Did you know that your thoughts can change your physiology? According to recent studies, you can change the very neural structures of your brain just by focusing your thoughts on certain things! This is such a powerful discovery because it shows that dwelling on good things can have a hugely positive impact on our bodies. It also means dwelling on negative things can have an equally powerful negative impact on us. There is a reason the Bible tells us to set our minds on the things above (Col 3:2).
I know how hard it is sometimes to set my mind on the things above–or at least to not dwell on everything that’s going wrong in the world or in my life. Sometimes we need a regular reminder or practice to bring our minds back. That is where gratitude comes in. We are reminded in different places in the Bible to be thankful. For example, Psalm 100 says to: “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” And later in Psalm 118:29, we are told to “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever.” It’s one thing to be told that we SHOULD be thankful. It’s an entirely different thing to understand why. But that is exactly what I want to look at.
Remember that scientific research I mentioned earlier? According to those same studies, practicing gratitude can actually make a person feel content and happy. It can literally cause the release of certain hormones that boost the immune system. You could actually potentially get sick less if you express gratitude more! Other studies have said that gratitude can change the way you see yourself and the world around you. It can boost resilience and emotional strength. God really knew what He was doing when he made our brains. Not only will thankfulness make us happier and stronger, but it comes as a by-product of a relationship with Him. Colossians 2:7 says, “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” When we are rooted in Him we naturally feel grateful for His mercy and love and that gratitude causes happiness and resiliency. What an amazing cycle!
So how can we harness this amazing science and hack our brains a little bit? Well, we know that when we constantly think about the negative, that’s all we will see, all we will notice. So we need to create a habit or practice that shifts our focus to the good things. A few years ago, I got a really cool idea from a friend. She was telling me about her “Good Things Jar”. Anytime anything good happened in her life, she’d write it on a piece of paper and put it into the Good Things Jar. At the end of the year, she’d dump them out and relive all of the happy memories from the previous year. And then she’d leave the jar empty and ready for a new year of good things. I decided to try this. I got a plain glass jar and set it in a place I knew I would see it every day. Next to the jar I placed a stack of different colored sticky notes and a pen. I knew I’d be more likely to do it if it were convenient. That year, I eagerly looked for things I could write down and put in my jar. It became a habit for me to notice the little things and a joy to write them down and drop them in my jar. I still have all the notes from that year in a little bag I can go back and relive. So, if you’re having a hard time focusing on the good, consider a Good Things Jar. This year is almost over, so it might be the perfect time to get ready to start a lovely new habit like this and start pumping your smart little brain for all the benefits of noticing the good, and thanking our Creator for them.
With all that being said, we here at Messiah Texas want to take a minute to express how grateful we are for all of you. We wouldn’t be what we are nor be able to do the things we do without all of your prayers and support. We would put each and every one of your names into our Good Things Jar if we could. So thank you and have a beautiful Thanksgiving.
