The Transforming Power of a Grateful Heart

Scriptures: John 15:11, Romans 15:13, Galatians 5:22-23, Proverbs 17:22

So, Where Did My Joy Go? 

Most people are confused with the distinction between joy and happiness. The difference is substantial. Often, we move through our days performing one tedious task after another—washing clothes, cooking dinner, catering to a demanding boss, without much joy or happiness. Most people seek happiness as a life goal. The truth is the Bible never promises happiness; however, it does promise joy. It even says our joy may be full or complete . . . a better goal. 

Happiness is an emotion based upon “happenings.” It’s easy to be happy when things are going well . . . when you have freedom from suffering, financial security, and all your relationships are good. But when you have trouble with one or more of these areas in life, what happens to your “happiness?” It’s probably gone. And you feel sad. 

On the other hand, joy is a stronger, deeper, yet less common feeling than happiness. It is not dependent on circumstances. It is rooted in who God is. It is birthed out of relationship with God, and subsequently, others. His joy supernaturally sustains our souls in seasons of heartache, injustice, and sorrow. Enduring the valleys of life is nearly impossible without the life-giving fuel of joy in Christ.

Pastor Rick Warren is quoted as saying “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” Let’s settle our hearts in this assurance and hope.

Joy can also be a by-product grounded in the idea of doing something good for someone. We have joy when—even in our suffering—we are acting for the benefit of someone else’s well-being. If you have ever selflessly given of yourself or your possessions, you are certainly familiar with this feeling of joy.

So, what motivates us in life. Is it success? Happiness? Or lasting joy? If all of our efforts are focused on trying to be happy, we are missing the point. But if our purpose is to have joy in a fulfilling life, then we have to commit to and trust the Lord and love one another in a way that seeks something better than simply personal self-satisfaction. 

What are you doing in your world that is causing you joy? Are you connecting with God and others through relationship and service? Do something good for someone else, and see how you feel. This is joy. Paul tells us that if we walk in the ways of God that joy is a resulting fruit of the Spirit. So also is love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control 

Having joy includes feeling happy. But being happy doesn’t always include joy. In its fuller spiritual form, joy involves living from God’s goodness and expressing God’s goodness to others. May the joy of the Lord be your strength as a joyful heart is good medicine for your soul. It is key to a grateful life.

Ponder:

Ponder the difference between your happiness based on happenings and your joy based on an inexhaustible relationship with Your heavenly Father. Tether your heart to His gift of joy.

Prayer:

Lord, help me recognize the difference between worldly happiness and Your gift of deep abiding joy. Continue to develop this fruit of Your Spirit within me.

Scriptures: John 10:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 5:20, 1 Chronicles 16:8, Psalms 136:1-3

My Journal of Gratitude

Depression and anxiety are suffocating emotions. During a particularly difficult season in my life, I fought back the onslaught of both. To name a few of the issues: my teens were lying, my parents were dying, we were dog broke, and I was dealing with too many menopausal issues to count. I was spinning plates as fast as I could, and yet there was no peace on the horizon. Life felt extremely heavy! The burdens I carried were weighing me down into a miserable pit. But as a Christian, I even piled shame on myself for feeling this way. Wasn’t I supposed to be living an abundant life? BUT GOD! He graciously intervened. 

During that particularly difficult season, I read the book 1000 Gifts by Anne Voskamp. Desperately needing some oxygen for living, and inspired by Anne’s story, I started journaling everything that I could possibly be grateful for. I asked God to open my eyes to even the smallest gift . . . like a knuckle to help wrap my finger around my coffee cup, like heating and air conditioning, like toilet paper, like fresh air. This daily exercise didn’t lift me out of my pit immediately, but it started a rich journey toward a new type of wholeness—a wholeness birthed through the lens of a grateful heart. As I continue to diligently open my eyes and my heart to all the gifts in my life, I began to recognize them everywhere. It was like there was a whole new world to appreciate that I hadn’t taken the time to see or made the choice to notice.

Across weeks of writing down and” naming” these gifts, a light-heartedness developed even amidst the trials of each day. My grateful heart slowly pushed out the weightiness of my days. I began to realize that a grateful heart and an anxious heart could not simultaneously reside in the same person at the same time. It was either anxiety or gratitude taking up the space of my heart.  I became excited to venture into each new day with new eyes to see new gifts. Depression gave way to a gratitude, and gratitude became my best antidepressant. Not just a “one and done” type gratitude, but a consistent diligent gratitude that almost refused to be sucked back into that pit of despair again. My life was too precious to live that way. 

