One Simple Way to Strengthen Your Faith This Year

It's a new year, full of new possibilities. Maybe you want to lose weight, save money, or start a business. You might want to run a 5k, go on a mission trip, or finish paying off your student loans.

No matter what your ambitions are, you probably know what you’d like to accomplish this year.

So here’s the question: Do any of your goals involve growing in your faith?

You don’t have to read the entire Bible in a week or donate your entire paycheck to the next church campaign to grow closer to God. He can’t be bought, after all.

But one of the things you can do to grow in your faith is simple: Practice gratitude.

That’s right. Being thankful strengthens your relationship with the Creator. If you don’t understand how, think about it like this. When you do something for a loved one and they express gratitude for your efforts, you feel pretty good, right? You feel loved, understood and appreciated.

God doesn’t need our appreciation, but when we look at everything He’s done for us, how can we be anything but grateful? He not only created a beautiful, mysterious world for us to explore, but He also created us. And not only that—He actually gave His one and only Son to die for us so we could spend an eternity with Him.

You don’t have to read the entire Bible in a week or donate your entire paycheck to the next church campaign to grow closer to God. He can’t be bought, after all.

Those are some pretty big things to be grateful for!

It’s tough to grow in thankfulness unless you have a plan in place. So here are some things you can do to keep gratitude at the front of your mind this year, whether you’re single, married or a parent.

Related: 4 Simple Ways to Grow Closer to God This Year

If You’re Single

Invest in a nice journal (one that will be fun to write in) and use it as a gratitude log. Make time each day to jot down a few things you’re thankful for. You could do this on your phone, too, but a journal dedicated to tracking your blessings makes the habit a little more special—and fun!

If You’re Married

Of course, if you’re married you can keep a gratitude journal as well. Maybe you could share one journal and take turns writing down the things you’re grateful for as a couple. Or you could even make it a habit to spend a few minutes at the end of each day sharing the things you’re most thankful for.

If You’re a Parent

It’s important to teach your children gratitude at an early age. Since many kids learn well with visual aids, consider making a gratitude jar. It doesn’t have to be fancy. You can use a pickle jar, a mason jar or a glass vase. Have everyone in the family write down one thing they’re thankful for each day and drop it in the jar.

Find a way that will let you keep track of the things you’re thankful for—and make a point to look them over on a regular basis! Maybe you can read your gratitude log at the end of each month. Or you could come together as a family and spend some time reading over the blessings in the gratitude jar at the end of the year.

Making gratitude a habit will not only strengthen your relationship with the Lord, it will also remind you just how blessed you are. And that will set you up for a wonderful new year!

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This article originally appeared on Stewardship.com. Used with permission.

Image courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: January 13, 2017