Start Your Day with Gratitude
By Rick Warren
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17 (NIV)
Experts say that the attitude you have for the day is set in the first eight minutes of your day. Do you want to grumble, gripe, and grunt your way through the day, or do you want to be grateful?
The Bible says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17 NIV).
Gratitude gets you to focus on your loving Father who meets all your needs.
Don’t start your day with confession or requests. Start with gratitude. Think about God and his goodness. Tell him he’s a good Father, thanking him for being caring, close, and consistent. List the ways he’s been good to you. Tell him what you’re thankful for: running water, bed and a blanket, a warm house when it's cold and a cold house when it's hot outside. You don’t have to worry about the right thing to say. Just say what you feel and what’s on your mind.
One of the ways you can start your day with thankfulness is to make a playlist of songs. Choose songs of gratitude that remind you of who God is and what he has done for you. Turn it on as soon as you open your eyes so that your first thoughts are grateful. Worship is the best way to wake up!
You can also make a list of the things you’re thankful for and keep it near your bed or wherever you have a quiet time. A gratitude list can help keep you focused on God’s goodness, and then you can pour out your heart to him in thanks.
When you wake every morning, make sure the first thing you’re doing is thanking God for his consistent love and recalling all the ways that he's good to you.
Get up with gratitude. It will change everything about your day!
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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