Cultivating a Heart of GratitudeSample

3 Weeds in the Garden of Gratitude

So far in this reading plan, we have seen that cultivating a heart of gratitude comes from a surrendered heart that is being transformed into the image of Christ. Additionally, we looked at how everything we have received - both blessing and suffering - is a gift from God. And so today, we turn our attention to identifying and avoiding three of the great enemies of gratitude in our lives - comparison, worry, and entitlement. Each represents a weed in a garden where gratitude is trying to grow.

James, the brother of Jesus, wrote, "for where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind (see James 3:16)." Comparison flings open the door to envy and selfish ambition allowing both to come in and take up residence in our hearts. Sadly, envy and selfish ambition don't play nice with gratitude. In contrast, a heart full of gratitude recognizes the wisdom of Romans 12:6, which says, "we [all] have gifts that differ according to the grace given us." When our hearts are filled with gratitude, we see the gifts of others not as competition but as something worthy of elevating in the eyes of others.

Worry causes us to fix our eyes on the "what if" of the future. But a grateful heart takes the time to look back, to reflect on the past - seeing God's fingerprints pointing to His goodness - before looking forward to the days, weeks, and months to come. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount said, "do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself." (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭34‬ ‭ESV) ‬‬And the apostle Paul wrote, "do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6 NRSV) And there lies one of the secrets to overcoming worry, bring your cares to the feet of Jesus in prayer, and watch as He gives you the strength to make your requests with a grateful heart.

And finally, nothing chokes out a beautiful garden of gratitude like a spirit of entitlement. When entitlement runs rampant in our hearts, we believe the lie that "we deserve this or that." Maybe for you, it's a new house, a new car, or a new job. Whatever it is, it often stems from something you believe you are entitled to because of who you are, how hard you have worked, or how long you have sacrificed for others. In comparison, a content heart fosters a spirit of gratefulness and always keeps "what we do have" in focus, reducing the temptation to fixate on "what we don't have."

Today take time to wrestle with the following questions. Where have you allowed seeds of comparison to grow in your heart? Have you fallen into the trap of worry with your eyes focused only on the future? And finally, have you allowed a spirit of entitlement to choke out a heart of contentment? If so, be quick to confess where you have fallen short of God's best for you, receive His forgiveness, and move forward in freedom.