Keeping an Attitude of Gratitude Alive Year-Round

“Attitude of Gratitude” has become somewhat cliché, but there’s much truth to it, especially for followers of Christ. As Christians, we are called to be thankful in all things, which involves more than just saying “thank you.” We are to be characterized by a mindset of gratitude, not just during one week of the year, but day in and day out.

So here are a few ideas for how to keep an attitude of gratitude alive year-round:

1) Preach the Gospel to yourself every day.

If you’ve sat under my dad’s teaching for any length of time, you’ve heard him say this and explain why it’s important. The Gospel—the good news of Jesus’s perfect life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness—is our very life. It is not just the basis of our faith; it is the substance of it, reminding us of who God is, who we are, and what God has done, is doing, and will do for us. When we let these truths sink deeply into our hearts and minds, it is impossible not to be thankful.

2) Memorize verses about thankfulness.

One thing that helps us preach the Gospel to ourselves every day is implanting God’s Word in our minds (something you’ve probably heard my mom talk about if you know her). All of Scripture gives us cause to be thankful, but there are many verses that specifically mention thanksgiving. And the Holy Spirit, in His perfect way, takes the seeds of Scripture we have sown and brings them to bear by recalling them when we need them most. Memorizing verses about thanksgiving will lead to a broader and deeper mindset of thankfulness as we meditate on the Truth of God’s Word.

Here are some verses to get you started (all ESV):

Psalm 9:1 – “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.”

Psalm 28:7 – “The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”

Psalm 57:9 – “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.”

Psalm 75:1 – “We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.”

Psalm 79:13 – “But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.”

Psalm 97:12 – “Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!”

Psalm 106:1 – “Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

Psalm 111:1 – “Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.”

1 Corinthians 15:57 – “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians 2:14 – “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.”

2 Corinthians 9:15 – “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”

Ephesians 5:4 – “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”

Ephesians 5:18-21 – “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Philippians 4:5b-6 – “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let you requests be made known to God.”

Colossians 1:11-12 – “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”

Colossians 3:17 – “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 4:2 – “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Revelation 7:11-12 – “And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.’”

3) Give “Thankful Throwback Thursdays” a try.

This is something I did during 2015, putting a spin on the TBT (Throw Back Thursday) trend. Each Thursday on social media, I posted a picture from days or years past that represented something or someone I was thankful for, along with a short explanatory paragraph. Not only did this give me opportunity to outwardly express gratitude, but it also made gratitude a conscious act each week and helped thankfulness to be more characteristic of my thinking as I considered throughout each week what to post about.

You can put your own spin on this idea, too. It doesn’t have to be posting a picture—or posting at all, for that matter. You can journal instead, or simply make it part of your routine on Thursdays to think back on your recent and distant past and acknowledge thanks to God for the gifts, both physical and spiritual, He has given you.

4) Express gratitude for others.

Ultimately, we know that “Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17, ESV). That is, God is the ultimate object of our gratitude. But it is good for us to express gratitude to others in our lives as well, even as we acknowledge that it is by God’s allowance that their paths intersect with ours.  

Whether it’s writing a note, making a phone call, or doing something tangible as a way to say “thank you; I appreciate you,” there are many ways to express gratitude. Be creative, and look for opportunities to give the gift of thankfulness.

Woven through all of these is the theme of the Gospel. I mentioned earlier that with an understanding of the Gospel it is impossible not to be thankful, but it should also be noted that without the Gospel, it is difficult to be thankful. Even as a believer, my flesh still rages against the Spirit, pulling me into the tunnel vision of self-centeredness. It is only when the Spirit takes over that I am better able to grasp the goodness of God and to turn my thoughts from the worries of this world to the many blessings I have in Christ.

I hope and pray that the Spirit will cultivate in you an attitude of gratitude as you meditate inwardly on the Gospel and God’s Word and as you express outwardly your thankfulness for others and for God Himself.