Devotional: Gratitude
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
— 1 Thessalonians 5:18
There have been studies on the impact thankfulness has on mental health. For example, gratitude enhances dopamine and serotonin production (which are responsible for happiness) and reduces fear and anxiety by regulating stress hormones (click here to read more from Research.com). Therefore, it shouldn’t be surprising that the God of the universe, the One who created us, tells us to always be thankful. He designed us to be grateful. Even atheists will express gratitude “to the universe” when something works in their favor. Never once does God say, “Complain about your circumstances.” God wants what’s best for us and He knows that gratitude can actually change our brain pathways and outlook in life.
When I was 16, I went on a mission trip to the Philippines. We visited communities that lived IN the city landfill and communities where they lived in make-shift homes on stilts above dirty, contaminated water. What I noticed, though, was the joy that these people had– particularly the children. To them, happiness wasn’t linked to the haves and have nots. They existed, played, and found joy with what they had.
First-world country dwellers, like you and me, are conditioned to link our happiness to the idea of “more” or “better,” especially when access to materialistic items is one website-click away. With our Christ-like mindset, we try to fight against that worldly propaganda, but it can be a challenge since it is constantly pushed on us– TV, billboards, social media, radio.
God’s way is the opposite of the world’s ways. Less is more. Being content with what we have teaches us to depend on God, not on the world. God wants us to be thankful for everything so that we can realize how much He does bless us. Additionally, He wants us to be at peace and to have rest, even when things don’t go how we want them to.
How can we be thankful in every circumstance?
The easiest way to be thankful in all circumstances is to recognize all the blessings that God has given to you. It might take a few minutes of reflection and to put your life in perspective, but I can guarantee you that as you start writing down things, it will almost seem like it will never end.
It’s one thing, however, to find gratitude for the good things and the favorable circumstances. So, how do we find thankfulness when circumstances are not great or favorable?
Human nature is inclined to be defensive at this idea:
“I should be thankful that my dad died from cancer?!”
“I should be thankful that my husband lost his job?!”
“I should be thankful that I had a miscarriage?!”
God isn’t spitefully saying, “Be thankful that your dad passed away.”
What He is saying is to “Find the reasons to be thankful that your dad lived. Be thankful that God will work all things together for good. Set your perspective on the eternal, not the temporal.”
Being grateful doesn’t mean that we have to act like our feelings don’t exist or that we aren’t allowed to feel them. Ecclesiastes 3 says that “there is a time for everything...a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…” Even the shortest verse in the Bible says, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). There is a time for mourning and grief and tears.
What gratitude does, though, is begin the healing process and shift our perspective from anger, frustration, or sadness to peace.
There was a Christian woman named Corrie ten Boom and her sister, Betsie, who hid Jews in their home during World War II. They eventually got caught and were both assigned to a concentration camp. Corrie survived and wrote a memoir; in it, she wrote about the circumstances of their living area which was infested with fleas. They had a Bible and read the section in 1 Thessalonians and started listing all the things to be grateful for. Betsie thanked God for the fleas, but Corrie scoffed at that idea. As the days went on, they noticed that the guards never entered into their barrack; resultantly, they were able to gather with the women to fellowship and read the Bible without being afraid. Betsie made the connection— the fleas kept the guards away, giving them this freedom. There really was a reason to be grateful for them.
All in all, God wants us to have the proper perspective about our situations and the way to do that is to be thankful! Even if you find yourself in the darkest place of your life, there is always one thing that you can always fall back on in gratitude: your salvation through Jesus and the sacrifice He made for you.
Here are several more Scriptures about being thankful:
Colossians 3:17 – “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.”
Philippians 4:6 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Psalm 107:1 – “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”
Ephesians 5:20 — “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
Colossians 2:6-7 — “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”
Take a moment: Find at least one “bothersome/negative” thing in your life and ask God to show you why and how you can be grateful for it.
Being thankful in ALL circumstances, not just the good ones, is what it means to live by faith.
-Alina