Genuine Gratitude
It’s finally fall, and we get to go in our closets, find our sweaters, make soup, and drink hot tea. This month is filled with sweet memories, traditions, and opportunities to step deeper into gratitude. We are not ignoring our grief and what we no longer have. We are taking time to consider what we still have.
From a neuroscientific perspective, gratitude activates key regions of the brain. The neuroscience of gratitude is showing that it can impact relationships, resilience, and mental and physical health. The other benefit of gratitude is how it alters our thinking. I love this quote, “No amount of regret changes the past, no amount of anxiety changes the future, but any amount of gratitude changes the present.”
“Giving thanks” appears anywhere from 85 to 128 times in the Bible. Most of the phrases to give thanks are found in the book of Psalms. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul writes about giving thanks 49 times.
Paul mentions giving thanks for His Readers nine times:
• Romans 1:8 – "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you…"
• 1 Corinthians 1:4 – "I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you..."
• Ephesians 1:15–16 – "I have heard of your faith... and I do not cease to give thanks for you..."
• Philippians 1:3 – "I thank my God every time I remember you."
• Colossians 1:3 – "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you..."
• 1 Thessalonians 1:2 – "We always thank God for all of you..."
• 2 Thessalonians 1:3 – "We ought always to thank God for you, brothers..."
• 2 Timothy 1:3 – "I thank God... as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayer
• Philemon 4 – "I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers...
Paul gave thanks to God for those people God had entrusted to him, to encourage and pray for. It appears to be a part of each letter he wrote. Paul’s gratitude was genuine. All these verses, Paul is emphasizing doing it over and over again; Always, day and night, and without ceasing
A lifestyle of gratitude is where we are consciously in a posture of giving thanks, not just once in a while, but a daily, regular, consistent, repeated practice of thanking God.
A genuine expression of gratitude is when we tell the Lord how thankful we are for the blessings He’s placed in our lives; for the people, family, and friends; for His provision, protection, and answers to prayers. And for His comfort and peace in the midst of our grief.
What can you be genuinely grateful for today?
Who are the people in your life God has placed to encourage you?