There’s a battle that wages within each of us every morning, a quiet war between two opposing forces that will ultimately determine the trajectory of our day, and perhaps our entire life. On one side stands envy, with its sharp comparisons and bitter whispers. On the other, gratitude rises like the dawn, offering a different way to see.
I used to lose this battle more often than I’d care to admit.
The Corrosive Power of Resentment
Ten years ago, I discovered something that Jordan Peterson and Douglas Murray more recently discussed in a conversation that stopped me in my tracks. Murray, author of “The War on the West,” spoke of gratitude not merely as a nice sentiment, but as a moral virtue, the only true antidote to resentment’s corrosive power. He reflected on Roger Scruton’s final writings, sharing how Scruton approached his own death by framing life’s meaning through gratitude. Even facing mortality, gratitude was his compass.
This struck me because I recognized myself in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s haunting insight: “the devil is incapable of gratitude.” How many mornings had I awakened consumed with what others possessed that I lacked? How often had I allowed resentment to whisper its seductive lies, that my struggles were everyone else’s fault, that the world owed me more than it had given?
Resentment, I learned, is the great self-exonerator. It relieves us of personal responsibility by placing blame squarely on others. But this relief comes at a devastating cost: it robs us of our power to change, to grow, to become who we’re meant to be.
A Personal Reckoning
The truth hit me during a particularly dark season. I was caught in endless comparisons, measuring my career against colleagues, my possessions against neighbors, my achievements against the carefully curated highlight reels of social media. The Apostle Paul’s words in Philippians 4:11 haunted me: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Learned? This wasn’t automatic for Paul either. It was a discipline, a practice, a daily choice.
That’s when I began to understand what Murray meant about gratitude requiring courage. It takes genuine bravery to look at your life, the disappointments, the unmet expectations, the genuine hardships, and choose thankfulness anyway. It’s not denial; it’s a deliberate decision to see value amid imperfection.
The 40-Day Transformation
I decided to commit to a simple but profound practice. Every morning for forty days, I would begin by asking myself: “What am I grateful for today?” Following the example of those who’ve walked this path before me, I wrote down whatever came to mind, no matter how small, how obvious, or how difficult it felt to acknowledge.
The first week was hard. My mind, trained in the art of comparison and complaint, resisted. But gradually, something shifted. On day ten, I found myself grateful for a difficult colleague who was teaching me patience. By week three, I was thanking God for financial pressures that were forcing me to trust Him more deeply.
Romans 8:28 (my #1 favorite verse in the Bible) began to take on new meaning: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” The “all things” started to include even the painful moments, the setbacks, the closed doors that I had previously resented.
The Spiritual Foundation
What I discovered through this practice was something King David knew well: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1). Gratitude isn’t just a psychological trick or a positive thinking exercise. It’s a spiritual discipline that aligns our hearts with truth. When we choose gratitude, we acknowledge that every breath, every blessing, every opportunity comes from a loving Creator who sees the bigger picture.
This shift from envy to gratitude transformed not just my mornings, but my entire perspective. Instead of being consumed by what others had achieved, I began celebrating their victories. Instead of resenting my circumstances, I started seeing them as soil for growth. The Apostle James’s words came alive: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3).
A Daily Practice of Courage
Now, ten years later, after I make my first cup of coffee, I still begin each day with, “What am I grateful for today?”. It’s become more than a habit. It’s a spiritual discipline that grounds me in truth rather than perception, in abundance rather than scarcity, in trust rather than anxiety.
Some mornings, the gratitude flows easily: family, health, meaningful work, the simple pleasure of morning coffee. On other days, I have to dig deeper, finding thankfulness for the challenges that are shaping my character, for people who are teaching me hard lessons, and for doors that closed to redirect me toward better paths.
This practice has taught me what Murray and Peterson understood: gratitude is not passive acceptance but active courage. It’s the choice to see goodness even when circumstances feel overwhelming. It’s the decision to trust that our stories are still being written, that meaning can emerge from suffering, and that every chapter, even the difficult ones, serves a purpose.
The Invitation
If you find yourself caught in the comparison trap, if resentment has taken root in your heart, if envy whispers lies about your worth and others’ success, I invite you into this practice. Start tomorrow morning with that simple question: “What am I grateful for today?”
Write it down. Be specific. Include the difficult things that are teaching you something valuable. Thank God not just for the gifts, but for the Giver. Thank Him not just for the easy seasons, but for His presence in the hard ones.
Forty days might seem like a long time, but transformation rarely happens overnight. As Proverbs 4:23 reminds us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Gratitude is how we guard our hearts against bitterness, comparison, and the corrosive power of resentment.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. More than that, you have a loving Father who delights in your recognition of His goodness, who transforms hearts willing to be grateful, and who works all things together for good.
The battle between envy and gratitude continues each morning. But now I know the secret: gratitude doesn’t just win the battle, it transforms the warrior.
MindWolves 