“The science of gratitude is pretty straightforward, but putting it into practice is an art form. Not only is experimenting with new ways of expressing gratitude advisable, it’s also biblical (see Psalm 96:1). . . . God doesn’t just want to be worshipped out of left-brain memory; He wants to be worshipped out of right-brain imagination.”- Mark Batterson
Mark Batterson moves on in Chapter 8 of Double Blessing as he observes that naming your blessings one by one represents the most practical way to count your blessings. But, Pastor Batterson asserts, this activity is more than just a best practice. It’s also the baseline of obedience. For, Mark notes, the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continuously, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Of course, that’s much easier said than done. However, Pastor Batterson finds that daily jotting down what he’s grateful for serves as a gratitude alarm. And that alarm reminds him that God’s mercies are new every morning. As a result, Mark provides four guardrails for the gratitude challenge:
- Buy a journal. Choose the type that works best for you.
- Write down three gratitudes every day. Because one or two is too easy!
- Do it for forty consecutive days. There’s something biblical about that number! Plus, that’s long enough to establish a gratitude habit.
- Recruit a friend to do it with you. It’s more meaningful when you journal with someone you love. He/she also keeps you accountable.
Finally, Mark notes the importance of praising God for the little things:
“Most of us are good at praising God for the big things, but we fail to praise God for the little things. And we’re good at praising God after the fact, but not a second before. Gratitude is thanking God after He does it, and that’s great. But faith is next-level gratitude. Faith is thanking God before He does it. It’s prophesying your praise!”
Today’s question: How do you put the science of gratitude into practice? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A partial miracle – praising God?”
