Every year Churches across the USA are filled with sermons about being thankful, especially around the day of Thanksgiving - and rightfully so.
"Let us come into his presence with THANKSGIVING; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!" (Psalm 95:2 ESV – emphasis mine)
The Hebrew word translated as "thanksgiving" is 'todah' and refers to raising hands in adoration to God during worship songs who wants us to thank Him in worship and praise continually.
"The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:5-7 ESV - emphasis mine)
"...And be THANKFUL. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians:14b-17 ESV – emphasis mine)
The Greek word for "thanksgiving" is 'eucharistia,' and for "thankful' is 'eucharisos.' In context, they both mean to be actively gracious and grateful as an act of worship to God. God implores us constantly to be thankful.
Gratefulness
It is clearly pleasing to God when we are thankful and show it through worship and praise, not just through song, but in everything we do. However, there is a more profound element to thankfulness that will positively affect us and those around us, as it permeates everything we think, do, and say.
"Therefore let us be GRATEFUL for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV – emphasis mine)
The Greek word translated as "grateful" is 'charis' and means the act of giving thanks to God with deep gratitude. It comes from the Greek word 'chairo,' which means "to joy, rejoice, be glad." God wants us to be grateful as a way of life.
Ingratitude has been a human condition that started with Adam and Eve. Neither of them thanked God for His creation. The families of Isaac and Jacob fought over God's blessing rather than thanking Him for it. Israel repeatedly complained rather than thanking God for delivering them and giving them food that supernaturally fell from Heaven.
Thank offerings were initiated because of rampant ingratitude within the people of Israel. The offering was a peace or fellowship offering within the Mosaic covenant intended to express gratitude to the Lord for any deliverance and any act of love (Leviticus 7:11-16; Psalm 107:21-22). The law was based upon gratitude for God's redeeming work. King David appointed Levites to thank God morning and evening in the temple (1 Chronicles 23:30, also 16:4,7-8,34-35,41).
Throughout the book of Psalms, the people were invited to sing songs of thanksgiving as acts of love and worship to glorify God. "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good" is a common exhortation (Psalm 69:30; 95:2; 100:4; 106:1; 118:1; 136:1; 147:7).
In the New Testament, thanksgiving is a motive for living a life of holiness before God, and the underlying attitude towards both blessings and the trials of life, and the central element of all prayer (Matthew 11:25;15:36; 26:27; Mark 8:6; 14:23; Luke 10:21; 22:17,19; John 6:11,23; 11:41; Acts 27:35).
In the book of Revelation, the four living creatures "give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne" (Revelation 4:9); twenty-four elders worship him for he has taken his great power and begun to reign (Revelation 11:17). All the heavenly hosts give thanks to God for His redeeming blood used to purchase those who received Jesus as Lord and Savior (Revelation 5:9-14).
The Born-Again Christian is admonished "in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present their requests to God" (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV). We should be thankful for all things and live daily with gratitude in all circumstances, including suffering, for His saving grace that permeates every element of our life and to offer our bodies to Him as instruments of righteousness (Romans 5:3-5, 6:13, 12:1; Ephesians 5:20; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Hebrews 12:28; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; James 1:1-4; Col 1:12, 3:17). It is thanklessness and ingratitude that distinguishes the godless and wicked people who suppress the truth about God's goodness (Romans 1:18-21; 2 Timothy 3:2)
Gratitude and thankfulness are synonymous with faith and love. They are the natural response to God's goodness and gifts of grace. God is glorified through the thanksgiving of His people. When we infuse everything we do with gratitude and thanksgiving, it becomes an act of worship (Colossians 3:17).
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 your 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.
FACT: IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FEEL DEPRESSED AND GRATEFUL AT THE SAME TIME!
THE BENEFITS OF GRATITUDE
Physical
The Mindfulness Awareness Research Center of UCLA found that gratitude changes the brain's neural structures and makes us feel happier and more content. Feeling grateful and appreciating others when they do something good for us triggers the 'good' hormones and regulates effective functioning of the immune system.**
1. Better Sleep
Studies have shown that receiving and displaying gratitude activates the hypothalamus, which is the part of the brain responsible for regulating bodily functions such as sleep, metabolism, and hunger. A brain filled with gratitude and kindness is more likely to sleep better and wake up feeling refreshed and energetic every morning (Zahn et al., 2009).**
2. Longer Life
3. More Energy
4. More Exercise
Emotional
Gratitude in all forms is associated with happiness. Whether we say 'thank you' to someone or receive the same from others, the feeling it brings is that of pure satisfaction and encouragement. Expressions of gratitude help in building and sustaining long term relationships, dealing with adversities, and bouncing back from them with strength and motivation.**
Gratitude fosters adaptive coping mechanisms. By managing positive emotions like satisfaction, happiness, and pleasure, gratitude enhances our emotional resilience and builds our inner strength to combat stress [Gloria & Steinhardt, 2016].**
1. More Resilience
A cross-sectional study published in the International Journal of Social Psychiatry found a strong positive correlation between gratitude, resilience, and feelings of happiness. The study was conducted on a large adult population sample, and statistical treatment showed that participants who felt more grateful and practiced gratitude journaling were found happier and emotionally stronger than others (McCanlies, Gu, Andrew, & Violanti, 2018).**
2. More Good Feeling
3. Happier Memories
4. More Relaxed
5. Reduces Emotional Stress
Gratitude is a natural antidepressant. When we express gratitude, the brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for emotions. They immediately make a person feel happy from the inside. When we consciously express gratitude every day, it can help our brain's neural pathways strengthen themselves and create a permanent, grateful, and positive attitude within.
