What Gratitude Accomplishes
If there ever was a time in history when there was more uncertainty, more change, and more cause for anxiety, I would say that we’re now encountering it. Add to this the ever-present 24/7 digital feed, it is easy to understand how we could be distracted.
May I suggest that gratitude can be your anchor in this life?
Got Questions has a great online article entitled “What does the Bible say about thankfulness/gratitude?”¹ It highlights two Bible verses among others. The first one
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reads “16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” It is God’s will for me to ‘give thanks in all circumstances’ – why? It’s because for those who have received His full pardon from sin by His death on the cross - He is their Savior. Furthermore, He is in control of their life - meaning they can call Him their Lord. And since He is in control, they can rejoice. He is the Good Shepherd and He has a plan for their life.
Another verse from the above Got Questions article refers to is found in Psalms 136:1 which reads “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” These promises encourage me. He is good. That’s wonderful! His love endures forever. There’s no time limit for His love.
Built-in health benefits of gratitude
- Improved sleep. There are fewer nagging thoughts to weigh you down.
- Better able to serve others. Not dwelling so much on your problems.
- Less anxious. You can be intentional because your life is less frazzled.
- Promotes heart health. A UCLA Health online article points out that “a 2021 review of research also finds that keeping a gratitude journal can cause a significant drop in diastolic blood pressure – the force your heart exerts between beats. Having grateful thoughts, even if you don’t write them down, also helps your heart by slowing and regulating your breathing to synchronize with your heartbeat.”²
The challenge is practicing gratitude amid an uncertain, distraction-prone, anxiety-ridden world.
Author Stephen Covey has written ‘Begin with the end in mind.’³ To this I’ll pose the question, “How do you want to be remembered? What will your legacy be? May I point out a word that has the opposite meaning of gratitude? The word ingratitude has been defined by Merriam-Webster as “forgetfulness of or poor return for kindness received: ungratefulness.”4
If we pay attention to every kindness received in our everyday lives, the list can start adding up quickly. For my loved ones who provide kindness, I always want to show gratitude. I don’t want to be remembered as someone who was ungrateful or minimized the effort my loved ones put forth to show kindness to me. Likewise, others who show kindness to me should also be on my radar, so that I may thank them. There’s a domino effect when I thank someone for kindness. The receiver of my ‘thank you’ feels acknowledged and affirmed. My ‘thank you’ may prompt them to do more kind acts. Therefore, kindness spreads throughout a community. It all started with having a radar up and running. Here’s how it works. Someone notices a kind act someone performed. That person responds with gratitude and communicates that gratitude to the person performing the kind act.
Practical steps
At a stop light while driving, list out in your mind three things to be thankful for.
Practice saying ‘Thank You’ and other terms of endearment to those meaningful people in your life. Don’t let these words be omitted from your conversations with these people.
W. Phillip Keller in his book entitled A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 writes two important points which have made an impact on my life. He writes, “Instead of finding fault in life and always asking “Why?” I am willing to accept every circumstance of life in an attitude of gratitude. We look for someone or something on which to pin the blame for our misfortunes. We are often quick to forget our blessings, slow to forget our misfortunes. But if one really believes his affairs are in God’s hands, every event, no matter whether joyous or tragic, will be taken as part of God’s plan. To know beyond doubt that He does all for our welfare is to be led into a wide area of peace and quietness and strength for every situation.”5
The second point Keller makes in his book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 can help diffuse anxiety and open the door to gratitude. Keller writes that whenever he encounters a problem he uses an audible voice and asks the Lord, “What would you do in this case? or You are here now. You know all the complexities; tell me precisely what is the best procedure at this point.”6 Keller happily reports that the Lord time and time again intervenes and helps Keller with the matter at hand. This can be our resource as well if God is our Savior and Lord.
For gatherings of your family and loved ones, plan for brief times of practicing gratitude. It might be that in addition to collectively saying grace before a meal, whoever is comfortable with sharing something or someone they are thankful for does so audibly.
Keeping a gratitude journal. Reflecting on it regularly.
How our agency can help
Our ‘why’ is “We desire to be a blessing to care recipients and their families.” We select our caregivers based on their ability to quickly develop rapport with others. We’ll help your loved by our actions and words so that your loved one has a full tank of reasons to be grateful for. Call us if we may be of assistance to you. Tel: 805-238-3500.
Conclusion
Practicing intentional gratitude can have so many benefits. It can be an anchor in what may feel like unsettling times. It begins with being keenly aware of when kindness is shown to you. By responding in gratitude you grow as a person and strengthen relationships.
Resources list:
https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-ingratitude.html
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/gratitude-for-wellness
Excerpt from a tract written by Billy Graham (2012) entitled How To Become A Christian. Published by Good News Tracts. Crossway. American Tract Society. Helpful verses from The Holy Bible:
John 3:16
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
Romans 5:8
Ephesians 2:8-9
John 1:12
Romans 10:13
Footnotes:
¹Got Questions.org. What does the Bible say about thankfulness/gratitude? (retrieved 6-19-24) from: https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-thankfulness-gratitude.html
²UCLA Health. (3-22-23) Health Benefits of Gratitude. (Retrieved 6-19-24) from: https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/health-benefits-gratitude
³Covey, Stephen R. (1990) The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People. Franklin Covey Publishers ‘Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind’
4Merriam-Webster online dictionary. The word ‘ingratitude’. From: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ingratitude#:~:text=noun,return%20for%20kindness%20received%20%3A%20ungratefulness
5Keller, W. Phillip (1970, 2007) A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. Zondervan. pgs 93, 94.
6ibid., p 123.
