When Gratitude Flips the Script

Gratitude changes everything. It doesn’t erase the hard things, but it changes how we see them.

This past week, I had more than my share of frustrations. A broken washing machine. A long trip to the laundromat. A stranger who needed help figuring out how to use the payment system. In the moment, I wanted to complain. But as Kristie and I stood there, helping that lady get her laundry started, I realized God had placed us there for a reason.

That’s what gratitude does. It flips the script.

Instead of asking, “Why did this happen to me?” we start asking, “What is God trying to do through me?”

The Apostle Paul wrote Philippians from house arrest. He had every reason to complain, yet his letter overflows with joy and thanksgiving. He didn’t focus on what he lacked. He focused on who God was. Gratitude lifted his eyes above his situation.

When we practice gratitude, it shifts our attention from what’s broken to what’s being built. It reminds us that God is still writing our story. Every inconvenience can be an opportunity to reflect His love to someone else.

This week, try to flip the script. When something frustrates you, pause and say, “God, thank You for being at work even in this.” Gratitude doesn’t change every circumstance, but it changes every heart.