Growing Grateful and Generous Hearts
It’s that time of year. We know how the season is supposed to go down. Besides pumpkin pie and turkey, we are encouraged to cultivate attitudes of gratitude. Something accomplished by growing grateful and generous hearts.
Such as these 4 attitudes:
Count our blessings.
Be thankful.
Express our gratefulness.
Show our generosity.
And maybe we do and are these things during Thanksgiving.
Perhaps some of us manage to pull it off most of November or even the entire year.
But when we look at this list, do we think of our lives, our family, and more importantly, our God?
Because sometimes I epitomize these attitudes and other times not so much.
When we express gratitude for what the Lord has given us and for the great things He has done, we realize we are blessed beyond measure.
When we express gratitude for what the Lord has given us and for the great things He has done, we realize we are blessed beyond measure. Click To TweetYet, how do we cultivate attitudes of gratitude in all the areas of our lives, for the people in our lives, and for the God who gives us life?
Even further, are gratitude, generosity, and thanksgiving possible January through December—not just during November or on Thanksgiving Day?
And where do we start? Let’s use the list in the introduction and unpack each one.
(1.) Count Our Blessings: Growing Grateful Hearts
Everyone brace yourselves. This is going to blow our minds! The Lord provides:
- Basic needs.
- Our people: spouse, children, extended family, friends, and Himself in the three persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Skills (jobs), talents, spiritual gifts, and identity in Christ.
- Life: eternal life, abundant life, and life itself…the very breath in our lungs.
- Every spiritual blessing. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 1:3 (ESV) While it’s not an exhaustive list, these include: amazing grace, never-ending mercy, unconditional and undying love, unsurpassed peace, real hope, authentic faith, unwavering truth (the Bible), overflowing joy, God’s fullness for our emptiness, and the Lord’s goodness, kindness, and compassion.
If we counted our blessings, really made a list, our mouths may gape open and our hearts fill with gratitude. So…go ahead…make a list. Count your blessings.
(2.) Be Thankful: Growing Grateful Hearts
Psalm 100 exclaims a thankfulness to the Lord. Look at verse 4, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” (ESV) The psalm paints a picture of thankfulness for God’s goodness and mercy in our lives and so much more.
And thanksgiving often changes our perspective. Whether life is going great or we are walking through hardships. Thanking God for all He’s done and all He will do cultivates a grateful heart.
Whether life is going great or we are walking through hardships. Thanking God for all He’s done and all He will do cultivates a grateful heart. Click To TweetWhy not thank God for everyone and everything He’s given us? After we make our count-my-blessings list, verbally and prayerfully thank God for each one.
(3.) Express Our Gratefulness: Growing Grateful Hearts
Recently, I told a friend I was grateful for her friendship. Yet, when was the last time I expressed those same sentiments to family members and to the Lord? Some examples:
- Spouse, “Honey, I’m so grateful you’re in my life and for all you mean to our family.”
- Children, “I thank the Lord He allowed me to be your mother. You are special to me.”
- Friends, “Your encouragement in my life and my Christian walk means more than you know. I’m grateful for you.”
- God, “Lord, I stand amazed at Your craftsmanship in me as Creator, Your faithfulness and care to me as Father, Your voice and direction to me as Guide, Your revelation and wisdom to me as Truth, and Your redemption and protection for me as Rescuer and Deliverer. Thank You, Lord. I’m so grateful.”
(4.) Show Our Generosity: Growing Generous Hearts
Our gratefulness directly affects our generosity. Years ago, as I reflected on gratitude, God spoke to my heart.
Grateful people are generous people. Generous people are grateful people.
It proves true with me. When gratefulness rises in my heart, I’m more generous with my money and time and service to others. Likewise, when my generosity bubbles over on others, gratefulness swells in my soul.
Therefore, we ask ourselves if we are generous with our time, money, service, love, spiritual gifts, and forgiveness.
Do we show acts of generosity to our family, friends, neighbors, community, and the least of these—hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and imprisoned—as defined in Matthew 25?
Our gratefulness directly affects our generosity. Do we show acts of generosity to our family, friends, neighbors, community, and the "least of these"—hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and imprisoned—as defined in Matthew 25? Click To Tweet
Yes, it’s that time of year. But let’s ask the Lord to help us in growing grateful and generous hearts all year long.
This is the first of three articles leading up to Thanksgiving. Join me next Thursday for another article on an aspect of being grateful and thankful.
Also see, Ways to Make Sure our Gobble is not Ungrateful.
Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Legacy Linkup/Inspire Me Monday/Tell His Story/Recharge Wednesday/Let’s Have Coffee/Tune in Thursday/Heart Encouragement/Embracing the Unexpected (Grace & Truth) and Faith On Fire.
© 2021 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
Join my husband and me on our podcast as we discuss some recent adventures and this article in more detail.
Great list as we enter the month of Thanksgiving. I believe it is so important to give thanks daily and in all circumstances. I am especially grateful today because our grandson was born last night and mom and baby are both well. Thanks Karen
Wonderful! Congratulations, Yvonne. How exciting and something great to be thankful for!
I’m a firm believer in having a gratitude attitude all year round, Karen. I do love how you were specific here about what we should be thankful about in order to grow our hearts in gratefulness. Looking forward to your entire series.
