Importance of Having an Attitude of Gratitude in Our Daily Lives

Well, thank you once again. Once again, happy Sabbath, brethren!

Well, last Thursday we had the American, the American defining as the United States, the American holiday of Thanksgiving. And, of course, the key purpose of the day is to express gratitude to God for all of the blessings and mercy He has given to this country. And perhaps you've seen Abraham Lincoln's proclamation of a day of Thanksgiving.

It actually goes back to George Washington and a rich history in taking time out to acknowledge and express gratitude to God for the blessings that He has given to this nation. Well, if this is true of a secular nation, it's even truer of all of us. So today, I would like to reinforce the importance of having an attitude of gratitude or thanksgiving in our daily lives. Because one of two things are going to happen.

We either have an attitude of gratitude or we're going to have an attitude of entitlement. Those are one of the two things that happen in the human mind. They are opposed to each other. We're either going to be grateful and have an attitude of gratitude or we're going to have an attitude of entitlement. We're going to have either one or the other. So which one are we going to choose? Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 beginning in verse 4.

Paul has a comment that he begins this very important book to the congregation in Corinth just to show the level of love he has here as he opens this book because later on he's going to say some strong things to the Corinthian congregation. He's going to say some things that are painful to them. They probably didn't want to hear. But to put it in perspective, I want you to notice what he says here in beginning in verse 4. He says, I thank my God always concerning you.

Paul was thankful for his brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, the brothers and sisters in Corinth. Are we thankful for our brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we thankful for our family, our spiritual family? He says, concerning you for the grace of God, which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by him in all utterance and all knowledge. You see, he was thankful, very thankful, that they were enriched in utterance. They were enriched into the language that came out of their mouths.

It sounded spiritual. It was converted. It was godly. They were enriched in that. They were enriched in knowledge. They knew the Word of God. They knew the truth of God. He was thankful for that, that they had been enriched in those things. Verse 6, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, was confirmed by their examples, were they perfect? My, no. And as I said, if you continue in the book of Corinthians here, you'll see that he says some pretty strong stuff to the church. But overall, he says, their examples showed that Jesus Christ was confirmed in their lives. Verse 7, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly awaiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So Paul says he was thankful for the church. He was thankful because Jesus Christ was in them, the things, the wonderful things, including these gifts that he saw within their lives, the way they spoke, their attitudes. He was very thankful for his church, his congregations. A few days ago, I saw a short article that was originally published in Newsweek online, and it was entitled, Five Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude, by a gentleman named Douglas Maine.

Again, that's five scientifically proven benefits of gratitude by Douglas Maine. I want to give the points. He gave these five points, and I would like to give these five points and quote just a few things from his article, but unlike what he was willing to do, I would like to tie scriptures into these five points, because as I've said many times before, true science is not in conflict with the Bible.

True science does not contradict the Bible. True science and the Bible are together. They agree.

And these five points that he brings across certainly are all very biblical. Now, he didn't put any scriptures in these five points, but we will, and we'll see that what these great journals and what these scientists and what these people do who study human behavior, sociology, and psychology, what they have concluded is biblical after all, particularly regarding the subject of gratitude. Here's what he says. I'll read a paragraph here. Quote, Gratitude from the Latin for gratia, which means grace or thankfulness, is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness, as well as other physical and mental health situations. According to the Harvard Medical School, quote, gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. The researchers write. Continuing here, it says, indeed, it seems that there are few conditions, or examples, in which gratitude doesn't appear to have a positive effect. A psychologist from the University of Birmingham noted in 2013 that the, quote, list of potential benefits is almost endless, including more helpfulness towards others, raised self-confidence, better work attitude, strengthened resiliency, less physical pain, improved health, and longevity. How can you beat that? Again, this isn't a minister saying this. This is a scientist, somebody who studies sociology and psychology and human health, and they have seen through their research the benefit of having a grateful and a thankful attitude towards things what it can do for us. So the first point in this article, again, it was entitled, Five Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude. The first point in the article was, grateful people are more hopeful and healthier. Grateful people are more hopeful and healthier. Let's turn to Psalm chapter 28 and verse 6. See what the great psalmist said about how he was feeling. Psalm chapter 28.

Psalm chapter 20 and verse 6. Blessed be the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplications, the Lord is my strength and my shield. The Lord strengthened him physically. The Lord strengthened him emotionally. His relationship with God gave him additional strength. He says, my heart trusted in him and I am helped. I want you to notice again how hopeful the psalmist was having a relationship with God. I cried out to God. He intervened in my life. I had a need and God helped me with that need. My heart trusted in him and I am helped. Therefore, my heart rejoices greatly. My heart greatly rejoices and with my song I will praise him. Notice here that his heart greatly rejoiced. When we come here before God in Sabbath services, does our heart greatly rejoice? Or do we sing hymns like constipated Anglo-Saxons? Do we look like statues with simply our lips moving? Or do we radiate joyfulness in the way that we sing to our great God and sing hymns and praise his name?

