August 14, 2023

Developing a Gratitude Mindset

By Peter Amsterdam

Audio length: 12:26
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Becoming more Christlike is about becoming a better Christian through a more committed application of the teachings of Scripture coupled with the guidance and grace of the Holy Spirit. This application of Scripture cuts two ways: first, it calls for doing away with ungodliness, for believing that what the Bible calls sin is in fact sin and needs to be resisted and overcome as much as possible. Second, it calls for us to put on Christ (Romans 13:14), to embrace the godly virtues spoken of in Scripture, the fruit of the Spirit, and live in a manner which strengthens these virtues within our lives.

Growing in godliness is a lifelong pursuit. It requires intentional change, commitment, and willingness to regularly put in effort to positively alter our actions, thoughts, desires, and outlooks. It’s a spiritual transformation, a renewal of mind, becoming a new creation, and determination to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life … to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness”⁽Ephesians 4:22–24).

In his book Cultivating Christian Character, Michael Zigarelli conducted a survey of 5,000 Christians and found indicators of which virtues seem to help in the growth and development of Christian character. He identified three attributes which appear to be major building blocks in developing Christlikeness: gratitude, joyful living, and God-centeredness.¹

This combination of joy, God-centeredness, and gratitude is seen in what the apostle Paul wrote: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

Gratitude or gratefulness is expressed in Scripture as thankfulness and thanksgiving. It’s based on the concept that everywhere and in every situation, God’s people should continually give thanks to God, the one who has created and redeemed them. The giving of thanks in the Old Testament is indicated most often by the Hebrew word todah, which is translated thanks, thankfulness, and thanksgiving. It’s also how you say “thank you” in modern Hebrew. The word todah is found most often in the book of Psalms, which contains a great deal of praise and thanksgiving to God.²

The New Testament is also full of examples of expressing thankfulness to God, as well as instruction to do so. We read of Jesus’ example of giving thanks and of believers giving thanks to Christ (Matthew 11:25, 26:27; John 11:41). In fact, we’re told to give thanks to God for everything and always (Ephesians 5:20). Gratitude is meant to be a way of life. While we express our gratefulness to other people as well, our ultimate gratitude is toward God, who has given us life.

As we focus on cultivating gratitude, it changes our outlook on life, as over time it produces a new context or lens through which we process our circumstances. We begin to see our experiences and everything we have in the light of God’s love, and thus we can be thankful. This changes our perspective, as we recognize that no matter what our situation, it could be worse—but it isn’t. This doesn’t mean we don’t do what we can to improve our situation, but we view it with thankfulness, being thankful for what we have; that we are alive, that though there may not be abundance and we may not have what others do, we have sufficient.

In a sense, gratitude is a mindset, a worldview. No matter what our circumstances, we choose to see through the lens of thankfulness to God for His love, care, and supply. Rather than comparing with others or bemoaning our lot in life, we thank God for what we have. This requires thinking in a new way, focusing our thoughts on our blessings instead of what’s missing from our lives or having the attitude of how much better life could be “if only …” Gratitude causes us to be content with whatever state we are in, and to regularly thank the Lord for our blessings, whether they’re meager or abundant.

Developing a mindset of gratitude requires conditioning our minds to put off thoughts which cause us to be disgruntled with our circumstances. The more we compare ourselves with others, wanting what they have, the less satisfied we become with our situation, which blinds us to God’s love and care for us, causing us to be unappreciative of what He has done and continues to do in our lives. If we don’t rid ourselves of disgruntled and envious thoughts, we will be trapped in a mindset which steals the joy and happiness that comes from awareness of God’s presence and blessings.

Through Zigarelli’s survey, he found that Christians who rated high in gratitude were those who learned to be content, who rarely desired what others had. They consistently, throughout the day, remembered how much God had blessed them. It’s interesting that those in the survey who were most grateful generally came from a lower economic bracket, so their material possessions weren’t what drove or sustained their grateful heart.

Developing a grateful mindset is based on trust in God’s unfailing love for us. It’s often difficult to feel grateful when we face adversity in our lives, when it seems life doesn’t make sense, and when our prayers seem to go unanswered. But a grateful attitude isn’t based on events around us, it’s anchored in faith that God loves us, that He hears our prayers; and a belief that even if circumstances don’t change, there are always things to be thankful for even in the worst of situations.

One way to cultivate gratitude is to keep track of the things you are thankful for. Keeping a gratitude journal helps you to take account of and focus on your blessings. We each have numerous things that we are thankful for, yet we rarely take time to realize that we are thankful for them. Since we don’t acknowledge them, they don’t consciously register in our minds as blessings and something we are thankful for.

There are so many things in our lives, both small and great, which we can identify as God’s blessings: our gifts and talents, goals we’ve achieved, opportunities which have come our way, our health, and much more. Some things are more everyday blessings, such as food on the table, water in the faucet, and a toilet to use. Then there is our family and friends who love us, as well as people who have helped or cared for us in some way. There are countless things to be grateful for, yet we often don’t take the time to acknowledge them. Keeping a journal helps us to do that; and as we do, we begin to train our mind to recognize them, and eventually our mindset can change so that gratitude becomes part of who we are, putting us on the pathway to greater Christlikeness.

There is also a link between the confession of sin and greater gratitude. When we regularly bring our sins before God, it reminds us of our flaws and of His mercy. Knowing that we have been forgiven and are recipients of His gift of mercy generates feelings of thanksgiving. Confessing our sins to the Lord is part of the process of putting off the old self and putting on “the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:9–10).

Remembering the poor in our prayers can also enhance gratitude. When we pray for those who have less than we do, it reminds us of how difficult life is for some and makes us grateful for our lives. When we pray for refugees who have to leave everything behind and risk their lives to get somewhere safe, it helps keep our situation in perspective. Zigarelli wrote:

Our frame of reference becomes the impoverished widow, the hungry child, the jobless father, the disease-ridden infant, the refugee forced from home by war, the third-world neighbor without electricity or running water. Praying daily for these people is a practice that illuminates our own existence in the blazing light of God’s providence, and as a result, one may experience a stunning series of reversals. Envy gives way to fulfillment. Resentment gives way to contentment. Complaints give way to praise. The catalyst through it all is gratitude, born of a clearer perspective that’s generated by reflecting on the poor.³

As Christians, we possess the ultimate blessing—salvation, the knowledge that we will live forever with God. We are in relationship with the Creator and sustainer of all things. Our God is also our Father, who knows what we need and promises to take care of us. No matter our circumstances, we are in His presence. Ours should be a life of gratitude, of thanksgiving to God, “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

Originally published January 2017. Adapted and republished August 2023. Read by John Laurence.

¹ Michael Zigarelli, Cultivating Christian Character (Colorado Springs: Purposeful Design Publications, 2005).

² E. E. Carpenter and P. W. Comfort, in Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2000), 188.

³ Zigarelli, Cultivating Christian Character, 36.

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