Starting the New Year With Gratitude

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A few Sunday’s ago we were encouraged by our pastor during a sermon to approach the new year with gratitude. There are many reasons that it is beneficial for us to do this. I share some of these reasons with you, some ways that you can express gratitude, as well as some of the things that I am thankful for, in this episode of the Missionary Coach Show.

Benefits of Gratitude

According to Psychology Today there are at least 7 scientifically proven benefits of gratitude. (source)

1. Gratitude improves physical health
2. Gratitude improves psychological health
3. Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression
4. Grateful people sleep better
5. Gratitude improves self esteem
6. Gratitude improves mental strength
7. Gratitude opens the door to more relationships

Ways to Express Gratefulness

1. Say grace before meals
2. Keep a Journal
   1. Write down things you are grateful for
   2. Review 30-days on and remember
3. Print and display Psalm 100 and read it once a week
4. Turn of for corporate worship
5. Increase your offering
6. Take every opportunity to thank the people around you
7. Recall someone from your past and express your gratefulness to them

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Something else was shared that I had never really thought of before, and that was that:

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and hot opening it.