How Lack of Gratitude is Stealing Your Joy & How To Get It Back!

It may sound cliche’, but do you have an Attitude of Gratitude? I didn’t!

I’m finally home in San Diego after a week of busy traveling and I went back to back from 4 days in Texas for a personal growth conference, to 4 days in New Mexico caring for my niece and nephew while my sister was away for business. To say this past week has been a whirlwind, would be an understatement!

While at my conference the Holy Spirit revealed to me deep-seeded roots of things I’ve been stubbornly holding onto or blocking myself from feeling the fullness of the goodness of God and all that He wants for each of our lives.

I came to have some life-changing realizations that I think you might relate to as well:

1. I have not been ALLOWING myself to receive good things. In fact, I have been RESISTING and blocking them in many areas because of deep feelings of unworthiness.
2. I have unresolved issues of PRIDE and self-sufficiency that have gone undiagnosed and therefore not addressed.
3. I have NOT been practicing a FULL Attitude of Gratitude for all the things God has given me and done for me, and I’ve taken many things for granted.
4. When the Holy Spirit reveals things to you that you’d been in denial about, or not able to see them for the truth of what they are, it’s both liberating and scary. Now you’re faced with the undeniable fact that you MUST allow God to begin working in these areas if you want to receive God’s true JOY and Peace—but that’s not always easy!

We’ve become used to our old way of thinking. Those old habits and routines that perpetuated our negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors.

But the good news is WE ARE ADAPTABLE! God gave us the ability to change!

He made our brains pliable and literally adaptable (called brain plasticity) which allows us to not only change or heal the old, but actively create and mold the new!

What grace! What a gift! What a miracle!!

So let’s talk about HOW to change all of that.

How to adapt an Attitude of Gratitude that will allow us to experience deeper more intimate relationship with God, and can be cultivated and grown into a full life-changing experience of the fullness of joy that God created us to experience.

How to cultivate more JOY into your life:

1. Start a daily written practice of what you are grateful for, on a daily basis. (I prefer nightly journaling just before bed to reflect and analyze your day.)
2. Start your morning with prayer, asking God to open your heart and mind to see all of the things you can be grateful for that day.
3. Begin a Bible study on Gratitude. Either a formal study, or do a google search on verses about gratitude that you can read, study and begin to memorize.
4. Pray before every meal, no exceptions. Thanking God for what you’re about to eat, the miracle of convenience you experienced to have your meal before you, and the hands and processes that had taken place to get each item now resting on your plate.
5. Ask the Holy Spirit to show and reveal to you ways in which you are blocking or blinding yourself from being grateful and what spirits of negativity or pessimism are creeping into your mind and destroying your experience of true joy. Rebuke them in Jesus’ name!

There is power in the name of Jesus!

His name has been given authority over every other name (Ephesians 1:18-23).

Daughter of the King, do not dismiss the power that Jesus died to give you!

Use it to it’s full capacity over negativity, pessimism, doubt, evil, darkness and the enemy of your soul.

Jesus has already defeated Satan so that we can be free from any sin that entangles. Plead the blood of Jesus over your life!

>> I’d love to hear how you’re planning to begin cultivating a culture of Gratitude and what realizations you may have had that are holding you back. Praying for you that the Holy Spirit will reveal truth to you and that you will have a deepening relationship with the Creator of the Universe, our Heavenly Father.

Your sister in Christ,
~Dr. Melody

P.S. If you’re needing additional help or “another pair of eyes” to help you examine what might be blocking or holding you back, I’m here for you. My mission to love others and help them grow in their calling and experience the fullness of the love of Christ is my greatest desire. I’d love to be that help for you.

Schedule a 90 minute Custom Strategy Session with me here.