Studies show that gratitude improves the immune system and it can lower blood pressure. Here's something else quote from this article. Quote, like many other studies, the 2015 paper in the Journal of Religion and Health found that those who were more grateful for who they are and what they have were more hopeful and also physically healthier. Psychology Today cites several studies that found people who report being more grateful also report feeling fewer aches and pains and are likely to go to the doctor and take care of themselves. Why are they more likely to go to the doctor and take care of themselves? Because they're more hopeful about the future. They feel their life has value. They want to take care of this temple that God has given them. Another quote here. Dozens of studies have shown that when people actively take the time to list the things they are grateful for, they feel better mentally and physically than participants who haven't done the same. Just take a list and start writing down all the things that they were grateful for. It's a good reminder. So again, this is point number one. Grateful people are more hopeful and healthier. Number two. Improved sleep quality. That's an important one in our day of the 21st century or running around like rats in a maze and pulled in many directions. There are many, many people who suffer from sleep deprivation. Improved sleep quality. Philippians 4 and verse 6.

Very sage, wise bit of advice given to the Philippians by the Apostle Paul, who certainly could have been a very anxious person with all that he had going on in his life. Imagine waking up and going to a strange city you had never been at before and preaching a unique religious message that was contrary to their culture and their heritage, contrary to anything that the inhabitants had heard before and not knowing whether they would respond positively or whether for you it was going to be a difficult day. So he had, obviously, to understand the importance of the meaning of this scripture.

We need to as well. He says, be anxious for nothing. Don't let anxiety overtake your mind. Don't worry. Don't get frustrated and relive past events over again or take something that's small and allow your mind to blow it all out of proportion. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. In other words, give it to God.

Just turn it over. Then he's got big shoulders. If you're angry or you're frustrated, tell God about it. Turn those worries and those frustrations over to him. And here's what will happen if we're willing to do that. Verse 7, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. If our hearts and minds are guarded, then we don't have anxiety disorders. We don't make mountains out of molehills. We don't lose sleep because we're worrying about something. We just leave it in God's hands.

And we trust and know that if we do that, that the peace of God, the contentment, the refreshment, the relaxation that comes from having a relationship with God will guide our lives and everything that we do. And that God will intervene when the time is right and He'll take care of those problems.

Let's take a look at verses 4 through 6 through another translation in New Century Version. It says, quote, Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God's peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. To turn it over to God, you'll sleep better. You'll find that you don't get all worked up over things that never occurred. Most of the worry I've had in my life have been my mind taking a situation and blowing it up into some great catastrophe that never even happened.

So I worry about nothing. I worry about the worst case scenario, how bad this thing can turn out. And so that's not productive. That's not productive for us at all. So turn it over to God. When we are thankful, we can leave our problems and frustrations to God, knowing that if we do our part, and sometimes that's very limited, what we can do if we do our part, that He will do His part and that God will intervene.

A quotation from this article regarding this point, it says, quote, Something as simple as writing down a list of things that you are thankful for at the end of the day can also help people sleep better. Why? Because you're ending your day thinking about something positive, not worrying about the negative, not focusing on the negative. Continuing a 2009 study in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research found that those who expressed gratitude more often slept better and longer than those who didn't. Now, the good reason to express gratitude in our lives.

So that was point number two. Point number three, increased self-esteem. Increased self-esteem. Now, self-esteem reflects a person's overall emotional evaluation of his or her own worth. And I am not going to make this a sermon on self-esteem. I will just say that over the years I've heard many ministers rail against self-esteem, and usually by men who had very little, and rail against self-esteem as if it was some terrible, bad thing. And here's the reality. If you don't have healthy self-esteem, you will have vanity and narcissism in an attempt to cover it up, to hide the fact from the world that you lack a sense of self-worth.

Self-esteem is nothing more than saying, with Christ in me, I have value to God, and the talents and gifts that I have been given are valuable. God loves me. His son died for my sins, and that gives me value. That gives me worth. It's not vanity or selfishness. Psalm chapter 26 and verse 6. Let's take a look at something, again, the Psalmist said. Psalm chapter 26 and verse 6.

