Adding Gratitude to Our Relationships

Posted on November 19, 2024 by

22 Comments

Over the weekend, Rainer at The Devotional Guy™ and David at David’s Daily Dose, posted about relationships and how they can be challenging at times.

Check out Rainer’s post here – When Relationships Fail Us

Check out David’s post here – Relationships: A Survivalist’s Guide

It’s true. Relationships can be messy. There will be times in life when other people hurt us – intentionally or unintentionally. Miscommunications and misunderstandings can make navigating relationships feel like walking through a landmine.

There will also be times when we hurt others. And those situations could make us feel even worse than the times when someone hurt us.

It might sound strange, but that’s actually a good thing. If we feel badly when we hurt someone, that means we have compassion. It means we are not selfish and ruthless. And it means the Lord is working on our hearts.

And when we keep in mind that there have been times when we hurt others, this can also help us to extend grace to those who hurt us. It helps us to remember that no one is perfect.

But before we even get to the point of hurt feelings, we can approach our relationships differently in hopes to avoid some of the messy circumstances.

As Christians, we have the power to extend the fruit of the Spirit to those around us – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Spending time with Jesus is what helps grow that fruit in our lives. As we read the Bible and spend time in prayer, this helps us to become more like Him.

Unfortunately, there will still be people who we don’t see eye to eye with. However, we should make an attempt to keep the peace. The Bible reminds us: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). This isn’t always easy. But our relationship with Jesus is what helps fuel our motives. When we remember how much He has forgiven of us, it helps us to also extend forgiveness to others.

Something I read by Joyce Meyer stuck with me – “Be difficult to offend.” Those four words hold so much power. There are so many little things that other people say and do which we could easily find offensive. Our world today is quick to point out offenses. But we don’t have to be like that. When we keep our focus on Jesus, that helps us to let the little grievances go.

We can also make it a point to look for the good in other people. In our world, many are quick to criticize and judge. But we are not of this world. We can choose a different path. We can look for the good qualities in each person we encounter.

And finally, we can also add gratitude to our relationships. When it comes to family, friends, acquaintances, coworkers, or anyone we encounter – we can find ways to say “thank you” to them for the little things they do.

If your spouse made dinner, say thank you. If someone held the door for you as you went into the grocery store, say thank you. If your coworker cleaned the Keurig, say thank you.

Years ago when it was my paternal grandmother’s birthday, I wrote a note in her birthday card about some of the fond memories we had together. Things like playing Old Maid and Dominoes. And of course we always drank a root beer. That was a treat. My father told me that my mentioning those things in her birthday card really brought her joy.

The point is it’s not just the two words “thank you” that we can say to express gratitude. And gratitude is not merely in the words we speak. We can show gratitude in our actions as well. If a coworker helped with a project, we can return the favor and offer to help them with something they are working on. If a family member is always there for us, we can look for ways to help them out with something. The possibilities are endless when we get creative.

Navigating relationships can be a challenge. But thankfully we can turn to Jesus and seek His help. He can show us how to form better relationships. And He can also help us to forgive when someone has wronged us. As we focus on gratitude this month, I hope we can find ways to incorporate gratitude into our relationships.

Gratitude universally speaks to all hearts.

Gratitude has a way of building bridges in our relationships.

And gratitude can help us to live at peace with one another.

Dear Jesus, one thing we are thankful for today is the fact that You have walked this earth. Therefore, that means You know how hard life can be. It is full of struggles. And some of those struggles come through our relationships. It’s not always easy to navigate our relationships with other people. Even relationships with people we love can be tricky. But we are so thankful that we have You to help us. Please flood us with the fruit of the Spirit, so we can extend Your love and kindness to those around us. Please help us to be quick to see the good in others and not to be quick to judge. Please help us to weave gratitude into our relationship because gratitude can do all hearts some good. Thank You, King Jesus. We are so grateful for You. You are always there for us and hear our prayers, no matter how big or small. You are our Shepherd and You guide the way with all the difficulties we face. We love You, Lord. It is in Your holy name we pray. Amen.

Photo credit goes to my friend Lorraine. This is the lipstick bush in her yard. Another plant that blooms this time of year in Florida.

© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

Category: Seeking God

22 Comments on “Adding Gratitude to Our Relationships”

    • Thanks, Rainer. When we keep our eyes open for God’s goodness, it helps that gratitude to spread to every area of our lives… and yes you went to spam again 😂

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  4. This reflection on relationships is so insightful. It’s true that relationships can be messy and challenging, but the power of grace, forgiveness, and gratitude can truly help us navigate those difficulties. Focusing on the fruit of the Spirit and choosing to extend kindness and love, even in tough situations, can transform our interactions with others. Let us always remember to be quick to forgive and slow to take offense, keeping our hearts focused on the example Jesus set for us.

    Amen 🙏🤗

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  5. Relationships can be challenging but you gave lots of great advice. I especially like the idea of remembering how Jesus has forgiven us and so we should extend the same forgiveness to others. And the point that gratitude speaks to all hearts. 💕

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    • I agree. Remembering how much Jesus has forgiven of us helps us to let go of grudges and extend grace. And thanks to the Lord’s help, we have the power to extend love and kindness to others. Thank you, Dawn! I appreciate your comment! 😊💜

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  6. Gratitude can go a loooong way in relationships! I am thankful to have a grateful husband, and we express our gratitude throughout our days for big things and little.

    Thank you for this thought-provoking post.

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    • Such a good point. My husband and I try to remember to do that also. We say “Thank you” for making the salad, getting the mail, etc. it does wonders to show someone they are appreciated. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Kathy! 💕

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  7. I love your reference to the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, Bridget. I attended a leadership conference two weeks ago, where one of the speakers was clearly a Christ follower. He talked about rating his attitude every morning on a scale of 1 to 10. “I start every day with a 9,” he said, and then proceeded to name the Fruit of the Spirit one by one. What a wonderful idea!
    I enjoyed your post. Thank you for contributing to and continuing the discussion.

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  8. Great points!! Gratitude goes along ways even with difficult relationships. I pray we’d do well to focus on the positive. Loved reading all of the comments here too!!

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  9. I really like what you shared on incorporating gratitude into relationships- it helps not take people for granted and also look beyond the things that might annoy at times. So true that relationships can be tricky, and that we have the Lord to help us forgive where needed.
    God bless you 💙

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    • A good point about not taking people for granted because I think that can be so easy to do. Especially those we around most often. Whether it’s a loved one, or an acquaintance, I’m glad we can seek the Lord to help us navigate our relationships. Jesus really is the only One who will never let us down. And He is our example on how to walk in love. Thank you, Manu. I appreciate hearing your thoughts. And God bless you too, my friend. ♥️

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  10. Pingback: Gratitude Changes Things – Bridget A. Thomas

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