Benefits of being grateful

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24

There are benefits to being grateful. While there may be some challenges that come up when experiencing depression and anxiety; being grateful creates an experience in you of being more positive. When you are more positive you often look at the glass half full, rather than half empty. A grateful person experiences the glass as having something, whether half full or half empty; there is something in the glass.

1. Being grateful reinforces community

2. Being grateful increases optimism

3. Being grateful improves automatic positive thinking

Being grateful reinforces community...

Grateful people tend to seek out and spend their time around others that are grateful. People who feel appreciated are more likely to appreciate others. Members of a community care for one another in a more intimate way. Because the goals of one, become the goals of the whole. Think about a time that you were grateful, it was sure to be accepted and appreciated by the other person. Showing gratitude towards others, has the potential to lead to lasting relationships. Saying "thank you," goes a long way. Equally so, people want to be around happy people. And typically grateful people are happy people.

Being grateful increases optimism...

Grateful people tend to be more positive because they view experiences on the brighter side of things. You might say that being pessimistic is the road to toxicity. Increased gratitude leads to a more positive outlook on overall well-being. Anxiety is the perception of how things are, typically seen in the form of worry or negativity. By changing the perspective of a situation from pessimistic to optimistic, there is a chance of decreasing the anxiety. This gives you the chance to see something with hopefulness. Depression tends to lead you down the road of negativity. Again through an optimistic lens, you can change that direction to one with more hope and a positive outlook.

Being grateful improves automatic positive thinking...

This continues the benefit of being more optimistic. As you train your brain to take a more positive perspective, your initial responses will in turn become positive. This does not mean that you will not experience the bad, it means that the automatic reaction to a situation will be first positive and open to alternative perspectives. You will attempt to find something good in a situation before you deem it bad. Deceasing automatic negative thinking is a common theme when discussing ways of managing depression and anxiety. By increasing automatic positive thinking you essentially decrease the opportunity for negative thoughts to take hold of you.

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 12:25-27

That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individual members fo it.

Psalm 118:24

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Reflection:

Explore how your community is part of you and how you are part of your community.

What are you most hopeful for? What steps do you need to take today to get closer to there?

How would challenging moments be different if you were able to initially experience the positive perspective before a negative one?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I come to You with hope. I come to You with thanks. Lord as I sit here and reflect on these moments in my life where I was low in thanksgiving, I find that You were there to remind me of all that I have. Lord fill me now with reminders of what I have in my life so that as I go forth I can remind others, through my actions and praise of You. Lord thank you for all that I have, the opportunity to be in the presence of Your grace and Your mercy. Lord thank you for bringing me here, where I can reflect on my life through my growing relationship with myself, but most importantly through my growing relationship with You. In all of this and the prayers written on my heart. Amen.