November Gratitude Stone 14 Habitually

Ps 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

They say it takes 21 days to make a habit and then 6 weeks to make it stick. While I have found that to be usually true, I really think it takes a commitment to a routine in order to maintain long term results.  Learning to be grateful is a great and important thing but learning to be thankful every day as a habit is the goal of the christian life, because the life we live is the sum of our habits. What we repeatedly do (i.e. what we spend time thinking about and doing each day) ultimately forms the person we become, the things we believe, and the personality that we portray.

I have experienced that even though one piece of gratitude is small, there is a cumulative effect that is huge!  I have seen my own gratitude multiplied so that every day is a good day in some small way.

The psalmist says “At all times” – In every situation of life; in every event that occurs. The idea is, that he would do it publicly and privately; in prosperity and in adversity; in safety and in danger; in joy and in sorrow. It would be a great principle of his life, expressive of the deep feeling of his soul, that God was always to be regarded as an object of adoration and praise. That became David’s habit and it caused his faith to grow.

“His praise shall continually be in my mouth” – I will be constantly uttering his praises; or, my thanks shall be unceasing.  I have a friend who decided to not say anything unless it was a blessing, based on Col. 4:6 & Eph. 4:29. It made him conscious of his words and the way and when he spoke.  And he became a good friend that everyone wanted to be around!

May the habit of praise and thanksgiving overwhelm my life so that it ultimately blesses God and others.