BP 155
The Harvard Medical School in their periodical, “Harvard Health Publishing”, has an article about giving thanks. In its August 14, 2021, edition, the article says, “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”
The article goes on to say that people can have gratitude for past “blessings,” present “fortune,” and for the future by “maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude.” Sounds kind of like God’s word, right? Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful [thankful] heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Related to an attitude of thankfulness, Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania tested the impact of thankfulness by doing a study where he asked the subjects in the experimental group to reach out to someone with a message of gratitude.
Specifically, “their week’s assignment was to write and personally deliver a letter of gratitude to someone who had never been properly thanked for his or her kindness.” When the members of the experimental group followed through on this assignment, they “immediately exhibited a huge increase in happiness scores. This impact was greater than that from any other intervention, with benefits lasting for a month.”
The article in the Harvard periodical cited a second experiment done by Drs Robert A. Emmons and Michael E. McCullough who divided their subjects into three groups. The first group journaled about things for which they were grateful, the second about things that had displeased them or irritated them, and the third about events that had impacted their lives with no thought for whether they were negative or positive.
What were the results? “After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.”
Many other studies have found that individuals who develop an attitude of thankfulness as opposed to an attitude of complaining and grumbling and focusing on the negatives tend to live longer.
As I read this Harvard Medical School article, I was reminded of the account in the Bible when Jesus healed the ten lepers. You probably remember the story well. It appears in Luke 17:11ff.
“On the way to Jerusalem he [Jesus] was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
What an amazing event! What could Jesus be speaking to us through His encounter with these ten lepers? Does He desire us to be thankful and to praise Him for His healing presence in our lives? For sure. Why? Because He wants us to be happy and live longer? Possibly. Yes.
Above all, however, He wants us to be transformed into the image of His Son as we behold His face and His character (2 Corinthians 3:18). So, let’s practice having a thankful heart as Jesus demonstrated many times in Scripture. Like Him, let’s serve others instead of expecting to be served. Let’s have an attitude of humility and obedience this month instead of one of pride and disobedience.
Remember what Philippians 2:3ff says about Jesus and how it challenges us to be like Him: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Do you want to live longer? Do you want to be like Jesus? Do you want to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness, a spirit of humility, a practice of servanthood, a position of lifting up God instead of being prideful of yourself?
Then love Jesus. Don’t just go to church. Don’t just read your Bible occasionally. Don’t try to be good. Practice being thankful to your Maker for everything He has done for you and everything He will do for you.
Jesus had a thankful heart. He thanked God for providing food, for the opportunity to minister to others, and even for listening to Him. In John 11:41, just before He raised Lazarus, it says, “Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.’”
Be thankful. You will be like Jesus when you give the Father thanks. You will be emotionally more positive and even be physically healthier. 1 Timothy 4:7b-8 says, “Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness (being like Jesus which includes the attribute of thankfulness) is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
Proverbs 10:27ff says something similar: “The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short. The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.” Fearing God, obeying Him as a loving Father, leads to Him placing righteousness in our hearts which produces hope (gratitude for the future) which, in turn, leads to joy! Loving God leads to so many benefits for those who serve and obey Him in humility and thankfulness.
Be thankful that you have been set free from sin and have been gifted with Jesus’ righteousness:
“But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness” ~ Romans 6:17ff
Be thankful that God through Jesus has given us victory over death. We will rise again:
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” ~ 1 Corinthians 15: 56ff
Being thankful to God is a sign of love and peace as we practice the presence of Jesus:
“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful” ~ Colossians 3:14,15
Be thankful that you have the promise of living with Jesus forever in His new kingdom:
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” Hebrews 12:28, 29
Join the angels, the elders, and the four living creatures as they also give eternal thanks to God:
“And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen’” ~ Revelation 7:11,12
Know that the peace of God will be your reward as you develop a practice of thankfulness to God:
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” ~ Philippians 4:4-6
Get in the habit of thanking God for your brothers and sisters who, like you, are saved and will also taste of the glory of Jesus Himself on that Day:
“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:13
So, be thankful. Practice gratitude. Be intentional about counting your blessings—or at least reciting them! By God’s grace, you will be more positive, you will have hope for the future, you will have peace, and you will live longer than if you had rehearsed irritations and resentments. Memorize His character instead of memorizing bitterness, entitlement, pride, and grumbling.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise [thanksgiving], think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me [including Paul’s habit of gratitude in verse 6]—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” ~ Philippians 4:8,9