You Should Be Grateful Because:
Culture Tells us to be Grateful
This weekend concluded the thanksgiving season and we sat around our table and talked about all the things that we, as a family are thankful for. We often can be forgetful of that which we need to be grateful for. This time of year we need to pause and realign ourselves with reality.
Science tells us to be Grateful
Dr. Michael McCollough, of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and Dr. Robert Emmons, of the University of California at Davis, say their initial scientific study indicates that gratitude plays a significant role in a person’s sense of well-being.
Scripture tells us to be Grateful
Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Being grateful or thankful is important for some reason so let’s take a moment and examine it and its origins a bit more carefully and see what it takes to incorporate this attitude of gratitude into our lifestyle.
Gratitude is...
Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. -Cicero:
Definition of Gratitude
Main Entry: grate•ful : adjective meaning to be appreciative of benefits received
Gratitude is when the Benefited acknowledge their Benefits.
First we Must recognize that we have been Greatly benefited by God.
Psalm 103:2 My soul, praise the LORD, and do not forget all His benefits.
Here is a short List:
Clear Conscience Romans 8:1
Life and Peace Romans 8:6
Help with Weakness Romans 8:26
Freedom John 8:32,36
Purpose Romans 8:28
Confidence Romans 8:31
Security Romans 8:39
Power and Strength Philippians 4:13
Fulfillment Philippians 4:9
When we acknowledge the benefits of God to God it creates a Cycle… here are some basic ways we react to a thankful attitude.
Bring Physical and mental Health
Dr. Michael McCollough, of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and Dr. Robert Emmons, of the University of California at Davis, say their initial scientific study indicates that gratitude plays a significant role in a person’s sense of well-being.
The results of the study indicated that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of...
alertness,
enthusiasm,
determination,
optimism
and energy.
Additionally, the gratitude group experienced
less depression and stress,
was more likely to help others,
exercised more regularly and
made more progress toward personal goals.
According to the findings, people who feel grateful are also
more likely to feel loved.
McCollough and Emmons also noted that gratitude encouraged a
positive cycle of reciprocal kindness among people since one act of gratitude encourages another.
It is a cure for various sickness
Studies show physical benefits to having a good outlook on life. Less likely to get the flu.
A recent study carried out by researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University found that people who are happy, cheerful, lively and exhibit positive feelings on a regular basis have fewer chances of catching a cold and, even when they get sick, they have milder symptoms of the disorder. Also, the findings of the research showed that optimist people are less likely to be under the weather independent of other factors such age, body-mass, gender, race, education etc.
SO it should be obvious to us by now that we are geared to respond to positive attitudes with health and that health is encouraged by a grateful disposition!!!
Melodie Beattie:
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.
What To do to be a person of Gratitude?
Refresh your eyes
What you see will either encourage you or make you grateful.
Psalm 101:3
I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.
Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Refresh your words
What are you talking about and who are you talking to?
Are you spending time discussing the latest soap or reality show? Are you stewing over the elections or the political climate in the world? Are you talking about?
Word have power!!
Proverbs 16:24
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Proverbs 12:18
Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Refresh your ears
What you listen to matters
Proverbs 23:12
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
Jesus was fond of a little saying
Matthew 13:9
He who has ears, let him hear."
If we are to find thankfulness in our lives it will come from a willingness to open up our ears to the word of God and accept that it can help us as God promises.
But we are so like the ones written in the prophecy.
Zechariah 7:11
"But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears.
We need to refresh our ears.
Refresh your hands
For us we are dependant on our hands to manipulate the world in which we live. In the culture of the bible, as in ours, the hands are seen as a means to create or destroy.
For Example.
Proverbs 10:4
Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
Hands are also used to make evil or represent Good.
Isaiah 2:8
Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.
How can we properly use our hands in a grateful way?
Psalm 28:2
Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
Psalm 63:4
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
Getting Into Gratitude...
Feeling a little overwhelmed?
But I cannot overcome this alone!
The plague of despair will not go away if you withdraw into a solitude
Two Things you need...
The Power of the Holy Spirit
Remember how I told you to set you hand’s? Open and empty before God.. You are not able to do this alone. You need to reach out to him with empty hands and tell him you are helpless and need him.
The Power of the Church of God
Psalm 95:2
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Called to peace means that you need to be in a place to wo work toward it.
Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Conclusion
Col 2:6-7
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Now what will you do with this?
This Requires Action!
How Do I do it? Through the Power of a personal relationship with him.
God Wants A Personal Relationship with You..
