Bring Along the Key of Gratitude for a Happy New Year!

Read on, mate, to find your key to happiness.

The following extract is a message from Carolyn Savelle of Jerry Savelle Ministry International (JSMI) to partners of JSMI as found in JSMI Australia blog for your edification:- 

"One powerful way to shift from sorrow to joy is through appreciating the good things God has already placed in your life. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Gratitude is a key that unlocks the door to happiness. 

When you choose to thank God for what you have, even in challenging times, you will start to see just how blessed you truly are. You may not always feel like there’s something to be thankful for, but I encourage you to look again – there’s always a blessing waiting to be noticed.

I remember a family that came to our church many years ago that were believing for a new car. When Jerry asked to see the car they were currently driving, he was taken aback. The car was filled with trash, fast food wrappers, and was in complete disarray. Jerry told them, “If you’re truly believing for a new car, start by taking care of the one you have.”

Friend, if you want more joy in your life, start by loving and caring for what you have right now. Psalm 84:12 says, “LORD Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.” One definition I’ve seen for the word blessed is blissfully happy or content. 

Maybe you aren’t driving the car you want, living in the house of your dreams, or wearing the clothes you desire, but when you choose to trust God, express gratitude for what you do have, and declare, “I choose to live a happy life,” you set yourself up for God’s blessings to overflow.

One of the greatest blessings God has given us is our family. I treasure the moments I’ve spent with my late husband, children, and grandchildren. We used to take vacations all together, packed into the car with grandkids on my lap, and I remember telling Jerry, “I’m the happiest anybody could ever be.” Though my grandchildren have outgrown sitting on Grandma’s lap, I thank God for great-grandchildren now! 

These moments are precious gifts from God, and He desires that your family be filled with love and happiness too.

I want to remind you that there is an enemy out there trying to disrupt your joy, especially within your family. Since the beginning of time, satan has tried to tear families apart- turning brother against brother and children against parents. 

But God’s plan is different. He created us to live in love, to reflect His image (Genesis 1:26), and to enjoy our families, growing in happiness together.

When you love and appreciate the people God has placed in your life, He will bless you with even more joy and abundance. Matthew 25:29 tells us, “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance.” 

Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “…I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore, choose life, that you and your descendants may live.” You have the power to choose – to choose gratitude, to choose love, to choose life. 

As you make choices that honor God and put your trust in Him, you will find true joy, and God will work on your behalf.

I encourage you to take a moment today and ask yourself, “What do I have to be happy about?” Write down everything you can think of, big or small, and praise God for it. I promise, as you do, joy will begin to fill your heart, and God will bless you beyond measure. 

I have learned that hope and expectation live alongside joy. When you choose to be grateful, you start to expect good things. Your focus begins to shift from fear to faith. 

You can reject negative thoughts dwelling on the hurts of the past and you can choose to appreciate the good things God has given you. As you do, faith and expectation will begin to rise inside of your spirit. 

As I look to move into a new year, I’m grateful that God has shown His goodness to me despite the circumstances. God is faithful!" 

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