“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.”
Philippians 1:3 (NLT)
Relationships are a big part of your ministry as a pastor.
Whether it’s with your congregation, your church leadership, community leaders, or your family, an attitude of gratitude is the beginning of healthy relationships.
You will be far happier and enjoy your relationships more if you develop the habit of being grateful for the people in your life.
Philippians 1:3 says, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God” (NLT).
That simple truth is the foundation of good relationships.
When you think of the people in your life, is your first feeling gratitude? Or are you more likely to ask questions like, What do they need to do for me? What are our problems? What do we have to get done?
Your first thought may not be gratitude. But Paul’s first thought for his friends was one of gratitude, and it is the model we should follow if we want our relationships to last.
Here’s the problem: It’s natural in ministry to become burdened by the demands of leadership and the imperfections of those in our lives. The longer you know someone, the more likely you are to take that person for granted.
With the passage of time, it becomes easier to focus on that person’s faults and on the bad times instead of the happy times.
That’s why it takes effort on our part to choose to have an attitude of gratitude for the people in our lives. But we experience an eternal impact on our relationships when we develop the habit of giving thanks to God when we think of others.
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