Psalm chapter 26 and verse 6. I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will go about your altar, O Lord. I'm not going to enter your altar feeling shame-based. I'm not going to enter your altar feeling worthless, feeling like I'm a nobody, I'm a nothing. That's not what Jesus Christ died for. God did not make us new creatures in Christ so that we could spend the rest of our lives feeling worthless. Even Winston Churchill once said that, though I am a worm, I do like to think of myself as a glow worm. I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will go about your altar that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving. Thank you, God, for forgiving me. Thank you for removing my sins. Thank you for making me one of your sons and daughters. That gives me value. That gives me tremendous worth. And tell of all your wondrous works, O Lord, I have loved the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. So with an attitude of gratitude and thankfulness, you don't focus on your failures. You don't focus on your past mistakes. You focus on your blessings. The Apostle Paul was showing a very healthy self-esteem when he stated in Philippians chapter 4 and verse 13, he said, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Paul was a can-do person. He had a tremendous amount of healthy self-esteem. If he hadn't, he could not have been an Apostle. He could not have taken the dangers that he took. He would not have taken the time to write all of those letters that make up a significant part of the New Testament. Quotation from the article, quote, it says a 2014 paper in the Journal of Applied Sports Psychology found that athletes who expressed more gratitude towards their coaches and also with life in general had higher self-esteem two months and six months later compared to those who weren't as openly thankful. Here's a little test for you. Go back and look at the last 25 emails that you've sent. Doesn't matter who you sent it to. Just go back to your send folder and look at the last 25 emails that you sent. Is it laced with phrases like, thank you for the kind words? Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Thank you for serving in some way. Thank you for responding to this or that. When we look at our emails, will we see that we reflect gratitude towards others in the way that we respond to them or will it reflect something else? One of the things my wife has always been very helpful with is civilizing me.

When we eat and we taught our children this and this certainly wasn't the way I was brought up, when we say, excuse me, would you be kind enough to give me the salt? Thank you. Now, you may say, what's the big deal about that? Well, I didn't grow up in that guy. I grew up in a family who was like, pass me the salt. Like a group of Neanderthals chewing on a bison or something. So there were no thank yous. There were no appreciation for some simple thing that someone just did for you. But my point is, is that even the simple things we should show an attitude of gratitude. The words, thanks, thank you, I appreciate that, should constantly be rolling off of our tongue to our spouses and our children and our brethren and our co-workers and everyone that we meet in common contact with.

Let's take a look at 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 54.

For the sake of time, we'll actually drop down to verse 57. 1 Corinthians 15, 57, obviously, the context is the second coming of Christ in the wonderful first resurrection that occurs at that time. And he says here, verse 57 of 1 Corinthians 15, But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

He's saying, and this is only possible if you have high self-esteem, to be always abounding doing positive things for other people. Being steadfast and not allowing the latest idea or the latest pet doctrine of somebody's to pull you off track. I'm going to read this from the translation God's word for today, verse 58. So then, brothers and sisters, don't let anyone move you off the foundation of your faith. Always excel in the work you do for the Lord. And I'm telling you here that it takes a positive, healthy self-esteem to excel in what you do. If you feel poorly about yourself, it will be reflected in the work that you do. If you feel poorly about yourself, it will be reflected in the quality of your relationships with other significant people in your life. Continuing, it says, always excel in the work you do for the Lord. You know that the hard work you do for the Lord is not pointless. So again, that was point number three. Gratitude research shows it increases self-esteem. Number four, increased helpfulness and empathy. Increased helpfulness and empathy.

Colossians chapter 3 and verse 12. Let's take a look at another phrase here that Paul writes.

Colossians chapter 3 and verse 12.

Paul wrote here to the congregation, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies. What are tender mercies? That's compassion. Have empathy for other people. Try to put yourself in their shoes to understand what they're going through, where they're coming from. Put on tender mercies kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering. Varying with one another and forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Notice he said you must do it.

Verse 14. But above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which you were called in one body. Oh, and by the way, be thankful, he says. So we can see here that an attitude of gratitude of thankfulness helps to increase our empathy, our desire to help other people, as the research says, and as this scripture certainly confirms. Studies show that gratitude improves relationships and decreases feelings of loneliness. Again, another quote from the article. One 2006 study in the journal Psychological Science found that those who expressed more gratitude were also more likely to help out others. So pro-social behaviors, and they have pro-social and quotation marks, that's what they call it when you're trying to help someone else. Pro-social behaviors are in turn linked to greater happiness. One more quotation from this point in the article. Empathy also apparently increases when people are thankful. A 2012 paper in Social Psychology and Personality Science found that higher levels of gratitude were linked to greater empathy and lowered aggression. Gratitude motivates people to express sensitivity and concern for others, the researchers wrote.

Let's take a look at, go back to the book of Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, at this time, chapter 9 and verse 11. 2 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 11.

I'm going to read this from the New International Version because, unfortunately, the King James and New King James don't translate it very well. 2 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 11. He said, Paul said, you will be made rich in every way so you can be generous on every occasion and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. So having an attitude of gratefulness increases our helpfulness to others, our sensitivity towards others, our level of compassion towards others. Very important behaviors.

