The Power of Gratitude: Cultivating a Thankful Heart as a Working Mom

Do You Struggle to Feel Grateful in Motherhood?

Do you ever feel like you’re only seeing what’s wrong in your life? Are stress, exhaustion, and endless responsibilities making gratitude feel impossible?

I get it.

As a mom of two older teenagers, I remember how hard it was to be grateful during the tween years. The constant demands, the attitudes that needed a "check," and the frustration of simple household chores being ignored. Some days, it felt like my patience was running on fumes.

Maybe you feel this too.

✔ You’re overwhelmed trying to balance work and family.
✔ You struggle to appreciate your husband and children because frustration clouds your vision.
✔ You’ve let stress and comparison steal your joy.

If you’re nodding along, you’re not alone.

But here’s the truth: True gratitude shifts our focus from life's imperfections to the steadfastness of God's character and His work in our lives.

📖 Matthew 11:28 – "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

God calls moms like you to rest in His grace, not in perfect circumstances.

Shift Your Perspective: Looking at Who God Is, Not What’s Wrong

For years, I had a bad habit of finding fault—with my husband, my kids, and my life. I saw what wasn’t done, what went wrong, and what felt unfair.

But one day, a godly woman gave me life-changing advice:

👉 "Gratitude isn’t about ignoring what’s wrong—it’s about focusing on what’s already right."

She encouraged me to start reading a Psalm every morning—not just as a daily task, but as a way to realign my heart with God’s truth.

And something changed.

The more I read, the more I realized that David—the man after God’s own heart—was brutally honest about his struggles. He didn’t ignore his problems, but he always turned his complaints into praise.

📖 Philippians 4:6 – "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

🔹 Key Truth: God’s Word is the ultimate gratitude journal.

Even the Apostle Paul—who was beaten, imprisoned, and shipwrecked—chose gratitude in every situation (Acts 16:25). If he could praise God in a prison cell, surely I could choose to thank God even in my chaotic home.

Choosing to be grateful is an intentional decision we make daily.

When we shift our focus from what’s missing to who God is, our entire perspective changes.

4 Practical Ways to Cultivate Gratitude Daily

Cultivating gratitude involves developing it into a regular practice, transforming it from a mere thought into a way of life.

1. Start Your Day in God’s Word

💡 Action Step: Read one Psalm of thanksgiving every morning.

Mornings are busy, but spending just five minutes in Scripture can reset your attitude for the day.

📖 Psalm 118:24 – "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

🔹 Why It Works: When you start with gratitude, everything else in your day shifts.

2. Speak Life Over Your Marriage

💡 Action Step: Choose three things to verbally appreciate about your husband every day.

It’s easy to notice his flaws—but what if you intentionally spoke life instead?

📖 Ephesians 4:29 – "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying..."

🔹 Why It Works: When we express gratitude instead of criticism, we strengthen our marriage and soften our hearts.

✅ Example:

• "Thank you for working hard for our family."
• "I appreciate how you helped with the kids last night."
• "I’m grateful for your patience with me."

"It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than to complain about what is not given. One or the other becomes a habit of life." – Elisabeth Elliot

3. Teach Gratitude to Your Kids

💡 Action Step: Have family gratitude moments before bedtime.

Middle schoolers can be moody and independent, but they still learn by watching you.

📖 Colossians 3:15 – "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts... and be ye thankful."

🔹 Why It Works: Teaching kids to focus on blessings creates spiritually grounded teens.

✅ Family Gratitude Ideas:

• "Highs & Lows" Game – Each family member shares one high (blessing) and one low (challenge) from their day.
• Prayer of Thanksgiving – Have your child pray, thanking God for three things before bed.
• Gratitude Jar – Write down blessings throughout the week and read them together on Sunday nights.

"The most powerful (and perhaps most difficult) way to teach gratitude to our children is by our example." – Melissa B. Kruger

4. Journal God’s Faithfulness

💡 Action Step: Write down answered prayers, daily blessings, and Scripture promises.

Keeping a gratitude journal is a simple yet powerful way to remember God’s faithfulness.

📖 Lamentations 3:22-23 – "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed... they are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

🔹 Why It Works: Writing gratitude reinforces God’s presence in your daily life.

✅ Gratitude Journal Ideas:

• Write one blessing per day.
• Record answered prayers—big or small.
• Jot down a Bible verse that speaks to you.

“Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make.” – A.W. Tozer

The Power of Gratitude: A Heart Transformed

Embracing gratitude means relying on God's benevolence, especially during life's toughest moments.

📖 Psalm 100:4 – "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."

✔ When I focused on my husband’s flaws, I felt distant. When I chose to be grateful, our marriage changed.
✔ When I saw my kids as exhausting, I felt drained. When I thanked God for them, I felt blessed.

Choosing gratitude draws us closer to God and to those we love.

Take Action: Start Your Gratitude Journey Today

✔ Read a Psalm daily.
✔ Verbally express gratitude in your home.
✔ Write down 3 things you're grateful for each night.

📖 2 Corinthians 9:11 – "Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God."

🙌 Final Encouragement: Gratitude isn’t about waiting for life to get easier—it’s about recognizing that Christ has already given us victory.

Let’s start today.

Quote References:
Elisabeth Elliot, A Lamp for My Feet
Melissa B. Kruger, Helping Our Children Grow in Gratefulness
A. W. Tozer, A. W. Tozer on Thanksgiving