By consciously practicing gratitude, we can train the brain to attend selectively to positive emotions and thoughts, thus reducing anxiety and feelings of apprehension. Being grateful and expressing it outwardly, we gain the power to combat and cope with the stress.**
Social Benefits
Gratitude helps to sustain relationships and appreciate people who are there for us. As a result, we will feel more loved, cared for, and hopeful.
1. More Friendly
2. Better Marriage
3. More Respect
4. More Friends
5. Deeper Relationships
Spiritual
Gratitude helps us to see the positive things in life and replaces pessimistic thoughts with optimistic ones so that we stay grounded in Jesus and accept our present situation, even if it is a harsh reality.
1. More Optimistic
2. Less Materialistic
3. Less Self-Centered and more Humility
4. Grow in deeper trust and intimacy with God
In one study published in the journal 'Personality and Individual Differences,' researchers found that people who had consciously counted their blessings for just a week were more likely to trust others.
CONCLUSION
The Source of Nourishment for living in Emotional, Spiritual, and Physical Health
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." (Proverbs 3:5-8 NIV)
Gratitude is the foundation for building and growing trust in God. Trusting-Faith is the source of nourishment for living in health. It requires that a person "lean not on your own understanding." The word "lean" comes from a Hebrew word that is defined as to support oneself, as though they were leaning on something for assistance. The same word is used when Samson leaned on the giant pillars supporting the Philistine temple. It is the idea of putting one's weight on a crutch (See Judges 16:29).
God wants us to lean upon Him and not upon ourselves. We can't do it unless we are right next to Him. Leaning is a progressive state of mind. A person has to recommit their ways to Him continually. It must become the pattern of our life.
The word "understanding" refers to human understanding, intellect, knowledge, talents, logic, experience, reasoning, or perspective. We are commanded to STOP leaning on our "own understanding" because it is the opposite of trust. We can't "trust in the Lord" if we are leaning on our "own understanding." It is impossible!
The way to grow in Trusting-Faith is to "Trust in the LORD with all your heart." The root idea behind the Hebrew word for "trust" is to take refuge or have confidence. This word carries the idea of throwing oneself down, lying on the ground before another, casting all hopes for the present and the future to someone else, and finding shelter and security.
We must learn to practice continually laying down at the feet of Jesus and casting "all" our "cares upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7 NIV). We must give Him all the concerns and cares of our heart (the inner self - the emotions and intellect) that frustrate us. This is not just saying we "trust in the Lord" or acting as though we do; instead, we are to be genuine in that "trust." We must do it with "ALL" our heart.
When a person trusts the Lord with all their heart, they relinquish ownership of those problems. They must still deal with them, but they won't be worried, stressed, or anxious over them because they now belong to Jesus. We must give them to Him because they are actually His problems now!
We must "not be wise" in our "own eyes." Moving in Trusting-Faith means that we must stop trusting in our own reasoning, intellect, education, abilities, talents, experience, etc., and "acknowledge him" in everything we do. The word "acknowledge" is the Hebrew word "yada," which means to know very intimately, just as "Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived" (Genesis 4:1 NIV).
The only viable choice we have to make to live and prosper in health is to turn away from self and turn to Jesus, remembering that He is ever-present, continually loving, caring, and providing all that is needed. When we entirely rely on the Lord to handle any situation, He will make our crooked "paths" straight, and remove any obstacles, as we journey through life. He doesn't promise that life will be easy and without problems. When we learn to trust Him completely:
"This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." (Proverbs 3:8 NIV)
Gratitude to God does not happen overnight. It takes a lifetime of daily practice to master it. Every relevant study shows change occurs slowly. However, it can take just a few months of continuous practice for the most significant benefits of gratitude to appear. Cultivating gratitude is a skill. God gives us 86,400 seconds each day to practice gratitude! Now is the time to begin! Let us give Him thanks with a grateful heart!
**Adapted from "The Neuroscience of Gratitude and How It Affects Anxiety & Grief" by Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury – www.PositivePsychology.com 7/12/2021
