The Gratitude that creates Joy

A few weeks ago, I talked about how my grandpa, papa, passed away.  This was something that was really hard for me.  The weekend after was really hard, especially because it was so unexpected. However, something I tried to do that first weekend was remember some of the good times I had with my papa.  (That was also why I made sure to write my blog about my papa right away).  I tried really hard and was fairly successful to stay grateful and joyful, even amidst my personal tragedy.  I  even found a t-shirt of mine that my mom gave me that said, “Today, I am grateful.”  I made sure to wear it that weekend to serve as a reminder to stay grateful for what I had with my papa as well as the many things that I still have.  

The Bible has quite a few verses, specifically in the Psalms that state to “give thanks to the Lord…”   Psalm 118:1 is one of those verses that says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” What a beautiful and simple verse! There are times that I believe I get to thinking about all the things that I want from the Lord.  I want him to cure me of my anxiety, I want my family to heal, I want some people I know that aren’t Christians to become Christians.   Now I do believe that God loves to hear these deep thoughts of ours.  He wants to know where our heart is and what the desires of our hearts are, but at the same time , we should always be aware of the things that the Lord has already done for us, and the surplus of objects that he has given us.  

In college, I was challenged to write down five things that I am grateful for everyday in a journal.  I started writing these down in a little black journal that is solely filled with dates and the five things that I am grateful for that day.  I developed the mentality of, “If God took away everything you didn’t thank him for, what would you lose?”  This has made me think of a lot of things that I am thankful for, even when they are really, really, small things, and the things that I take for granted on a daily basis.  I one time wrote down that I was thankful for water bottles.  This, of course, also includes big things such as thanking him for a successful surgery and my family members.  

There has been quite a bit of research that has shown that gratitude can definitely improve psychological health as it can help decrease depression and stress as well as help sleep better at nights.  Because one is thinking about how blessed they are or the things that they are grateful for, there are less of the problems plaguing one’s society laying on the mind.  I am not here to say that writing down things you are grateful for will cure anxiety and depression, but it is something that has helped many people to work through their anxiety and depression. Besides that, there is more research being done to see if being grateful will increase a person’s physical wellbeing.  The science isn’t out yet, so I can’t say that keeping a grateful journal will help people become physically healthy, but there is some connection that research has found that says those who keep a grateful journal have reduced stomach aches, nausea, frequently less headaches, and clearer skin.  

Similarly to being grateful, the Lord tells us many times throughout the Bible that we are to be filled with joy.  Many times people want to assume that joyfulness is the same thing as happiness.  I would argue that while happiness is an emotion that is similar to joyfulness, it is not the same thing.  The joy we have in the Lord is not even comparable to worldly happiness.  Happiness is easily persuaded.  We aren’t always happy or in a good mood.    Being joyful is a daily choice that isn’t always easy. This joy isn’t filled with things of this world, but rather what the Lord has provided for us. 1 Samuel 2:1A says, “The Lord has filled my heart with joy; I feel very strong in the Lord.”  Again, when my grandpa died,  I couldn’t stop crying, and I was definitely not “happy,” in a traditional sense.  However, God has filled me up with everlasting joy.  This joy includes my love for my grandpa.  That joy stayed even as I was in deep sorrow.   

My challenge for you this week, (whatever week you are reading this) is to try to write down five things that you are grateful for.  This can be done in the morning, right before bed, during lunch, whenever.  This can also be a list of notes in your phone, in a journal, a sheet on the fridge, anywhere.  Maybe you will discover that this exercise is one that you really enjoy and start to make this your own healthy daily habit.  Gratefulness can uplift our spirits and keep up the joy that we have in Christ alive and well in our bodies.  I pray that you will find a great deal of gratefulness, and the Lord will continue to fill your heart with Joy.