The fifth point, final point, is increased resilience. Increased resilience. Of course, resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. It's toughness. When applied to something like a metal or a plastic, it means its ability to spring back to its original shape. Resilience. Romans chapter 8 and verse 28. Romans 8 verse 28.

Paul wrote, and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. So every event in life can work together for good. No matter how painful, no matter how stressful, no matter how frustrating, no matter how angry we may have gotten over something that happened to us fairly or unfairly, if our attitude is good, then it'll work together for good because it's part of God's purpose. And in my life, through the joys and through the sorrows, through the brilliant things that I've done, and through the stupid things that I've done, I have learned through them all, through every experience. It's all been part of God sculpting and changing us and shaving off a little bit here and grinding off a little bit there.

They mold us into the kind of creature, new creature, that He wants us to be. Studies show that gratitude makes us more resilient for recovery from traumatic events and post-traumatic stress. Quote, this is again from the article, in a 2006 study in the journal Behavioral Research and Therapy, scientists found that Vietnam War veterans with high levels of gratitude were more resilient and less impacted by post-traumatic stress disorder. Another 2003 paper in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that people with neuromuscular diseases who kept gratitude journals reported a greater sense of well-being and more positive moods at the end of the study, compared with those who didn't make such lists. Increased resilience. First Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 18. First Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 18.

First Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 18. Paul says, in everything give thanks. He doesn't say the happy things, in the comfortable things, in the joyful things give thanks. No, he says, in everything give thanks because it's all about learning and growing and even the terrible things that happen to us in life. We may not understand why. We may not fully comprehend why, perhaps, for no other reason than for some day in God's kingdom because we experienced that we will be able to comfort others who go through the exact same thing. We don't know why, but God knows why. And again, no matter how terrible and how painful something is, if we realize that all things work together for good to those who love God and those who are called according to his purpose, that everything that happens, everything that is either God's will or he simply allowed, is for our benefit in the long run, even though it may not feel that way at times.

Well, in conclusion, let's remind ourselves where the original concept of thanksgiving originates from and why it should be part of our daily lives and not just simply one day a year. We Americans are very good at enjoying thanksgiving and eating lots of food. And frankly, for many families, extended families, it may be the only day of the entire year where they sit around the table and pray together as a large extended family. But being part of God's church and being God's people, of course, we want an attitude of gratitude to be part of our daily lives, certainly to be part of our families. And the example we set on the job, and certainly also in the Church of God. So where did the example of being thankful, the example of gratitude come from? Where is the example that we should emulate? Well, let's turn to Genesis chapter 1, and we'll see where it comes from. Genesis chapter 1. After each day of creation, God said that it was good.

In verse 4, day 1, he said, it's good. Verse 10, he said, it's good. Verse 12, chapter 1 of Genesis, it's good. Verse 18, it's good. Verse 21, it's good. Verse 25, it's good.

And then verse 31, after he had created humanity, at the end of the sixth day, he said, it is very good. What is God doing? He is expressing gratitude for his creation. It just turned out great. It's beautiful. Look at this world teeming with life. Look at these things that I have created. They're beautiful. It is really good. God is being thankful as he surveys his creation. He's expressing gratitude. So are we emulating that example in our lives? Are we being a grateful people? And the interesting thing is, is right after he says in verse 31 that at totality everything that it was very good, what are the very next words that bring us to the heart and core of what the Sabbath is all about? It says, thus the heavens and the earth and all the hosts of them were finished. And on the seventh day, God entered his work, ended his work in which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. So to sum it up together, one big thank you, a day of rest, the Sabbath. The time to say, ah, the pause that refreshes. That's the gift that God gave us. So for our final scripture today, I would like to read Psalm chapter 95 and verse 2 because I believe that this scripture is the heart and core of the Sabbath. It's something that's worth meditating on and reflecting on this day that we have talked about the importance of gratitude. We have talked about the essential importance of having a thankful heart for all that God has given us. Here's what the psalmist wrote, chapter 95 and verse 2, let us come before his presence with thanksgiving. When we enter this building, we should leave all of our cares and all of our frustrations and all of our burdens outside that door. Here's the bad news. When you leave here, they'll probably still be waiting for you. But while you're with God's people, while you have come before the throne of the great God, come before his presence with an attitude of thanksgiving. Let us shout joyfully to him with psalms, for the Lord is the great God and the great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth, the heights of the hills are his also. The sea is his, for he made it. In his hands formed the dry land, he is the creator.

Verse 6, O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture. We have every right to have healthy self-esteem, because he has made us his people, the sheep of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.

So have a great Sabbath day and let us always remember the importance in every area of our life, in every day and in every way, to have an attitude of gratefulness, an attitude of thanksgiving, for everyone that we meet and every situation that we face, even the difficult ones, to realize that everything happens for a purpose. We should, in spite of what it is, we should always be thankful to God. Have a wonderful Sabbath.