I flew through 1,000 gifts within months and decided that this was a new way of life. A grateful heart had transformed my days. Even more exciting, my grateful heart began to permeate my home and my family. So many things began to change when I changed my heart. This is a battle ground worth fighting on. I celebrated this new life-giving habit. I found that there is transforming power in a grateful heart. 

Ponder:

Ponder the tension between your gratitude and depression, between joy and sadness. How can you make deliberate choices to open your eyes and journal all the gifts you have been given?

Prayer:

Lord, help me constantly and daily choose to see Your gifts everywhere. Open my eyes to gratitude and the choice to give You thanks in all things.

Scriptures: Colossians 3:17, Philippians 4:6, Psalms 107:1, Colossians 2:7

Developing a New Habit

Whatever we do repetitively, whether that’s biting our nails or making time to exercise, slowly becomes a habit. In fact, 90% of our thoughts are repetitive, so they really become a strong habit. We have to think about the things that we think about! The thoughts on the feedback loop in our mind often come out in our words. Trash in always leads to trash out. If we think about all the junk in our lives, then complaints are likely to come out of our mouths. If we think about all the things that we are grateful for then gratitude for life will be evident. 

Gratitude is a fierce weapon! It turns out that gratitude is highly correlated with well-being and life satisfaction. My new habit of recording gratitude, across time, was deeply impactful to my heart and my family. I decided that I never wanted to stop giving thanks. This was a new intimate life-giving personal habit that I could actually be in charge of myself. No one was responsible for my new habit of gratitude but me. This new habit was producing a change in my heart and my home. 

Our enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy our joy. Gratitude is a weapon against the enemy of our souls. Since life is hard, cultivating a grateful heart isn’t always an easy task, but it is well worth the effort. Our enemy wants us to give in and give up, sinking into hopelessness, depression, and despair. But if we keep noticing the good and if we keep looking toward our divine Redeemer, then our hope will never be consumed by hopelessness. Our commitment and diligence to be grateful is a life-time game changer. 

A heart becomes even more grateful when it experiences the significant love of Christ and His redeeming work in our lives. As the intimacy of our relationship with God grows, so grows our gratitude. Each day is a gift for greater glory at hand. The intertwining of relationship with God and gratitude is real.

The Bible tells us to give thanks in ALL things for this is the will of God for us. Really, ALL things? It helped me to realize that the Bible didn’t say FOR all things but IN all things. This is a reflection of our child-like and confident trust in the Trustworthy ONE. When I choose to give thanks in all things, I choose to release the reins of my control and surrender it to the One who loves me most. 

Develop the habit of having a grateful heart. Wield this weapon against your enemy. It will be a game-changer for your days.

Ponder:

Ponder your thoughts and the daily activity of your heart. Is gratitude a mental habit? How can you develop a more grateful heart?

Prayer:

Oh Lord I want to give thanks in all things. Help me develop the new habit of a grateful heart. Help me build new mental pathways of grateful thinking.

Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 4:15, Colossians 3:15, 1 Chronicles 16:34, Psalms 69:30, James 1:17

The Impact of Gratitude

Did you know that there is actually cognitive science behind the impact of gratitude? Most of us intuitively recognize that it is good to stop and smell the roses every once in a while, acknowledging all that we could be grateful for. But gratitude really changes the brain and body for the better! But did you also know that gratitude has a direct correlation to success? Gratitude affects our bodies biologically. It increases our longevity, our ability to use our imagination, and our ability to solve problems.

“Dr. Caroline Leaf is a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist with a Masters and Ph.D. in Communication Pathology and a BSc Logopaedics, specializing in cognitive and metacognitive neuropsychology. Since the early 1980s she has researched the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health, and the formation of memory. She was one of the first in her field to study how the brain can change (neuroplasticity) with directed mind input.”

Dr. Leaf, along with other professionals, has recognized the impact of gratitude on our brain. If we think differently, we can live differently. The benefits of gratitude on our hearts is astounding. Here are a few scientifically proven benefits of gratitude:

1.  Gratitude opens the door to more relationships. Not only does saying “thank you” constitute good manners but showing appreciation can help you win new friends (according to a 2014 study published in Emotion.) 

