What do you focus on throughout your day? Research by Harvard Medical School shows that keeping a positive mindset—one bent toward thankfulness—does wonders for us in so many ways! So, what are you grateful for?
My friend, Lisa, recently told me that she makes a practice of giving praise (thanks) to God for one aspect of His personality each day. In other words, she’s giving concentrated attention to a single feature of God’s character all day long.
This approach is actually a biblical directive found in Philippians 4:8 where the apostle Paul tells us, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
I love this idea! It’s a great way to keep one’s eyes off self, concerns, or other distractions that can inhibit us from being motivated for the day ahead. Without this intentionality of mindset, we can be overcome with the concerns of the day rather than looking to the Lord for strength and wisdom.
So, how can we focus on one aspect of God’s character? Here are a few words to get you started thinking:
- Faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9)
- Loving (1 John 4:7-8)
- Good (Psalm 34:8)
- Caring (1 Peter 5:6-7)
- Holy (Revelation 4:8)
- Comforting (2 Corinthians 1:3)
- Helpful (Isaiah 41:13)
- Guiding (Proverbs 16:9)
- All-knowing (Isaiah 46:9-10)
- Present with us (Psalm 139:7-10)
There are so many more aspects of God that we could add to this list. But which characteristic can you grasp tightly to today as a means of helping you get through this challenging time of life?