.
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I took this nugget of wisdom with me and put it to practice the very next day. As I drove to work, I thanked God everything! From the very breath I had just taken, to the trees down the street. The more consistent I was in this new way of life, the more things I found to be thankful for. Oh my Word! This was easier than I thought. I was on a roll, till I was rolled over by a great and fiery trial. What was I to do? The words of Pastor Mandy came back to mind, gratitude is an act, not a feeling. I definitely didn't feel like dancing with shouts of thankfulness, but I made a choice to give thanks. I learned that day what an "offering of thanksgiving" meant. It wasn't easy at first, but it did become easier. Before I knew it, my heart and mind had found peace in the midst of a pressing situation.
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I challenge you today. As gratitude is an action, choose today to be thankful for everything. Begin by thanking God for being who He is, name His names and attributes. Thank Him for the small things you see in your surrounding. Trust me, nothing is too small or insignificant. As you walk, sit, or drive from one destination to another, thank God for the things and people you see. And when you can't fall asleep at night, and are "too tired" to pray, just lay there and thank God for whatever comes to mind. Take it a step further, keep a daily journal where you jot down things you are thankful for that day. When trying times come over you, go back and read all the many things you are thankful for. You will discover that through gratitude, you already have enough to fight the battle.
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God bless you dear friend!
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Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. Psalm 95:2
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Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. Psalm 100:4
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Be thankful in all circumstances, 
for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
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Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6
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Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15
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Let your roots grow down into Christ, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. Colossians 3:16
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 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Ephesians 5:3-5
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Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. Hebrews 12:28