Blessings!
Thanks, Martha. Those attitudes of gratitude grow and live in our heart. May we continue to remember to count our blessings, be thankful, express our gratefulness and show our generosity!
Once we get started thinking of all we have to be thankful for, it’s hard to stop! We’re richly blessed.
So true, Barbara. Thanksgiving often changes our perspective. Whether life is going great or we are walking through hardships. Thanking God for all He’s done and all He will do cultivates a grateful heart.
Every year at this month I’m reminded of these truths . . . and then I’m convicted that they’re not limited to November. As a Christian, I should be living gratefully every day of the year!
Hi Ava, we should all be “living gratefully every day of the year.”
Love this post, Karen! It is so important to count our blessings and be grateful. One of the scriptures I stand upon is ! Thessalonians 5:18 which lets us know it is the will of God for us to be thankful. That helps me to think of thankfulness more often that just during the Thanksgiving season.
I also love the link you made between gratefulness and generosity.
Thank you, Jerralea. I’m glad this resonated with you. And I like how you made note of how thankfulness is God’s will for us. Such a great way to look at being thankful!
What a wonderful list. After this past year of fighting ovarian cancer, I’m definitely counting my blessings!
I look forward to the other posts.
Blessings to you and yours, Karen!
I know you are, Beckie. You have been a shining example of someone who is so authentic and vulnerable during the fight. And although you admitted fear, as anyone would, you were so graceful to give God thanks and glory and blessing.
Amen. I am reading and singing the song “Counting Every Blessing”. We are truly blessed by God. I am thankful for His blessings.
Yes, we are, Melissa. I remember that song. When we express gratitude for what the Lord has given us and for the great things He has done, we realize we are blessed beyond measure.
Generosity and gratitude go hand in hand. When we practice gratitude, we recognize and cherish all the ways in which we have been provided for. Generosity prompts us to reflect the love and care that we have been shown back to those around us. When we give thanks, we remember that God is generous—nurturing humanity not out of obligation, but out of unconditional compassion. To be generous ourselves is to live by the example God has set, to act justly, love mercy, and humbly acknowledge that we may bless others because God first blessed us.
Grace defines how you live each day and along with gratitude and generosity helps you live your life’s purpose. This is the most important gift and powerfully shapes every relationship you develop. When you develop grace, you’re acting from your heart without judgment or requirements to earn your love. We accept what makes us different and honor those attributes that help us lift each other up in support of one another.
Beautifully and powerfully said, Lisa. I love how you said God is generous to us out of unconditional compassion. That’s so comforting.
When gratefulness rises in my heart, I’m more generous with my money and time and service to others. Likewise, when my generosity bubbles over on others, gratefulness swells in my soul.
Yep, let’s cultivate those grateful hearts … in January’s gray, blustery days and on through the months that follow!
Linda, we know gratitude, generosity, and thanksgiving are possible January through December—not just during November or on Thanksgiving Day.
Karen, such a great post to keep in mind as we turn our minds to thanksgiving. Gratitude is something that requires cultivation, and you share excellent ways to do that! I especially think it is important to share our gratitude with others, that is for things they have done, but mostly for what God has done in our lives. Gratitude shared is contagious and multiplies within our own hearts!
Agree, Donna, gratitude “is contagious and multiplies within our own hearts!” It does indeed need cultivating in our hearts.
Great inspiration here Ms. Karen. As we move into the “Thanksgiving season”, this is the perfect time to take a few minutes each day and start identifying all the blessings God has given us this year. So enjoyed this post ma’am.
Thank you, J.D. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” (Psalm 100:4, ESV)
Yes, when I get started, it is hard to stop counting my blessings. God is so good to us. I have found expressing gratitude daily helps to keep an attitude of gratitude going. I incorporate it right into my prayers. I love your article thank you for sharing it with us at Grace & Truth Link-Up. Maree
Maree, keeping a gratitude journal or even making a list keeps us reminded of all the ways God blesses us. When we express gratitude for what the Lord has given us and for the great things He has done, we realize we are blessed beyond measure.
Thinking of people in other places who don’t have access to clean (or any) water, food, healthcare, shelter, safety and religious freedom is a quick way to remind myself how blessed I am. But the biggest blessing is my salvation… that it is available to us all, who don’t deserve it, is tremendous!
Oh, yes, Jessica. The gift of salvation is incomparible and incomprehensible!
I love this list and the way you broke it down. If people will focus on thankfulness and having grateful hearts in November, then seeds are planted for those traits to bloom and grow all year long. I’m going to use this for my Sunday school kids to remind them to have thankful hearts every day.
Lisa, this is such a good point and reminder, “If people will focus on thankfulness and having grateful hearts in November, then seeds are planted for those traits to bloom and grow all year long.” Yes! Thanks for using it for the Sunday school kids.
Generosity and gratitude seem to go hand in hand. When we are grateful for what we have received our hearts are moved to be generous towards others as well. This >>> “Grateful people are generous people. Generous people are grateful people.”
Joanne, we do well to remember where all our resources come from-they all flow from a generous and good, good Father.
I’d never thought about the gratefulness/generosity connection before. But it’s true. When I feel gratitude towards God and others, I find it easier to be generous.
It’s definitely true with me, Anita. Gratitude and generousity go hand-in-hand.
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