Is There A Difference Between Thankfulness And Gratitude?

The Bible reveals that the goal of evangelism is to invite all people to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior so that prayers of thanksgiving bringing glory to God will increase (Romans 1:21; 2 Corinthians 4:15).

The Differences between Thankfulness and Gratitude

There are some key differences between thankfulness and gratitude. Being thankful is of utmost importance in the life of the Born-Again Christian. Thankfulness is processed on an intellectual level and is a thought or feeling of being happy in a passing moment for something received or experienced.

Being thankful is the foundation to build gratitude which is more than just the feeling of thankfulness. We need to cultivate feeling thankful and integrate gratefulness into our life. Gratitude is finding happiness without needing to receive something or experience a change that makes you happy.

Gratitude is both an action and constant state of being. Gratefulness is the state of knowing that what we already have is enough and need nothing more. Each time we are grateful, we will find more reasons to feel thankful.

We can express thankfulness through words or actions, but gratitude is more passive and is felt on the spirit/soul level. We can be thankful without being grateful, but we cannot be grateful without being thankful. Gratefulness is where we feel a sense of appreciation from deep within and recognize that the goodness in our life comes from God because He is good all the time!

Being grateful is a deliberate practice that comes from walking in humility before others and realizing that no one is entitled to anything. Everything we receive in life is a blessing. It is about living it out through the simple things done every day. Gratitude is the manifestation of love, devotion, and commitment towards those who mean the most to us. The key is keeping gratitude at the forefront of our life and should be a way of life for every Born-Again Christian. The more we integrate gratitude into our life, the more comfortable it will become, and we will grow in kindness towards others.

Gratitude Improves Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Health

Practicing gratitude can improve physical health, balance our emotions, improve our relationships, and help us grow in greater trust and intimacy with God. The attitude of gratitude reduces cardiac disease, inflammation, and neurodegeneration significantly because it helps in regulating metabolic functioning and the control of hormonal imbalances that help in maintaining good health. Gratitude reduces the level of stress hormones by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.

Worry, anxiety, stress, and depression have a psychological and a neurochemical base which can be improved by gratitude. The effects of stress can disrupt the immune system and body functioning. Practicing gratitude affects the beneficial neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. When these chemicals are released in the brain, negative emotions are kicked to the curb.

Daily journaling can help to fight depression and anxiety. Those who keep gratitude journals consistently report many benefits, including a stronger immune system, lower blood pressure, sleeping longer, being less bothered by aches and pains, and many more benefits. Gratitude makes us feel more gratitude and triggers positive feedback loops that increase this feeling over time.