News Flash

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1Thessalonians 5:18

Reading the passage above, I’ll bet you had one of two reactions:

1. a). Sure, sounds simple.
2. b). Yeah, right. You don’t know my life.

If you thought “yeah, right,” would it make it any easier to heed the author’s advice if you knew that he had endured thirty-nine lashes five different times, been beaten by rods three times, pelted with stones, shipwrecked three times, stranded at sea, almost drowned, and was often on the run from dangerous bandits, enemies, and even friends? 

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:24-26 that he endured all these things. Later, to add insult to injury, he was bitten by a poisonous snake, imprisoned, and executed. Yet through it all, he was able to give thanks to God. 

God clearly communicated to Paul thousands of years ago that gratitude was His will for us, that it could powerfully change our lives. It seems that science is starting to prove Him right.  There’s been a recent surge of gratitude research, particularly by Dr. Robert Emmons out of UC Davis. 

Here’s a summary of his findings, pulled right from his website:

• In an experimental comparison, those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

• A related benefit was observed in the realm of personal goal attainment: Participants who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period compared to subjects in the other experimental conditions.

• A daily gratitude intervention (self-guided exercises) with young adults resulted in higher reported levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared to a focus on hassles or a downward social comparison (ways in which participants thought they were better off than others). 

• Participants in the daily gratitude condition were more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to another, relative to the hassles or social comparison condition.

• In a sample of adults with neuromuscular disease, a 21-day gratitude intervention resulted in greater amounts of high energy positive moods, a greater sense of feeling connected to others, more optimistic ratings of one’s life, and better sleep duration and sleep quality, relative to a control group.

• Children who practice grateful thinking have more positive attitudes toward school and their families (Froh, Sefick, & Emmons, 2008).

These are pretty powerful conclusions!  Do you realize that with your 3 O’Clock reminders, you are participating in a “gratitude intervention” every day?  Your daily thankfulness is unlocking all of these benefits.  If you haven’t started yet, then I urge you to try the first two things on Dr. Emmons’ list. 

Start recording what you’re doing and thankful for at 3pm every day. You can keep a journal, write it down on your phone’s notepad or even on a piece of scrap paper. You can also take a photo or text yourself. Consider linking up with a few friends and sharing your gratitude list.

I was recently looking through one of my old gratitude journals, when I realized God had used a tough time in my life to restore an important relationship. Looking back, I can now see how thanking God helped get me through it. 

So let’s follow God’s timeless Word and what science is proving to be extremely beneficial in our lives: Give Thanks Every Day No Matter What!

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement