4 Ways Gratitude Can Change Your Life This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is an invitation to hear the Biblical call that encourages us to live with joyful thanks. Let’s not miss the chance to realign our hearts with the Bible's instructions to stop and remember what God has done in our lives. To praise Him for who he is. If we are facing struggles, remind our souls that God has the victory in the end! 

Let a changed focus be the catalyst that changes your life this holiday season. 

1. Gratitude Improves Your Relationships

We all have that friend or family member that we struggle to be around because everything they say is negative. Literally, they could win the lottery the wrong way. You want to love them, be close to them, but it’s a task just to be in the same space. I hate to break it to you but if you don’t know this person, it may be because they are you. 

Taking God’s call to gratitude seriously allows us to either stop being that person. We start experiencing joy in our lives not because suddenly the perfect set of circumstances coalesces in our lives (truly experiencing joy is rarely just a circumstantial problem) but because we start to give thanks to the Lord for who he is, for the blessings around us (no matter how small), and our mouths start to reflect what God is doing in your heart. Your negative undertones make way for praise for the one who has made it all! 

If you aren’t that person, living with gratitude can help you model something that that person stuck under a stronghold of negativity desperately needs. Your glass-half-full way of seeing the world can start to poke holes to let light into their gloomy worldview. You can be an encouragement to those around you because your joy is rooted in your relationship with the Lord and not from perfect friendships. 

2. Gratitude Improves Your Physical Health 

Crazy enough, doctors have noted that grateful people experience less aches and pains! They are more likely to take care of their bodies, exercise more regularly, go to more check ups, and generally enjoy a longer life. Seeing your body as a Temple that God has fearfully and wonderfully made, changes the way you regard the skin you are in. It’s something to be cared for, nourished, and appreciated because it’s a gift! Gratitude helps you see your desires as more than things to indulge but gives you the lens that says I must filter my desires with a heart of holy stewardship for my flesh. This gives us the motivation we need to employ the self-discipline required for healthy habits. 

3. Gratitude Strengthens Your Mind

When we see things in a more positive light, we help our bodies experience less stress. This helps guard our mental health and also is more gentle on our bodies. Adapting a positive outlook is beneficial when we are working to overcome trauma. Gratitude promotes resilience, which is something that we need if we are to process the more difficult events in our lives. 

When life challenges us, it’s a chance for us to flip the script. We can choose to stay stuck and defeated, or we can see the bright side. We can believe that God is working even in the most difficult parts of our stories. We can praise him for empowering us to endure, heal, and find comfort in every circumstance. 

4. Gratitude Improves our Self-Esteem

Being grateful is one way to stop the negative consequences of comparison. When we look at another's life and become jealous, it’s easy to think of ourselves as a failure. Changing our view and instead being thankful for the unique ways that God has gifted you, and others protects your mind from negative self-talk. The next time you scroll and think boy they are doing life better, stop yourself and instead thank God that he has given you and them so many good gifts! 

Gratitude gives us the lens for our lives that leads us to joyful living. It’s a powerful tool that the Bible encourages us to use and it’s something that scientists now have thoroughly documented benefits every person on this planet in numerous ways. This year take the Thanksgiving invitation for gratitude and apply it to your everyday life. A fun reminder that I have been loving to remain grateful has been by listening to Gratitude by Brandon Lake on repeat. Songs are a great way to encourage your heart, and I hope this one does just that for you. 

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Marinela Malcheva 

Amanda Idleman is a writer whose passion is to encourage others to live joyfully. She writes devotions for My Daily Bible Verse Devotional and Podcast, Crosswalk Couples Devotional, the Daily Devotional App, she has work published with Her View from Home, on the MOPS Blog, and is a regular contributor for Crosswalk.com. She has most recently published a devotional, Comfort: A 30 Day Devotional Exploring God's Heart of Love for Mommas. You can find out more about Amanda on her Facebook Page or follow her on Instagram.