Noticing Blessings: Overcoming Negativity and Entitlement

About this episode

David Jackson discusses the importance of gratitude and how to overcome negativity and entitlement, especially during Thanksgiving.

As I record this, it's the week of Thanksgiving, so I wanted to take some time to talk about why giving thanks is so important—not just spiritually (it's biblical!), but also physically and mentally. If you're feeling like there’s nothing to be thankful for, maybe you’re just not looking in the right places. I dive into 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and talk about how giving thanks applies to all circumstances, not just when we feel like it. I discuss how our brains are naturally wired for negativity and how envy, comparison, pride, and resentment can get in the way of gratitude. It takes practice to be grateful! I reflect on everyday things we overlook, like having the internet at our fingertips, a warm furnace, a roof over our heads, food choices, and even our freedom to worship. I share a nostalgic story about the excitement of getting a new album growing up, and how music has changed with the advent of streaming—it’s so easy to take these things for granted. There's also a lesson from Luke 17 about the 10 men with leprosy and how only one returned to thank Jesus. It makes me wonder: Are we sometimes taking God for granted because He’s always there? I also talk about the physical and…

People in this episode

Host: David Jackson

Topics covered

• gratitude
• thanksgiving
• mental health
• spirituality
• negativity
• entitlement

Keywords

• gratitude
• thanksgiving
• mental health
• negativity
• entitlement
• 1 Thessalonians
• Luke 17
• Tim Tebow
• John 3:16

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Luke 17, John 3:16

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