Gritty Gratitude

By David Faust

Money management deals with hard numbers. Spread sheets. Profit to loss ratios. Cost of living increases. Tax rates, interest rates, and inflation rates. Stocks, bonds, and real estate investments.  

By contrast, gratitude sounds like a soft word—almost otherworldly. It brings to mind Thanksgiving dinners with mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, not real-world stuff like bank accounts and retirement portfolios. Actually, though, a grateful heart is “real world stuff.” In the big picture, a grateful heart is more important than your bank balance.  

Gratitude is more than a nice little add-on. It’s a necessary tool if you’re going to have a satisfying life. Gratitude isn’t a soft word. It’s a gritty, real-world survival tool. If you learn to praise the Lord and “forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2), an attitude of gritty gratitude will help you fight off negativity and discouragement.  

The actor Denzel Washington said, “Give thanks for your blessings every day. A bad attitude is like a flat tire. Until you change it, you’re not going anywhere.”  

 ‘Get to’ Beats ‘Have to’ 

A friend of mine grew up as an orphan in a Communist country. When she attended the Christian university where I worked, some students asked reluctantly, “Do we have to go to chapel?” This young woman, however, enthusiastically exclaimed, “I’m so glad I get to go to chapel!” 

Do you have a “get to” attitude? “Get to” nurtures gratitude; “have to” generates grumpiness. Reluctant workers crawl out of bed on Monday morning muttering, “I wish I didn’t have to go to work.” But considering the alternatives of being sick, injured, or unemployed, isn’t it better to say, “Thank you, Lord, that I get to go to work today”? 

Do we have to pray? Actually, we get to pray. Does the Lord require his followers to be baptized? Yes, but it’s not a burden; it’s a joy to put faith into action in baptism. Do we have to worship God and give our tithes and offerings? We get to! Life goes better when we serve the Lord with gladness.  

Count Your Mini-Blessings 

A classic hymn says, “Count Your Many Blessings,” but we also should thank the Lord for our mini-blessings—God’s small favors that are easy to overlook. Clean water to drink. Autumn scenery to enjoy. The flavors and aromas of coffee and casseroles and cake. The sweet sounds of laughter and friendly conversation.  

Do you thank God for the fresh air that fills your lungs when you walk outdoors on a chilly morning? Do you thank him for the times you made a mess of things, but he redeemed those situations anyway and used your mistakes to help you grow? 

David prayed, “Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. Were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare” (Psalm 40:5). We can’t literally count all our blessings, for there are too many to list. But with childlike awe, why not give it a try?  

This article is adapted from David Faust’s book, Not Too Old: Turning Your Later Years into Greater Years (College Press)—from the chapter about money management called “You Can’t Take It With You, So What Should You Do With It?” 

David Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard and senior associate minister with East 91^st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of Married for Good.