Gratitude

Gratitude. Developing a thankful spirit. If there is a common trait that I find in successful people - who are at peace with themselves and the world - it would be one with a contagious grateful spirit.

Ellen Vaughn's book "Radical Gratitude," is a writing that I need to revisit periodically. The book is material that supports Scriptures:
Ephesians 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And,
1 Thes.5: 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Col.4: 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Phil.4: 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Gratitude comes easier when all is going our way. But there are times of adversity when the natural response is anything but gratitude. We've had our challenges since we left Idaho five months ago. The latest being a phone call today from the county's planning and zoning office. "Your driveway is not long enough to establish a mobile home. You can't proceed with your plan."

First of all, I thought our building was a modular home (which would be acceptable). By the county's definition, our 2500 square foot triple-wide is a mobile home. This comes after we had to hire a lawyer to persuade the county that we could place a home on the property.

We've had ample opportunities these past five months to practice "giving thanks" in adversity, so it was interesting to watch my response to the verdict. "Lord, I'm grateful that I can trust You to work all this out, for our good and Your glory."

"It’s incredible," Ellen Vaughn states, "The small, compliant human action of saying “thank you” constantly links us to the awesome Creator of the universe. In the practice of perceiving every part of every day as a gift from Him, we stay connected to Christ. The conversations of a continually grateful heart become a way of life, a fountain flowing in us, the means by which we acknowledge our dependence on Christ; enjoy Him lavishly, and run to do whatever He wants."

More "gratitude" in the next post.

Be grateful

The bulls provided for the Caldwell Rodeo had provided 300 showings with only 17 completed rides. I'd be grateful to get out of the ride with my life.

We are examining Philippians chapter four and its theme of ingredients for inner freedom, wholeness, and mental health. The sequence so far: 1.Build relational harmony. 2.Rejoice. 3. Pray. 4. Be grateful. which is today's focus.

And not just at Thanksgiving time! I’m reminded of the story of the elderly man in Phoenix who called his son a few days before Thanksgiving in New York and said to him, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; 45 years of misery is enough. We’re sick of each other, and so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her."

Frantic, the son called his sister, who exploded on the phone. "Like heck
they’re getting divorced," she shouted, "I’ll take care of this." She called
Phoenix immediately, and said to her father. "You are NOT getting
divorced. Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother
back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?"

The man hung up his phone and turned to his wife. "Okay, honey. The kids are coming for Thanksgiving and paying for their flights." Now, that is a little twisted manipulation to garner a thankful spirit.

Philippians four says, don’t worry. Pray, telling God your needs and concerns with a grateful spirit. I believe that an attitude of gratitude is the hallmark signal describing one with well-functioning mental health. If you believe the adage, “Everything is needful that God sends. Nothing is needful that God withholds”, it will be much easier to develop a grateful spirit.

Benefits of a thankful spirit:
1. Increases your sense of happiness. Happiness is really determined by our perspective in life not by circumstances. If we learn to be grateful people despite circumstances that will greatly improve our happiness.
2. Being a grateful, joyful, upbeat person person improves your countenance and your overall lookout on life, thus enhancing relationhips. Having a good friend is no problem for the grateful person.

The apostle Paul began most of his letters in the Bible with gratitude. To the church in Rome he wrote. “First, I thank my God for all of you.” (Romans 1:8) To the church in Corinth. “I always thank God for you (1 Corinthians 1:4).To the church in Ephesus, “I have not stopped giving thanks for you; remembering you in my prayers.” (Ephesians 1:16). To the church in Philippi, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” (Philippians 1:3). To the church in Colossi, “I always thank God when I pray for you.” (Colossians 1:3).

Paul made sure that he let people in the churches know that he was thankful for them. Imagine how much better our church and our personal relationships would be if we expressed our thanks for each other.

3. It will SOLIDFY YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. Which is the top benefit. Someone once said that God lives in two places. He lives in heaven and in a humble, grateful heart. Hebrews 12:25 says, “Let us please God by serving him with thankful hearts.”

How is a thankful spirit birthed and matured? Simple. Look at all the blessings of life you have. If need be, compare your lot in life with those living in refugee camps to give you a more realistic picture of how much you have. As Christians, the blessings are innumerable, now and for the hereafter.
Second, perform a fast. Fasting “complaining” for a month. Vowing you’ll not complain for 30 days. You may appreciate the results so much you’ll make it a permanent fast.

Pray, with gratitude, results in peace of mind which we'll examine next.

Free, part 3 – gratitude

A grateful spirit is a characteristic of the person most likely to be successful in handling stress. This was the comment in our posting two days ago. Let's expand on that concept.

It is interesting to see books and articles cross our paths in timely fashion. The latest Readers Digest has an outstanding article entilted “New Science of Thank You,” written by Deborah Norville. It is amazing how science is now corroborating what the Bible stated oh so many years ago.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18 and Ephesians 5:20: “Give thanks FOR all things. Give thanks IN all things.) The article is taken from the book, “Thank you Power: Making the Science of Gratitude Work for You.” The following is an adaptation.

Robert Emmons, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, has long been interested in the role gratitude plays in physical and emotional well-being. In his research with a partner, he took three groups of volunteers and randomly assigned them to focus on one of three things each week: hassles, things for which they were grateful and ordinary life events.

Results: The people who focused on gratitude were just flat-out happier. They saw their lives in favorable terms. They reported fewer negative physical symptoms such as headaches or colds, and they were active in ways that were good for them, like more exercise than the other groups. Plain and simple, those who were grateful had a higher quality of life. They had more joy, energy, were more optimistic, more helpful to others, less materialistic, less depressive, envious and anxious. A feeling of gratitude gets people to do something, to become more pro-social, more compassionate. This didn’t happen in the other two groups.

Related studies of gratitude have found other benefits as well: clearer thinking, better resilience during tough times, higher immune response, less likelihood of being plagued by stress, longer lives, closer family ties and greater religiousness.

The suggestion is made to keep a gratitude journal. Right before bedtime, jot down three things that happened that day for which you were grateful. After each situation write down why this was good for you. Also, make a note of who, if anyone, played a role in what you’ve recalled for the day and how that person had an impact on your life. The gratitude journal makes you look at life in a positive, concrete way reminding you of its interconnectedness in a fast-paced, impersonal world and how much others add to the quality of your life. It enhances your self-esteem.

Over time, you’ll notice a consistent pattern. Many entries will underscore the importance of people in your life. Others will highlight meaningful experiences.

Another aspect of a grateful spirit is the boomerang principle. Gratitude, when expressed to others, almost always comes back around. People who feel appreciated are more willing to make an effort for those who make them feel valued.

The author suggests, “seize the moment.” Look around you: what’s right with your world? If you have a hobby, practice it. If you don’t, find one. Reach out to others; share something. A small gesture toward another individual costs you little but can bring many benefits – and increases your attitude of gratitude.

Barbara Fredrickson of the University of North Caroline says, “Gratitude has the potential to change everything from its ordinary state to being a gift.”
And I may add, it is easier to develop a grateful mindset as we learn more and more about God’s love for us and how He desires intimacy with us, and how He promises to work everything for our good if we love Him and are called according to His purpose.

“You earthly fathers being evil love to give good gifts to your children, how much more your Heavenly Father wants to give to you.” (Matthew 7:11)