2.  Gratitude improves physical health. Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and report feeling healthier than other people (according to a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences.) 

3.  Gratitude improves psychological health. Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Robert Emmons, a leading gratitude researcher, confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.

4.  Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression. Grateful people are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, even when others behave less kindly, according to a 2012 study by the University of Kentucky. 

5.  Grateful people sleep better. Writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep, according to a 2011 study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. 

6.  Gratitude improves self-esteem.  Studies have shown that gratitude reduces social comparisons. Rather than becoming resentful toward people who have more money or better jobs—a major factor in reduced self-esteem—grateful people are able to appreciate other people’s accomplishments. 

7.  For years, research has shown gratitude not only reduces stress, but it may also play a major role in overcoming trauma. Recognizing all that you have to be thankful for—even during the worst times—fosters resilience.

We all have the ability and opportunity to cultivate gratitude. Rather than complain about the things you think you deserve, take a few moments to focus on all that you have. Research proves that developing an “attitude of gratitude” is one of the biggest game-changers to improve your satisfaction with life.

Ponder:

How can you become more aware of your levels of gratitude? Ponder the thought of gratitude enhancing your satisfaction with life.

Prayer:

Lord, You tell us to give thanks in all things for this is Your will for us. Help me develop a mindset of gratitude.

Scriptures: Psalms 103:2-5, Psalms 145:1-3, Psalms 119:68, Psalms 100:5

Developing a Grateful Mindset

Just like good habits, a grateful mindset will make a huge impact on your personal satisfaction with life. A mindset of gratitude increases mental strength and is registered in the brain as optimism.  Thoughts are such powerful triggers and when repeated frequently, new neural pathways are formed—like well-worn highways in your brain. This happens with any type of repetitive thinking but can be harnessed for positivity with a regular gratitude practice. Frequent thoughts of gratitude trains the brain to choose positive thoughts.

Consistency is the key to changing your mindset and, therefore, your life. Switching your internal chatter to thoughts of gratitude and appreciation doesn’t just happen overnight.  Consider adding new action steps to cultivate a grateful mindset. Here are some suggestions:

•  Start a gratefulness journal. Record personal gratitude daily.

•  Open your eyes to see “all that which is praiseworthy.”

•  Guard your heart and mind by limiting negative input.

•  Express your gratitude to others. 

•  Share and speak about things you are grateful for with those around you

•  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you and then yield to His work.

•  Interrupt anxious moments with a good praise and worship song.

•  Break the habit of complaining with a grateful comment.

•  Start learning to see the silver-lining in circumstances.

•  Give others grace and the benefit of the doubt.

•  Imagine what eternal perspective could look like to bring good out of a situation.

•  Volunteer to serve the less fortunate.

•  Meditate every morning and evening on what you are thankful for in your life. 

•  Pause when you find yourself feeling down; think about all the good things in your life. 

•  Read God’s Word daily and with your family.

•  Model and encourage a grateful heart in your home.

•  Pray daily and also together with others you love.

•  Model a life of thoughtfulness and sacrifice for others.

Gratitude is a mindset just like ingratitude is. A grateful heart leads us to more of everything—more satisfaction, more hope, more joy, even better relationships. Gratitude turns what we have into enough. True gratitude is a daily choice that will impact your life for the better. 

Ponder these thoughts: God is completely good. God is constantly good. God is unchangeably good. God will never not be good. God could never be less than good. Everything our God does is good. God gives you a peace that passes understanding. God gives you the Holy Spirit to convict, strengthen, encourage. God gives you His Word as a guide. God gives you health to bless you. God gives you friends to love you. God gives you life to enjoy. God has never stopped being good; we have just started being grateful.

I am living proof that there is a beautiful and transforming power in a grateful heart. Won’t you consider this life-changing habit?

Ponder:

Consider reasons that you are not as grateful as you might want to be. What does gratitude look like in your life? Besides the habit of gratitude, do you have a mindset of gratitude?

Prayer:

Lord I need you and I am grateful for Your unending goodness to me. Help me develop a mindset of gratitude for all You are and have given me. I want to focus on You and all my blessings.