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)
Imagine if you could take a pill that would help you get along with others, facilitate creativity, manage anxiety, improve your job satisfaction, sleep quality, be more creative, not get inebriated with rage, and generally help you enjoy life more. If there were such a pill, the pharmaceutical companies would already be making billions. Such a solution does exist, but not in the form of a drug. It’s the ancient spiritual habit of thanksgiving.
Living in thanksgiving retrains your heart and your mind to be grateful and not greedy, to stop grasping for more and enjoy what you have. It trains you to notice and count your blessings (glass half-full) and not always fixate on your failures or lack of fulfillment. Thanksgiving shifts your brain chemistry from dopamine, which promotes pleasure-seeking, to serotonin, which induces long-term joy and satisfaction. Instead of living out of a constant state of need for “more,” you learn to live out of a continuous state of peace. That’s powerful!
Most importantly, the practice of thanksgiving reconnects us to the Lord, our generous caretaker. It’s in a personal relationship with God that we stop scraping through life on our own. We relearn to trust in our Father, who is our companion and provider. The Apostle Paul says, “…in every situation…with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Here is a beautiful little formula: First, trust that God takes care of you in every situation. Second, bring your requests to him, already celebrating the fact that he’s there for you and will provide what you need. Thanksgiving forces us to remember the ways God has already provided for us in the past, being confident he will do it again.
When the breath of thanksgiving and praise blows through you, you become like a musical instrument, alive with the sound of worship. That’s what you were created for, and that’s when you’ll feel most animated by the Spirit of Life, when you are worshipping. “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” An attitude of thanksgiving yields significant dividends in terms of the quality of your emotional health and spiritual well-being.
Each of us can choose to practice thanksgiving. For the month of November, I encourage you, every day, to practice telling the Lord five meaningful things you’re grateful for. They could be insignificant or monumental. The size doesn’t matter. Nurture a habit of gratitude that repositions your heart in relationship and in the loving care of your Father.
Tags: worship, glorify, thanksgiving, emotions, contentment, spiritual disciplines, serenity, caretaker
