The Mayo Clinic reports that expressing gratitude is associated with a host of mental and physical benefits. They say if there were a pill that would give these benefits, then everyone would be taking it.
Studies have shown that being thankful can improve mood, sleep, and even immunity. It can decrease depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and disease risk.
Your spiritual health affects your physical health. God’s word told us to be thankful long before Harvard and Mayo caught on.
Even better, the people to whom you show thanksgiving and appreciation reap mental and physical benefits as well. From a worldly point of view, clearly, we should practice being thankful to at least have its benefits for ourselves and those around us.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6, NASB – Emphasis mine).
As Christians, we have the most to be thankful for of anyone! We are God’s children, heirs according to promise, our home is in heaven! We have many of the same problems common to the world, but we are given the hope and the expectation of eternal glory with God our Father in heaven. We are blessed far superseding any bad thing going on here in this life. So, from a Christian point of view, we should be thankful to God as a natural reaction to our exceedingly great blessings.
Our nation has designated this week as a time to be thankful to God. Let’s all be especially aware of our blessings and especially vigilant to be grateful to Him.
It is good to be thankful in general. Thankful to everyone with whom you come in contact (and yes this includes your spouse and siblings). Let’s do this every day as we rise, as we go on our way, and as we lie down at night. Make this your habit… it’s the right thing to do and you will be glad you did!
(See also Colossians 4:2, Hebrews 12:28, 2 Corinthians 9:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Colossians 3:15-17, et.al.)