“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
Gratitude is acknowledging the goodness of God in all situations. It’s very challenging to maintain an attitude of gratitude when difficult things happen. Brain science studies have found that gratitude affects our brain chemicals, and studies show that feeling gratitude activates key regions of our brain, which process feelings of being rewarded. Everyone wants to feel a sense of reward, and gratitude is the key.
The Bible agrees with science on this, because there are hundreds of scriptures in the Old and New Testament, that teach us to be thankful in all circumstances and to enter His courts with praise, which is the will of God for us.
There is a difference in thinking grateful thoughts and speaking those thoughts. Entering His courts with praise, implies using words to show our gratitude to God. It also means speaking to ourselves and to others about the goodness of God. Gratitude is meant to be expressed, and it’s a language that changes all of us for the better. Both science and scripture reveals the same truth, which leads to the conclusion that practicing gratitude is the key to peace of mind and contentment.
Practicing gratitude is even more beneficial than winning the lottery. When I lived in Waukegan, Illinois, in the late 1980’s, I knew a man who actually won $1 million dollars by playing the lottery. I was so happy for him, but his response was surprisingly somber, and he flatly answered, “It’s not enough.”
Wow, his negative response really shocked me. Wealth does not change someone’s brain chemistry, but gratitude does.
Paul tells us to give thanks in all circumstances, in both good times and bad. This scripture is relevant in my life recently since in the past few months, I’ve developed sciatic pain from spinal stenosis. I never had a spine problem until this year. I finished eight weeks of physical therapy, and felt better, but a few months later, my pain worsened. At about the same time, I developed foggy vision in my left eye which was diagnosed as corneal edema. I’ve been healthy my whole life, but lately, I’m walking in pain and seeing through a fog. I now notice other people who appear to be walking in pain. It’s definitely made me more empathetic towards others.
I found that it takes an intentional effort to speak words of gratitude. I am reshaping my thinking and taking control of my words, as I choose gratitude, in order to develop a brain chemistry for a sense of contentment. Our victory will be won by our faith, but to live by faith, we need to practice the language of gratitude.
I found it helps to take my eyes off of my problems and focus on the good things God is doing. I do this by listening to other people’s stories of healing, grace and mercy. It soon reminds me of the grace and mercy I experienced at different stages in my own life. By listening to other people’s stories of miraculous protection, healing or blessing, it brings my own good memories to the surface, and hope rises within like a healing balm.
Jesus healed people 2,000 years ago, and He still does today. There are many testimonies of answered prayers, healing and deliverance on Christian media sources, in radio, internet, TV programs and publications. Jesus told us to ask, seek and knock, so we never give up. We need to live with the healthy balance of gratitude, hope and faith, yet keep that Jesus perspective, by saying, “Thy will be done.”
After a week of eyedrops and practicing the language of gratitude, the corneal swelling is gone, and my eye is getting better. I need to keep practicing the language of gratitude and take whatever the next step is to tackle my spine problem.
My foggy vision seemed like a metaphor, that we are all walking by faith and seeing through a fog, since we don’t have answers to why some things happen in our lives. A day is coming when we will see everything clearly. We will see every good thing that God was doing all along, behind the scenes, for our eternal benefit.
We can trust in His love, and pray like Peter in Acts 4:30, “Stretch forth your hand to heal, with signs and wonders, done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
With words of thankfulness, we show God that we trust Him. We trust in what He is doing, that we cannot see. We trust that He promised to never leave us, and we trust that He has new mercies and blessings for us tomorrow.
This is the language of gratitude, which God wants us to speak in all circumstances, which will transform the chemistry of our brain, and produce the peace that is beyond human understanding, sealed by our faith.
Lord, we praise you and ask that you help us to be thankful in all situations, to practice the language of gratitude through our words, which not only pleases you, but gives us peace through our faith. Amen
