Having an attitude of gratitude shapes your relationships and your outlook on life, Pastor Rick Warren says.
Warren, who serves as senior pastor of the 20,000-member Saddleback Church in Orange County, California, wrote in his devotional on Friday, “The More Grateful You Are the Happier You Are,” that Christians should follow the teaching of Paul in Philippians 1:3, when he says: “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God,” (NLT, second edition).
“This simple truth is the foundation of good relationships.”
The megachurch pastor explains that while it is frequently tempting to view relationships selfishly by asking what someone can do for you, the most important thing you can do in a relationship is be grateful for the other person.
“If you want to have healthy relationships, then start with an attitude of gratitude. You will be far happier and enjoy your relationships more if you will develop the habit of being grateful for the people in your life,” Warren explains.
Following Paul’s teaching on gratitude is essential if we want to have life-long, lasting relationships, the pastor says.
This can be especially difficult for your long-term relationships, Warren continues.
“The longer you know someone, the more likely you are to take that person for granted. Isn’t that true? The longer you know someone, the easier it is to focus on that person’s faults and the bad times instead of the happy times,” the pastor writes.
Read more at Rick Warren: Want to Be Happy? Then Have This Kind of Attitude.
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