Bible Verse: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 17:22
In a March 2023 article by UCLA Health, it was noted that “…practising gratitude – 15 minutes a day, five days a week – for at least six weeks can enhance mental wellness and possibly promote a lasting change in perspective. Gratitude and its mental health benefits can also positively affect your physical health.”[1]
They highlight five areas where thankfulness has been shown to have positive effects: reducing depression, lessening anxiety, supporting heart health, relieving stress, and improving sleep.
This is no surprise to the Creator of our minds and bodies. God made us to be thankful beings. And He gave us many, many reasons to be thankful.
Scripture is replete with directives for us to be thankful people (and it never needed a university endorsement to be so).
So, this week of devotionals is a “health” week. It is a week intended to make you feel better by the end of it if you will take it to heart.
We will examine six things about thankfulness that reveal God’s heart and intentions for us. I will be using the word THANKS as an acronym to highlight these six characteristics:
The T in THANKS reminds us that gratitude is Telling the Truth.
The H in THANKS reminds us that gratitude is Honouring to God.
The A in THANKS reminds us that gratitude is an Act of obedience.
The N in THANKS reminds us that gratitude is a Negativity killer.
The K in THANKS reminds us that gratitude Kindles relationships.
The S in THANKS reminds us that gratitude Spurs generosity.
As we dive in, choose this week to err on the side of thankfulness. Thank God. Thank your spouse. Thank your kids. Thank your boss or employees. Be a thankful person in any and every way you can.
Prayer: Lord, you know me better than anyone else. You know the best way for me to live. I agree with You that one of the best ways I can live is to be thankful. So, as I begin this week, I choose to be thankful. Remind me over and over again of all the ways that I can insert a thankful attitude into every situation. I begin right now by thanking You for Your incredible love that You have so graciously shown me. I don’t deserve it, but I receive it wholeheartedly. Amen.
Reflection: Would you describe yourself as a thankful person? Or are you more prone to be critical? Who do you need to express thankfulness to today?
[1] https://www.uclahealth.org/news/health-benefits-gratitude
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