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It always amuses me to see how science often catches up with the Bible. Recently I read an article entitled “Gratitude Rewires Your Brain.” When I saw the title, I thought, Well, yeah—that’s been a Bible truth for ages.
In 2014 a physicist wrote, “We are now entering the golden age of neuroscience. We have learned more about the thinking brain in the last ten to fifteen years than in all of previous human history.” So, in studying the brain, these scientists are discovering how God created us, and how living in harmony with his principles improves all parts of our lives, including our brains—how we think!
This article goes on to say that being grateful is far more significant to our mental health and well-being than we may realize. Studies have shown that performing simple gratitude leads to better sleep, improved interpersonal relationships, less stress and even reduced physical pain. The article concludes that “the more practice you give your brain at feeling and expressing gratitude, the more it adapts to this mind-set…a sort of gratitude ‘muscle’ that can be exercised and strengthened.”
I love this thought of creating a gratitude muscle. I’ve often talked about building your spiritual muscles, and you do that through God’s Word, prayer, fellowship with other believers, etc. So, I think it would be very helpful for all of us to be intentional about creating a gratitude muscle.
If you want to rewire your brain with gratitude and create a gratitude muscle, there are some specific and easy things you can do to make this happen. Let’s begin with the Scripture that tells us to build this gratitude muscle:
Colossians 2:6-7: So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Your faith will be strengthened as you grow that gratitude muscle!