21 Days To Cultivate A Grateful HeartSample

Day 17: Navigate Your Way Out of Negativity

This verse in Proverbs tells us that our words can be sweet and healing. Some versions say healthy. If you were to take a “health assessment” on your words what do you think they would rate? It’s easy to let down our guard and allow our words to cross from gratitude to negativity, gossip and complaining.

The antidote to complaining is gratitude. Make a mental note today to stop and stand still for ten seconds every time you catch yourself complaining. During those ten seconds, reevaluate and redirect your heart to thankfulness to combat the critical thoughts.

When we put into practice regularly acknowledging what we are grateful for, everyone around us is impacted. Our outlook on life and attitude changes. People around us can see and feel the difference. Our countenance changes. Our face tells a different story when we are grateful than it does when we are sitting in the negativity.

REFLECT: What do the people around you see on your face? What do the people around you hear when you speak? Do your words, actions and attitudes tell the story of God’s goodness and faithfulness?

RESPOND: This may seem strange, but I want to ask you to write out your top three complaints today. Jot them down in your journal and spend a minute thinking about them. Then I want you to surrender your rights to those “complaints” and ask the Lord to change your heart or the situation. As we practice surrendering our negative thoughts, words and complaints to Him instead of allowing them to spill over onto those around us, He can redirect our thoughts, words and actions to Him and His ability to work and move on your behalf. A grateful heart can be displayed in what we don’t say just as much as it’s seen in what we do say.