Thankfulness: An Attitude of Gratitude

If you were to list the qualities of the people you most admire, a thankful attitude would probably be at the top of the list. Attitude will make or break a person. In his book Attitude 101, John Maxwell says this concerning attitude:

I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. Leadership has less to do with position than it does with disposition. The disposition of a leader is important because it will influence the way the followers think and feel.  Great leaders understand that the right attitude will set the right atmosphere, which enables the right responses from others.

Attitude is always a choice. You may not be able to control circumstances, but you can control how you react to those circumstances. Knowing that God is in control should make a difference in one’s attitude. In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 implies that our trust in God is directly linked to our attitude. One of the most difficult disciplines in life is the discipline of thankfulness—taking time to thank God for the team, children and spouse He has given you; taking time to count your blessings and adjust your attitude.

Paying bills used to be a pain in my side. When I would finish, I would be like an angry bear. (Can you relate? Most coaches can identify with the bumper sticker that reads “My take home pay won’t even take me home!”) Interest, taxes and high costs for services all made me angry. Then, one day as I was writing out the checks, the Lord spoke to my heart about being thankful that He had provided the income to pay those bills. Since that day, as I write each check, I have thanked God for His provision, and I am no longer like an angry bear when I finish.