Gratitude has become a popular buzzword within recent years. There’s a lot of talk in psychology circles about thankfulness being good for our mental health, but how can we practice gratitude to grow our spiritual health? If we take a look at Jesus’ actions on the night before He was fatally betrayed, we see that he gave thanks twice. The Bible tells us that ‘after taking the cup, He gave thanks’ and ‘He took bread, [and] gave thanks’ (Luke 22:17;19 NIV). These moments of gratitude might seem simply a matter of habit, similar to saying grace before a meal, but the context makes them so much more important. It was the night before Jesus was about to begin the most difficult and painful process of His life, and He gave thanks for food and drink that He shared with a man who He knew would hand Him over to be killed. Jesus was staring down death and still giving thanks for bread, which is a great example for us. When things are the hardest, we should take time to give thanks for anything and everything. If bread is the only positive thing in front of us, we should do our upmost to be grateful for it. Proverbs 17:22 says that ‘a cheerful heart is good medicine’ (NIV), and those moments of thankfulness can be so important to connect us back to God, through a glimpse of joy in even the darkest times. When we find even the smallest amount of joy through gratitude, our hearts can begin to heal. Giving thanks helps to maintain our spiritual health by giving us glimpses of God, and moments of connection with Him, no matter where we are.

What Now?

Set aside 10 minutes before your next meal to make a ‘gratitude list’. Write down the first 5 things that come to mind that you’re grateful for. Spend the rest of that time praying over the list, giving thanks to God for each point.