My ’tude has a leak—not the inner-tube on a car tire…my gratitude.

I’m an optimistic person—a big dreamer whose great expectations sometimes leave my husband scratching his head.

Also I’m big on saying “thank you” for the smallest gesture of kindness.

A slow leak

But lately I’ve noticed a slow leak in the ’tude. A little tendency to grumble to the Lord instead of offering praise.

Nothing huge—just an undercurrent of discontent. Tired of waiting. Tired of expecting. Tired of trusting.

Oops! Did I really say that in print?

That place—may I quickly add—is not a good place. I’m getting out of there.

Tired of trusting? What else can I do? All my hope is in God. If he doesn’t come through, the dream is dead.

Gratitude is a small gift I present to the Lord for the blessings he’s lavished on me. Click To Tweet

Handy repair kit

Found my ’tude repair kit just in time.

• Confession. Grumbling is sin—kicking against God’s plan. He knows what’s coming while I wait, expect, trust.
• Praise. God is great and he is good. For this I can praise him, regardless of complicated circumstances…or delayed dreams.
• Thanksgiving. Gratitude is a small gift I present to the Lord for the blessings he’s lavished on me. When I’m forgetful, Psalm 103:1-5 gives me a place to start.

Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—

Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

This Psalm of David goes on highlighting attributes of God: compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (see Psalm 103:8-12 NIV).

Will I ever run out of reasons to praise the Lord?

Never!

Living a life of praise and thanksgiving may not change circumstances but it changes me.

Living a life of praise and thanksgiving may not change circumstances but it changes me. Click To Tweet

If your ’tude has a leak, repair it with confession and fill it with enough praise and thanksgiving to gush all over the place.

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6).

I’d love to know if you’ve had a leaky ’tude and how you fixed it. Please leave a comment below.

© 2018 Dianne Barker

Learn more about my books at https://diannebarker.com/?page_id=16