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Gratitude by Cornelius Plantinga
Published by Baker Books on February 6, 2024
Genres: Religion / Christian Living / Personal Growth, Religion / Christian Living / Spiritual Growth, Religion / Christian Theology / General
Pages: 176
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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"This worthy meditation on an essential state of being uplifts without sugarcoating."--Publishers Weekly

What is gratitude? Where does it come from? Why do we need it? How does it change us?

In Gratitude, award-winning author Cornelius Plantinga explores these questions and more. Celebrating the role of gratitude in our lives, Plantinga makes the case that it is the very key to understanding our relationships with one another, the world around us, and God.

Going deeper than mindfulness and positive psychology, Plantinga explores gratitude in a theologically informed and pastorally sensitive way. He shows that being grateful to God is not only our righteous duty but also the single best predictor of our well-being. Gratitude makes us more faithful, joyful, generous, healthy, and content.

While it's easy to focus on the suffering, fear, and worries that surround us, Plantinga places all of that in the larger context of provision, abundance, and delight, empowering readers to experience the deep joy of giving thanks.

If you want to read a book about gratitude and why it is so important, you need to read Gratitude by Cornelius Plantinga. Not only does it tell you why gratitude is important, but it gives you actionable methods to develop more gratitude in your own life.

Cornelius Plantinga gives multiple examples of what gratitude is, why we should be practicing it, and ways in which we can cultivate it in our lives that will fit in our lives. My favorite is, in essence, fake-it-til-you-make-it – pretending to be grateful because as you do, you’ll find that you truly are.

The examples used in the book also serve as reminders that we may not be quite as grateful for the little things, or things we never think about. How often do you think about the entire chain of people it takes for you to have your favorite coffee from Starbucks, Scooters, Peet’s, or your favorite local coffee house? How often do you thank even just the barista who made your coffee? How often do you give thanks to God for that chain of people? This was an example in the book, but to get the full picture of the example, you’ll have to read the book.

Gratitude by Cornelius Plantinga was so insightful and showed me how much I have to be grateful for. It also showed me that I don’t have to thank God for the same things every single day. I have so much to be grateful for, I can thank Him about something new every day!

I gave this book a solid 5 stars because it is an important reminder that we should be grateful at all times, in all things, in all places.