It’s not my natural go-to. And some would say if it’s not natural, it’s not authentic. I beg to differ. 

When I look at my natural, I find my humanity, some of the worst parts of it. If you’ve spent much time with me, you’ve heard me talk about Natural Nina—she’s not pretty. Consequently, I try to repress her when she sneaks up on me. She doesn’t give me life. 

I want to live in true authenticity: not what’s natural, but what is honest, true, real. When I dig deep into my core, I may naturally be self-focused, but the truth says selfishness is not true love, and the reality is God wants to transform my heart, so that I love like He loves. 

Gratitude can bring me to that place of authentic living. That place has to be intentionally disciplined in me. It doesn’t come naturally. 

In America, we’ve been schooled in the discipline of gratitude. I remember around 1996 when Oprah Winfrey ran a campaign emphasizing the importance of gratitude. She advocated using a Gratitude Journal to record 5 Things Every Day for which we are thankful. 

Side Note: I do not follow Oprah, nor do I adhere to her spirituality, but I do agree with her on this one. She’s on point in her training on gratitude.

Recently, other thought leaders have urged us to build on the power and pleasure of being grateful. We know the value of gratitude. It gets us out of ourselves and places our focus on what truly gives us life…sustainable life. In addition, the principle of gratitude is consistently encouraged and strongly modeled in scripture.

This week, I hope we are all intentionally focused on finding gratitude. I thought it might be helpful to observe an Example, practice an Exercise, then verbalize an Expression. I’m always looking for pro-tips nowadays, so what’s the how-to for gratefulness? 

AN EXAMPLE TO OBSERVE

Do you ever feel so down that you just can’t come up with that thing to be grateful for? Sometimes I can’t feel it but I have found that I can find it when I intentionally look for it. I make myself open up God’s Word, and in those times when I’m that far down, opening up my Bible is a stretch…but it helps. Psalms is a good place to start because I find words for my feelings. 

In Psalm 16, David writes about the pleasure of Christ’s presence. He talks directly to God and acknowledges, “You are my safe place. You give me all I need. Just being with You brings me complete happiness.” (My paraphrase) 

Being a musician, what David felt, he typically put into a song or a poem. I”m not a musician, so I like to read David’s songs, especially when I can’t come up with my own words to express my feelings. David made it his habit to stay with his feelings until he could bring them around to what he knew to be true. 

How can we get to that place of truth? 

AN EXERCISE TO PRACTICE

I originally read Psalm 16 in the NASB version. It uses words like “Thou”, “saints”, and phrases like “pour out their libations” and “my glory rejoices”. I don’t really talk like that, so bold red question marks immediately formed in my head. 

I love our resources today, like TheBibleApp or YouVersion. I find the quickest way to understand a passage that’s unclear is to read it in two or three different versions; the various wording will usually clarify the main point. 

For instance, here is David expressing gratitude in Psalm 16:5-6:

The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; 

Thou dost support my lot. 

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; 

Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.  [NASB]

{My initial thought: What does that even mean??}

 

You, Lord, are my portion, my cup; you control my destiny.

The property lines have fallen beautifully for me; 

Yes, I have a lovely home. [CEB]

{My next thought: Okay, that’s a little clearer. God, You have been generous to me.}

 

Lord, you give me all that I need.

You support me.

You give me my share.

My share is wonderful. 

My inheritance is very beautiful. [ERV]

{My conclusion: “Oh—God, you give me everything I need.”  I can speak these actual words back to God!}

Certainly, it’s okay to copy a pro-tip that works, and David’s model actually works! He was a pro at gathering up his feelings and matching them with truth. We know David’s songs and poems have God’s stamp of approval because they are included in the inspired Word of God. 

Copy him! Practice this exercise. Speak the very words of God back to Him. It’s the highest compliment we can give to God. And I guarantee practicing this exercise will change your life because it will change your heart for the better.

AN EXPRESSION TO VERBALIZE

Correspondingly,  I’ve found this pro-tip to be exponential. 

Yes, it grows as you use it. In the most amazing ways, the times when I have no words to express my feelings, as I employ authentic words written by someone else, I have found my own words begin to sprout in my own heart, breeding nutrients that nourish and fruit that sustains. 

It’s like God takes His words, gives life to the dead places, and brings constant support, keeping ample supplies ready for what I need, both now and in the future. Really. 

Interestingly, the verbalization occurs in phases. First, with intentionality and under discipline, we verbalize truth in spite of what we feel. This leads us to verbalizing truth that expresses where we’ve changed. Finally, we verbalize truth, influencing those around us for the betterment of all. 

Honestly, we need to Live Out Loud. This negative world needs truth that nourishes and sustains. You and I need to be truth-tellers, not only in our words, but in our attitudes and actions as well. 

My mom used to tell us, “Your actions speak so loud, I can’t hear what you’re saying…” Eeeekkk! I learned a valuable lesson from my mom’s little cliche: Our attitudes yell louder than our words, and our words have their roots in our hearts. 

So in conclusion, How’s your heart? This is a good week for a heart-check. If you need a guide on the side, use the exercise above with all the truth in Psalm 16.

This exercise in gratefulness can bring us to the most authentic celebrations—guaranteed! 

What are your secrets for finding gratitude? Share with us in the comments below.