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It has been proven scientifically that gratitude produces very positive effects, creating a culture of gratitude which can encourage others to also be thankful. So let’s develop a gratitude muscle—putting practices in place in your life that cause you to focus on all you have to be thankful for.
The Bible long ago established our need for gratitude. Do you remember that in the Old Testament the people of Israel gave thank offerings? Interestingly, the thank offering was a free will offering (Leviticus 22:19), meaning that even under the law, God did not require his people to be thankful. He always longed that thank offerings would be the spontaneous response of the hearts of his people to his goodness.
Do you remember the story in the Bible when Jesus healed ten lepers? Leprosy was a horrible disease in that day, and to be cured of it was almost unheard of. So, when Jesus healed these ten lepers, you would think they would be extremely thankful. But how many of those ten lepers returned to thank Jesus? Here’s what Luke tells us:
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:15-18)
How could the other nine never even bother thanking Jesus for their freedom from leprosy? But then I ask myself, how many times have I taken the blessings of Jesus for granted and failed to give him thanks and praise for what he has done?
Here’s my challenge: Think of one time when the Lord has done something wonderful for you, and even though you may have thanked him before, this time write your thanksgiving on paper. Put it in your journal, type it from your laptop—whatever works for you. But the important thing is to take time and put your words of gratitude in writing to God. Remember, gratitude rewires your brain, but more importantly, it develops your gratitude muscle.