Discover the power of gratitude for spiritual growth with these tips to help you develop a life of peace, love, & joy.
At the end of our road there is a giant “Danger: Do Not Enter” sign. Trees and bushes have grown up all around, so the area looks uninhabited and a bit scary.
People frequently wander down this road, but when they see the big “Do Not Enter Sign,” they turn around and go away.
There are things in our lives that lift up a “Danger: Do Not Enter” sign to God and the people around us.
But the power of gratitude is a key to tearing down those “Do Not Enter” signs in our lives.
Gratitude is such a powerful concept in our personal spiritual growth. In fact, gratitude is one of THE most important keys to spiritual growth.
Cultivating a life of gratitude is not always easy, but it is important.
Thankfulness is THE key to help you get rid of the “Do Not Enter” signs you may not even know are hindering your progress.
In this article, I look at 7 Biblical benefits of gratitude to help you grow in your relationship with God and other people.
7 Reasons to Be Thankful to God
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thes 5:18).
1. One of the Spiritual Benefits of Gratitude Is That We Train Our Minds to Think As God Thinks
During the covid lockdowns, many people went months focused on basic survival without interacting with other people.
Many of us forgot to be thankful to God or other people in the middle of our difficulties.
Gratitude is not automatic. To have a thankful heart, we must cultivate thankfulness.
We are not born with a thankful attitude. For example, we teach toddlers to say “please” and “thank you.” We must learn to be thankful through practice and experience.
In our fallen human nature, we can be like a toddler. We complain, push, and shove to get our own way. Then we blame others for everything.
Furthermore, our toddler nature makes us feel bad and makes everyone around us feel bad as well.
We must make an effort to practice gratitude daily because even good habits can easily slip away.
Learning to practice gratitude is an exercise (discipline) that trains our minds toward goodness rather than negativity.
We train our minds to think in possibilities because God thinks in possibilities.
2. One of the Reasons to Be Thankful is That A Thankful Heart Brings Contentment and Peace
Gratitude has the power to bring contentment and peace to our lives.
Just think of Eve in the Garden of Eden. She lived in paradise with everything she could possibly want or need.
Thus, she must have lost her gratitude and allowed discontent to enter her heart, or she never would have been tempted with forbidden fruit.
Eve was tempted to have more, to know more–to be like God.
Now think about this, she could have taken her discontent and desires to her Creator Father.
He would have shown her she was already a daughter of God made in His image with everything of His at her disposal.
Ingratitude is the door to dissatisfaction.
Yet, a thankful heart is closely connected to trust in God’s ways, contentment, and peace.
3. Another Benefit of Gratitude is that it Opens Our Eyes to See From God’s Point of View
There are good things all around us if we have eyes to see them.
Our vision can be clouded by the seemingly insurmountable problems and negativity that surround us.
Rather than seeing our circumstances like God sees them, we tend to focus on the negative. We can change that, though.
Even when we do go through difficult times, we can learn to see those situations like God sees them if we ask for His viewpoint.
Gratitude opens our eyes to the possibilities and wonders of life around us in all circumstances.
It boosts our confidence, gives us courage, and reminds us that each day is a gift from God.
The power of gratitude transforms sadness and discouragement into encouragement.
Gratitude opens our eyes to abundant possibilities instead of limited ones.
We learn to view the world from God’s point of view!
4. Thankfulness Opens Our Hearts to Faith and Expectation
Thankfulness opens the door of our hearts to expectation.
When we are truly thankful God provided groceries today, we can trust he will provide groceries tomorrow.
If we are thankful for the job he provided today, we know he can provide another one, if need be, tomorrow.
When we are thankful for the opportunities God has given us, we can believe for new opportunities.
The Bible tells us to be thankful for everything in every circumstance (1 Thess 5:18).
Why would God give us more if we don’t appreciate what he’s already given?
Why would he release more when we are complaining about what we have?
We thank God today, knowing that if He provided today, then we can trust Him for tomorrow also.
Being thankful builds our faith and opens our minds and spirits to the possibilities for the future.
5. One Spiritual Benefit of Gratitude Is That It Helps Us Connect More Deeply with God
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise” (Psa 100:4; 150:1).
Giving thanks is closely linked with praise. Giving thanks is the state of mind that releases praise.
In other words, praise comes from a heart of gratitude.
The more gratitude we develop in our hearts, the deeper we are able to connect with God in praise.
We make more room for Him in the residence of our hearts.
Thankfulness is a heart stance that results in praise.
A life of true worship begins in a heart of gratitude.
6. Gratitude and Praise are the Gates Into God’s Presence
“You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon [inhabit] the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3).
Psalms 22:3 indicates that God takes up residence in the place where praise dwells.
The Lord lives in the middle of praise. Heaven is a place of continual worship of God, both day and night (Rev 4:8).
When we learn to dwell in an attitude of continual worship, we learn to dwell in the atmosphere of heaven on earth.
So, the doorway into more of God’s presence in our lives means maintaining an attitude of thanksgiving and praise.
7. The Power of Gratitude will Get Us to Our Destiny in God
If we are grateful, we know we are in God’s will for our lives. You do not have to worry about getting in God’s will.
We have so many reasons to be thankful to God. He is big enough to get us to where we are supposed to be if we live a life of gratitude and continue to give thanks in all circumstances.
However, to God it is like you have a great big “Do Not Enter” or “No Trespassing” sign on your life if you have bitterness, unforgiveness, or a critical and complaining attitude.
We must simply loose all that negative stuff from our souls if we want God to work inside us and in our lives.
All that negativity keeps you from receiving the good things God wants to pour out on you!
God won’t force His blessings on you!
And when your thoughts are full of complaining and negativity it screams “No Trespassing” to God!
Yet a thankful heart stands wide open, expecting all the wonderful blessings God desires to bless you with.
He wants you to succeed in life and in your relationships! His thoughts toward you are good!
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jer 29:11).
Also See: 7 Things That Hinder Spiritual Growth
Truly being Blessed by the posts of Treasures and Pleasures Along Our Path. The added posts of The Power of Gratitude 7 Steps for Spiritual Growth and 7 Things that Hinders Growth are so Helpful. Also, read the post “Why God Has Not answered my Prayer,”truly being spiritually FED. Praise God, Bless Jesus, Thank You Holy Spirit for the Anointed Teaching of Dr.Johnson. Will continue to read the other posts. Thank you.
The Power of Gratitude. My spirit is always lifted anytime I visit your site. Gratitude, I believe will make a nobody become somebody great in the Lord. On this note, I would humbly like to share a link in relation with this subject. https://viqlate.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-force-of-thanksgiving-3-pillars-of.html. May God continue to bless your noble institution.