25 Benefits of Gratitude
Thanksgiving is this week and we see countless reminders to express our gratitude. As Christians, a spirit of thankfulness year-round is encouraged as a way of glorifying God for all He has done for us and rightfully so. But there's more to it. Below you will find a list of 25 benefits of gratitude with a surprising outcome.
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
We are given gratitude exercises and stories to invoke those feelings if we don’t already feel it.
So I was looking for something a little different as I was preparing this post. In my research I came upon a chart with 25 benefits of gratitude on a blog entitled Happier Human.
The benefits are divided into 5 categories: emotional, social, career, health and personality, all of which result in greater happiness. In my view, the most important aspect of this is to give God the glory for making it all possible.
benefits of gratitude by category
Emotional Benefits
More relaxed feeling
We become more resilient
We feel good more often
We are less envious
We possess happier memories
Social Benefits
We become more social
We have a happier marriage
We become kinder
We’re able to develop more friendships
The relationships we have become deeper and more meaningful
Career Benefits
We become better managers
Our networking skills improve
We strengthen our focus on goal achievement
Our decision making abilities improve
We experience increased productivity
Gratitude Exercise ... Just for fun
Each evening at bedtime, write down three things that went well that day. Also provide a causal explanation for each item you list. Do this for a period of one week.
It has been reported that this exercise increases life satisfaction so much for those who participate that they keep doing it after the initial week ends.
Health Benefits
Improved sleep
Stronger immune system hence greater wellness
Our longevity increases
We get more exercise
Our energy level increases
Personality Benefits
We become more optimistic
We’re less materialistic
We become less self-centered
Our self-esteem increases
We become more spiritual
Ah … so there is a beautiful and quite surprising reward of increased spirituality and closeness to God. Interesting.
The list author, Amit Amin, a self-described non-Christian, had compiled the results from 40 scientific studies about the benefits of gratitude. Yet he concluded gratitude makes us more spiritual.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
James 1:17
So while God may encourage our gratitude, He does it to build relationship with us as well as provide countless other benefits for us and our world.
Gratitude is a choice. It improves our daily lives.
Marelisa Fabrega wrote this story on her blog, Daring to Live Fully:
“There was a man named John Kralik who felt that everything was going wrong in his life. That’s when he decided to set a New Year’s resolution of writing 365 thank you notes, one for each day of the year.
He spent the entire year looking for people he could thank, including the barista at Starbucks, his daughter’s teacher, the people at his office, and so on. By the end of the year he discovered that this gratitude exercise had transformed his life.”
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!"
Psalm 107:1
Today and everyday, we here at PCCCA, pray for you and are grateful for YOU!
Have you given deliberate thought to developing a lifestyle of gratitude? If not, you can begin now. I would love to hear what you are grateful for this year. Please post your comments below to share them with me. At the same time you'll touch the lives of our thousands of readers who will be blessed by your words.
Want to be in my book?
If you have been blessed by my work or any of our courses (free or tuition-paid) here at PCCCA, I would love for you to appear in the SECOND EDITION of my book to share God's goodness in your life. You will find all the details HERE. The second edition is being published soon, so don't wait.
Love and blessings,
Dr. Leelo Bush
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