By Shannon Caughey

We just celebrated Thanksgiving. As followers of Christ, “thanksgiving” is to be more than an annual holiday. It should be a daily habit. But this can be challenging. There are no shortages of opportunities to worry, complain, and be critical—including in the coaching role. However, the more we practice expressing gratitude, the greater our progress spiritually. 

Over the last several devotions, we’ve been thinking about spiritual disciplines or practices that help us grow in our relationship with the Lord. The goal is that we would live for Christ more consistently. Gratitude is another essential practice. Day by day we can choose to worry, complain, or be critical. Or we can choose the Philippians 4:6-7 approach: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

What an amazing promise: the experience of the peace of God, guarding and flooding our hearts and minds! This promise is ours as we’re “in Christ Jesus”: united to him through putting our faith fully in him. This promise is realized as we exercise our trust in and dependence upon God through prayer—and as we do so “with thanksgiving.”

That brief phrase (“with thanksgiving”) has enormous implications. When we not only recognize our dependence upon God in every situation but also practice finding reasons to be thankful to God in every situation, the results are significant. When we choose gratitude rather than worrying, complaining, or being critical, we experience the peace God desires for us no matter the situation.

How does this happen? In the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun offers insight into the intentional practice of giving thanks to God throughout the day. She writes: “Thanksgiving is possible not because everything goes perfectly but because God is present. The Spirit of God is within us—nearer to us than our own breath. It is a discipline to choose to stitch our days together with the thread of gratitude. But the decision to do so is guaranteed to stitch us closer to God.”

It’s in being closer to God that we experience his peace. Consistent gratitude to the Lord deepens our relationship with him. In giving thanks to him throughout the day, we realize how loving, good, and generous this God who is present with us is at all times.

Coach, when you practice gratitude, you grow in trusting and honoring God. When you’re tempted to worry, bring this to the Lord and give thanks that he is present and in control. When you want to complain, make a list of things you can thank God for instead. When it would be easy to be critical, look for reasons for expressing appreciation to God for his work. The practice of gratitude brings spiritual progress. And the practice of gratitude leads you to experience God’s peace.

For reflection: As you honestly assess yourself, do you tend to worry, complain, and be critical? Ask the Lord to help you practice gratitude instead. Take some time now to express thanks to him for what he’s done for you.