Study after study has linked gratitude to happiness. Psychologists and sociologists have proven that the more grateful you are, the happier you are.
If you want to have healthy relationships, then start with an attitude of gratitude. You will be far happier and enjoy your relationships more if you will develop the habit of being grateful for the people in your life.
Paul says in Philippians 1:3, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God” (NLT, second edition).
This simple truth is the foundation of good relationships.
When you think of the people in your life, is your first feeling gratitude? For too many of us, it can be, “What do they need to do for me? What problems have we got? What do we need to get done?” But Paul showed us a different way. His first thought for his friends was one of gratitude, and it is the model we should follow if we want relationships that last.
Here’s the challenge: The longer you know someone, the more likely you are to take that person for granted. Isn’t that true? The longer you know someone, the easier it is to focus on that person’s faults and the bad times instead of the happy times.
That’s why it takes effort on our part to choose to have an attitude of gratitude for the people in our lives. When we develop the habit of thanking God for people in our lives, it will cultivate happiness and have a lasting and eternal impact on those relationships.
This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Talk It Over
Why do you think God wants us to thank him for the people he has placed in our lives?
How can you begin to develop gratitude for the people in your life? What will help you continue to have gratitude for them?
Tell someone today why you are grateful for him or her.
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