Our Most Powerful Human Emotion is Gratitude

The strength of simple gratitude is an incredible feeling.

 

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name”—Psalm100:4 (NIV).

One of the things I like about technology is being able to stay connected with others. While I sometimes groan about our fast-paced world, I love keeping up with like-minded individuals through Facebook. On November 1, I noticed a 40-Day “thanks”-giving challenge. Each day in November, people began to post those things and people for which they are grateful. I joined the challenge and began posting daily.

During November, we celebrate a national day of thanksgiving, always the last Thursday of the month. This American holiday is a time to remember and give thanks for all of our blessings. For many, however, it’s the only day of the year they feel led to express their gratitude.

Did you know that one of humanity’s most powerful positive emotions is gratitude? 

Several years ago, psychologists started studying the science of giving thanks. What they discovered might surprise you. When you count your blessings, it makes you happier, even during difficult times. 

Psychology professor Michael McCullough has studied people who were asked to be thankful on a regular basis. “When you stop to count your blessings, you are sort of hijacking your emotional system.”

Research by McCullough and others has revealed that giving thanks is a powerful emotion, feeding on itself. McCullough says, “Psychologists used to underestimate the strength of simple gratitude. It does make people happier. It’s an incredible feeling.”

Another psychologist, Maryann Troiana, has her clients keep a gratitude journal. By listing daily what they are thankful for, it changes their attitude and outlook on life. 

Agreeing, psychology professor Robert Emmons says, “It is important to focus more on the people for whom you are grateful. By concentrating on what life would be like without the good things, especially people like our spouses, you begin to realize just how grateful you are.”

Grateful people “feel more alert, alive, interested and enthusiastic,” Emmons says. “They also feel more connected to others.” Emmons, who has written two books on the science of gratitude, often studies the effects of using a gratitude journal.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul writes, “Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”

Thank God no matter what happens?

 Thank God no matter what happens? Surely, Paul was joking. What if we lived each day in gratitude for what we do have? What if we recalled the ways He has taken care of us in the past? Instead of complaining about those things we lack, what if we began to take an inventory of our simple treasures and conveniences like 

• family
• friends
• food
• shelter
• electricity
• a vehicle
• our health 

The list would be endless if you stopped to write it down.

While we can be blindsided by life’s unexpected burdens, we can choose to give thanks in all circumstances. Each day should be a day of thanksgiving to God and a lifestyle among God's people. 

What are you thankful for today?

Please feel free to share your gratitude list below. Also, check out my blog and books at www.carolaround.com for more inspiration.

What are You Teaching Your Children?

As Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’”—Acts 20:35 (NIV).

“Cash, which doughnut do you want?” 

The question came from my 8-year-old grandson, Brennan, while we were at a rodeo concession stand. It was after lunch and doughnuts were being given away free. All you had to do was ask.

After getting my permission, my grandsons were handed two doughnuts, each different. One was chocolate and the other plain vanilla. I could see a squabble brewing over the first—after all, what kid doesn’t like chocolate? Instead, I was blessed by the thoughtfulness of my oldest grandson who let his younger cousin choose first. Of course, Cash chose the chocolate one. I wasn’t surprised nor was I disappointed when Brennan contentedly ate the other one.

As a grandparent, I am seeing the fruits of the lessons I taught their parents. Do they always get it right? No, but when they do, I praise them for their thoughtful choices. As Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

With the current focus on being the first store to open and offer bargains on Black Friday—and now Thanksgiving Day—I am amazed by the number of people who camp out overnight to be first in line for limited merchandise at rock-bottom prices. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in buying Christmas gifts for loved ones, but the commercialism of this sacred holiday continues to grow as retail giants entice consumers earlier each year. 

What does it teach our children and grandchildren?

While we can’t do anything about the commercials enticing us with bargain mania, we can teach our loved ones the true meaning of this wonderful season. Last year, a grass-roots movement called “Giving Tuesday” was born. The brainchild of the 92nd Street Y, a nonprofit cultural and community center in New York and the United Nations Foundation, “Giving Tuesday” is a movement created as a national day of giving. 

To kick off the giving season, the organization wanted to create awareness of the non-profit needs across the world. Because of the economy, nonprofit giving has gone down. By adding the Tuesday following Thanksgiving to the calendar, organizers saw nonprofit donations increase. 

Last year, approximately 2,500 nonprofits participated. With millions of people in need, corporations are also partnering with non-profits to help “Giving Tuesday” become as widely recognized as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a day when online retailers offer special prices.

To make your holiday more meaningful and to teach your children and grandchildren the real meaning of Christmas, I would like to suggest you give either money to your favorite charity or volunteer your time. 

Some simple suggestions include 

• volunteering to be a Salvation Army bell ringer
• taking some of your non-perishable food items to a local food pantry
• donating unused clothing and household items to Goodwill or another charitable organization
• volunteering to serve a meal at a local homeless mission
• adopting a needy family and providing everything they need for a holiday dinner or helping the purchase Christmas gifts

It is more blessed to give than to receive. What are you teaching your children and grandchildren?

If you choose to participate in "Giving Tuesday," please share what you decided to do to give back.

Express Gratitude

 

Do You Consistently Thank God for His Blessings?

Ten lepers were healed by Jesus, because they begged Him to. They said, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us” (Lk 17:13).  Their healing was a big deal because leprosy was a big deal in Israel.  The law required lepers to be kept in isolation due to the possibility of spreading to others.  They were considered unclean (Lev 13:45-46).  When a leper was cleansed from leprosy, he had to be officially declared clean by the priest before he could have any kind of contact with the rest of society.

Imagination cannot capture how excited these healed lepers must have been at the thought of being able to go back home and be part of their communities again.  In fact, in their excitement, they neglected to thank the One (Jesus) who had healed them. The only exception was a Samaritan (a foreigner).  He returned, praising God in a loud voice.  He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him (Lk 17:14).  Jesus’ response was, “Weren’t all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Lk 17:17-18)

The Samaritan might have returned because he realized that it was only by grace that he had been healed; after all, he was not a Jew and could have been turned away.  Jesus could have answered him the way He answered the Canaanite woman who had the demon-possessed daughter: “it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs” (Mt 15:26), but He didn’t.  So the leper had a good reason to be overjoyed and thankful!  The Bible does not mention why the other nine did not return to give thanks, but could it be that they took things for granted?

Do we as God’s children take things for granted when we receive a blessing from Him?  Do we act like it is our right, and that God owes us something?  I think we sometimes do, but judging by the story of the lepers we can accurately conclude that God expects us to express appreciation and gratitude to Him for whatever He does for us.  He does not owe us anything, and is not obligated to do anything for us, but He does because He wants to.  The Bible says He longs to be good to us.  The least we can do is to be thankful. 

I believe we all do fail quite often in the area of thanksgiving.  Our gratitude should not only be for things we receive as answers to prayer, but also for all that He lovingly and willingly bestows on us.  I think sometimes we even forget to thank Him for answered prayers; what a shame, what ingratitude.  The Psalmist says, “I’ll bless the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips” (Ps 34:1).  In Psalm 103, he also shows us some of the things for which we need to be habitually thankful.  Let us continually thank Him for his forgiveness, healing, love, compassion, and satisfying our desires with good things.

Let us not act like spoilt, ungrateful children who think it is their parents’ duty to provide for them, and therefore show no appreciation.  Instead, let us express our heart-felt gratitude, and share our experience with others so that they will be encouraged. 

by Pearl Nsiah-Kumi,  RN, CRNC