Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
because his mercy endures forever.
2Give thanks to the God of gods
because his mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:1-2 GWT
According to a study conducted by UCLA Health, gratitude reduces stress hormones (yes, those gnarly ones that affect our weight) and increases mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, significantly easing depression symptoms. Imagine that, gratitude is an anti-depressant.
The American Brain Foundation reveals that focusing on the present moment counteracts the amygdala’s (that’s the part of our brain that regulates emotions, survival instincts – fight, flight, fawn, freeze – and our memory) stress reactivity and helps calm the sympathetic nervous system. Wow! We have a built-in system for counteracting anxiety that is enhanced by gratitude.
A Harvard study determined that when practiced on a regular basis, gratitude has a direct impact on our cardiovascular health and lowers our overall blood pressure.
The jury is in on this one, Sister, with basic lifestyle benefits such as reduced tension (or better management of it), improved quality of sleep, and improved immune system function, gratitude takes us to that next level of better overall health without having to get a prescription.
The Book of Psalms is full of the praises sung aloud by many, especial our beloved king David himself. The first recorded song in the Bible was the praise song of the freed Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. Thank you, Miriam (Moses’ sister) for leading the band.
While it’s much easier to raise praise when things are going really well, what happens when we find ourselves in a slump, a ditch, a pit, a prison, facing a horrible disease or illness, in the midst of grief, in the fetal position mourning the death of a dream or relationship or loved one?
I will always thank the Lord;
I will never stop praising him. Psalm 34:1 GNT
That very same king David penned Psalm 34 which ignites in praise while David is on the run from Saul who is hunting him down. Gratitude does that: empowers you to face the hard stuff of life knowing that you’re on the winning side. In the face of great adversity, gratitude still anchors the soul in truth.
16Be joyful always, 17pray at all times, 18be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 GNT
In one of his letters to the newly formed church in Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul wrote under heavy and watchful eyes of the Roman empire the urge to continue in constant gratitude in all circumstances (and his were of persecution and threat of death) and situations because Paul was proclaiming that Jesus our Savior is greater and more powerful than any of the false gods in that region.
This is the heart of the worship and praise song I share with you today, Friend. When you know the risen Lord, you’ve got a reason to be beyond grateful ~ because you (and He) know what your former life was like and Jesus changed all that for you moving forward.
It is my prayer that you are able to join in on the party and genuinely sing these words knowing that they apply to you. In Christ, you are a NEW creation ~ not a better version of the old, but a brand new person. Those circumstances that surround you ~ they’ll always hang around, and they’ll go chameleon on you from time to time just to keep you wondering. The way you view and respond to them ~ that’s where you’ve got the power to raise praise while on the battlefield of life.
But GOD ~ He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. Fact.
Perhaps you’ve gone a little dry in your relationship with the Lord and need to have that one-to-One conversation about fixing that. He’s already waiting for you to make the first move to sit down with Him (or go for a walk, bike ride, treadmill run, whatever allows for you to talk and listen).
I’m sure your gratitude will elevate your attitude when it’s all said and done …
I love you to Heaven and Back, Girlfriend ~
LindaRJohnson, TitusTwo Visionary
*Thank you to The Belonging Co for this.
