To have a grateful heart and to give thanks can bring so many benefits not only to God and others, but to our own mental health as well!
But why is this and how to we do it?
Especially when life is tough or we don’t understand why certain things happen in the world!
Always Give Thanks- To God
Being grateful and actually giving thanks can take our focus of the negatives and help us focus on God and everything He has done within the world and for us individually.
The bible continuously tells us to give thanks:
Ephesians 5:20 Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalms 106:1 Praise the Lord . Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
We are told to give thanks in all circumstances.
All circumstances???
But what about through this pandemic and everything else going on in this world and our lives??
Everything, we are told ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.
So, yes, through all of it.
We can always find something to be grateful for, whether its a roof over our heads, food in the cupboards, or just simply the birds and the trees and most importantly what Jesus did for each and every one of us on the cross.
We can give thanks also for his grace…
2 Corinthians 9:14-15 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
And also for His faithfulness…
Psalms 100:4-5 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
As you can see, there is already a lot we can give thanks for.
Always Give Thanks- To Others
Other people deserve thanks too. If they’ve done something good for us as indivuals or not, theres always something to thank someone for.
How does it make you feel when someone thanks you for something or if someone shows gratitude for you, just being you?
Good, appreciated, loved?
It can give us the encouragement to carry on can’t it?
Then lets offer this to others too.
Look at the people around you, your Kids, parents, friends, neighbours. Think about what you might be grateful for in them.
Then tell them.
Or when someone does something kind for someone else, tell them, give them thanks, show them that they are appreciated.
You could make someone’s day, you could impact on someone’s life.
Hebrews 10: 24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds
Romans 15:5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had
Always Give Thanks- For Ourselves
By thanking and encouraging others it can build people up and spur them on and by doing this it can encourage and uplift yourself.
Think of it as a change in mindset.
For more on changing mindset check out Declarations for a positive mindset.
Focusing on the good in God and other people and giving thanks can take our mind and focus off the things we don’t have or is wrong in our lives and the world.
Therefore, always giving thanks can improve our own selves and our mental health too.
Perhaps think of, write down and thank God and others for three different things every day.
Why not start now?
Comment below with the things you are thankful for today.
The first thing I pray when I pray in the morning is to thank Him for ALL my blessings
Amen! X
Wonderful post! I am grateful that me and my family are healthy.
Amen! X
It is so important to always give thanks to God. And yes so true about giving thanks to others and ourselves too. We are just as important as anyone else.
Amen 😊