Update: Dr. Shannan Crawford talks about the benefits in a life filled with gratitude.
What is Gratitude?
Gratitude is an emotion that we experience in response to receiving something which we did not earn, deserve, or expect. Gratitude has a dual meaning, as it can be both worldly and spiritual. In a worldly sense, it is the feeling when an individual receives a gift, in whatever form from another, which was not intentionally sought. Similarly, Grace is the act itself of giving and receiving undeserved blessings. How can we receive grace in any form – something tangible, or forgiveness or an undeserved blessing without it producing an overflow of gratitude?Gratitude can change our day and our world. Expressing gratitude can illuminate our world. Here are 7 benefits found in a life filled with gratitude.
Is Gratitude an Action?
Gratitude may be considered a gift of grace since it is an emotion incurred from receiving something we do not deserve or were not expecting. It has the essence of an ethereal feeling that lifts us beyond ourselves.
Gratitude in an even higher sense is a response to the grace offered by God for forgiveness of sin and for the promise of living in His presence forever.
Cultivate the Habit of Being Grateful
Don’t miss out on recognizing true gifts and living in a state of gratitude. Living in a state of wonder, recognizing that everything, including life itself, is a miracle promotes a mindset of awe. We learn not to grumble that roses have thorns but to be grateful that thorns have roses. We see the wonder in a child’s eye, beauty in a sunrise, warmth in an extended hand. Our world becomes larger; our mindset more clear; our vision more expansive. We can embrace life with open arms and a loving and accepting spirit. A grateful heart is a gift from God. This is one of the best of the 7 benefits found in a life filled with gratitude..
Give Thanks
Our every breath is a gift and should evoke a spirit of gratitude. Recognizing that our abilities, health, family, opportunities, and a vast array of immeasurable benefits are a gift, and responding by giving expression of thanks from a heart overflowing with thanksgiving, is gratitude.
Starting the day in an attitude of gratitude sets the upbeat mood for the day. We are complex beings with the ability to make choices. Choose to be filled with gratitude, to exude kindness to all, and to be a light in the darkness of unbelief and hatefulness and greed.
Top 7 Ways Gratitude Improves Your Life
Here are 7 benefits to be found from recognizing and learning to activate gratitude into a more positive, fulfilling, and meaningful lifestyle.
1.Gratitude – Changes Your World
Because I acknowledge the undeserved gifts inherent in my personal life, I can live a life of gratitude and exude joy. Let us strive to keep that balance.
Expressing our sincere thankfulness that is ignited for an unexpected gift, an offer of help, or a word of praise or helpful recognition, is becomingly attractive and produces a warm atmosphere. This is so contagious – it spreads like wild-fire.
You can change your world. I can change my world.
2.Gratitude Brings Joy
Gratitude shows humility by recognizing undeserved gifts. And by giving recognition to others. When we give credit to others for providing even the idea for something, or introducing the right people, expressing thanks for what made it all happen – these are the things that change the tenor of the room into a warm and congenial atmosphere.
Gratitude also shows that you see things properly, know where your blessings come from, and it removes the over inflated ego.
Expressing thanks, acknowledging team efforts and extraordinary contribution, promotes spirit and brings joy – whether in a family or a team.
3.Gratitude Permeates Your Surroundings
Gratitude is an emotion that produces an active aura of thankfulness that emanates from the grateful person and permeates the atmosphere in their surroundings.
This atmosphere of thankfulness and humility is conducive to teamwork and development, to planning, to the sharing of ideas and to the growth of all involved.
Gratitude is an active and life changing emotion. The ability to be grateful results from seeing ourselves truthfully and not being afraid of sharing who we are. Read on for 7 benefits found in a life filled with gratitude.
4.Gratitude Contributes to Our Good Health
Living in an atmosphere of thankfulness, expressing gratitude, and living a life of joyful recognition benefits our general health and well-being. It goes without saying that a grateful heart is a happy heart, and that produces a body filled with systems working in synch.
