One Thing Keeping Us From Being Thankful – And How to Overcome It

It’s November, the month where we often focus a lot on being thankful. Last year during this month, I wrote an entire series on thankfulness.

But if I’m being honest, I have to admit that thankfulness is hard for me sometimes. I don’t always feel thankful.

Even when I’m participating in Ann Voskamp’s 1000 Gifts Challenge and trying to list at least 3 things a day for which I’m thankful, I still struggle.

I struggle to come up with 3 measly things. It’s pretty pathetic when you think about the fact that I have two adorable boys who light up my world and an amazing, self-sacrificing husband and a comfortable home and a decent vehicle….

I should have no problem finding 3 things a day to write down in my gratitude journal, but I do.

I have to fight for thankfulness. And I think I’ve finally figured out why I struggle with it so much.

I struggle with thankfulness because I focus way too much on myself.

When a friend announces she’s expecting on Facebook, I don’t rejoice with her because I’m thinking about myself and how much I still long for a baby.

When someone posts pictures online that document a fun day out with a mutual friend, I wonder why I wasn’t invited.

I know Romans 12:15 (“Rejoice with those who rejoice”) but I don’t always do it.

Many times, when someone else is rejoicing, I’m thinking about myself and why I don’t have their particular blessing.

My guess is, others struggle with this too. That’s why I’m writing this post…not because it feels good to share my weakness, but because I think there are others out there who can relate.

The thing that keeps us from being thankful for what we have is a constant focus on ourselves. The key, then, to overcoming this is to take our eyes off of ourselves.

Someone else’s blessing is just that: someone else’s. It has nothing to do with me.

Thankfulness will never happen as long as we are thinking only about ourselves.

Thankfulness happens when we change the way we think.

When, instead of looking at ourselves, we look at others.

When, instead of focusing on our pain, we focus on the God who promises to carry us through it.

When, instead of focusing on our past mistakes, we focus on how far we’ve come.

This month, while a large part of the world talks about thankfulness, I’m changing the way I think. 

Want to join me? Tell me in the comments! 
This post is part of the Marriage & Motherhood Mondays series. To see others in this series, simply click the image below.