Did you know that having an attitude of gratitude improves your mental and physical health? It does and stats prove it. Statistics show that when you express gratitude and are thankful you are happier, have higher self-esteem, and have stronger friends among many positives.
While 2021 has been an interesting year for us all, at least we can all be thankful that this year was better than 2020. At least it has been so far! So, what can you be thankful for this year? What are the blessings that God has provided you with? For me, I am thankful that for a variety of things. Here are some of what I am thankful for is...
- There is a sense of normalcy in life again. Life is not normal. It never was and never will be again. But, 2020 was life changing, to say the least. However, we began to figure things our more in 2021. What will the future hold in 2022 and beyond? No one knows for sure, but at this time last year, things were a lot more uncertain and for that, I am grateful for a return to a little normalcy.
- Online Ministry is still happening. Most, if not all, Churches had a period of shut down to in person services last year. That made online ministry a necessity. Now, as most, if not all, Churches are fully operational in-person gatherings again, there could be a tendency for Churches to stop doing online ministry. While some have done this unfortunately, the great news is that more and more Churches are investing in online ministry and that is always great.
- People are learning how to be phygital in ministry. Churches are combining in-person gatherings with digital and online experiences more and more. It's not one way or another. It's a both/and. I am grateful for people like Jeff Reed and other who are really pushing the envelope of what it means to have a phygital ministry.
- Online Ministry Leaders who encourage and support. The online ministry community is so encouraging and supportive of each other. I have never met a person doing digital or online ministry who has not had a servant's heart and encouraged people when they were looking for help or had questions. This community is great and I would encourage you to get connect with groups of people (like the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group).
- The best Online Ministry is still to come. We have learned so much about online and phygital ministry over the past 2 years. We are still so new at this. I can't wait to see what online ministry looks like in 5-10 years. I can only imagine how many more people will be discovering Christ and connecting in community online than they are currently. It's an exciting time.
Life is never going to be perfect, but God is so good. He had demonstrated it all throughout history and is still working today. And, for that, I am grateful in 2021. As you think through what you are thankful for, choose to embrace a spirit of thanksgiving beyond the month of November. As the stats highlighted from above show, the more grateful and thankful we are, the better it is for our mental health and well-being. Let's embrace this attitude and thank God for His blessings.
What do you think? What are you thankful for? Share your ideas below or on social media.
Also, if you are interested in being a Digital Missionary or want to learn digital tools to expand your reach in ministry this year, join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group!
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