We inviteyou to watch the GREAT NEWS FOR YOU Video on this page to learn more about how you can have a wonderful relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.
Some studies in a development and productivity research resulted in identifying physical effects of gratitude such as:
- Lowering of blood pressure
- Improved immune system function
- Lowered blood sugar levels
- Improved sleep quality
5. Gratitude Increases My Nearness and Fellowship With My Maker
Thankful people are content with how God has dealt with them. Several of the Psalms begin with “O, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” IThessalonians 5:18.
This verse is not only about expressing our thanks but also acknowledging the lordship of Christ in our lives. And we are satisfied and grateful for Who he is and What he has done for us. This reaffirms our relationship, soothes our soul, and gives us deep inner peace and joy.
This is true Grace – expressed in his love for us and in his acceptance of our praise for what he has done for us.
An ungrateful spirit in the heart of one who professes to know God is out of place. We may go through a terrible set of events and feel no joy and no gratitude for a time. And then we are struck with the magnitude of his mercy and grace that carried us through those dismal situations, producing the gratitude for His love, his mercy, his grace, and his watch care. And once again, we are grateful that we belong to Him and are heirs to all that His Kingdom provides.
6. Gratitude Makes Us More Loveable, Accepted and Desired
Let’s make it about you and me.
Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes your way. Gratitude is an attitude. It is an attractive trait seen in people who acknowledge that they are recipients of good things beyond measure.
An unappreciative person who never acknowledges that all things are a gift is among the most reprehensible. And that ingrate is one we are prone to avoid in our daily encounters.
At any age or status of our lives, we can express gratitude because every gift is from God.
7. Promotes Self Love and Respect
Give thanks. Our self-respect increases when we can see ourselves as grateful and appreciative. We are less judgmental. We are more prone to help others and rise above the hateful chaos of the world.
In turn, this frees our minds and hearts to see the beauty in the world, in the lives of others, and in the increase of our faith and service. This lifts our spirits. This clears our minds. We are developing into the person God intends us to be.
We recognize that God has taken us through the crucible of hard times and tests to mold us into stronger vessels. As a stronger person, we can be thankful for the bad times that have made us more understanding, calmer in the turmoil, and more prepared to help others rather than to remain self-absorbed.
Our every breath is a gift and should evoke a spirit of gratitude. Recognizing our abilities, health, family, opportunities, and a vast array of immeasurable gifts is indeed a gift. Giving expression of thanks from a heart overflowing with thanksgiving is gratitude. Try employing these 7 benefits found in a life filled with gratitude to start living your best life.
Choose Gratitude
Starting the day in an attitude of gratitude sets the upbeat mood for the day. We are complex beings with the ability to make choices. Choose to be filled with gratitude, to exude kindness to all, and to be a light in the darkness of unbelief and hatefulness and greed.
“This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Psalm 118:24.
When my children were young and in public schools, I was on the faculty of one of their schools. We all piled into the car each morning for our trip to school. They laugh today, but rolled their eyes at the time, when I would insist that we all say the verse above out loud and then burst into group singing of “Oh What a Beautiful Morning.” The jury is still out as to if this was a good practice – but it was grounded in good intent.
- Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words.
- Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior.
- Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits.
- Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values.
- Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny. -Mahatma Gandhi
Choose Gratitude Today
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Lord and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14.
One of our brain’s great abilities is the ability to replace one thought with another. Let us replace thoughts of envy, complaint, disdain, and destruction with thoughts of gratitude and love. No matter what the situation, remind yourself of these things:
- I have a choice.” What a wonderful gift of trust.
- God, give me wisdom to make the right choices.
- I am so grateful to God for his guidance.
“Let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe.” Hebrews 12:28.
Trust this God of love with your life and your eternity.
We invite you to watch the GREAT NEWS FOR YOU Video on this page to learn more about how you can have a wonderful relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.
