We know it feels good to be thankful and grateful, but wouldn’t it be a lot easier if life just went how we wanted? When life gets hard and disappointments crowd in, fighting to stay grateful doesn’t really seem worth it. Actually, it’s easier and more natural to stay upset, frustrated, or disappointed. So why fight to be grateful? This week, Pastor Sean gives 3 benefits to staying grateful.

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MESSAGE NOTES

According to a couple of PhD’s at University of California and University of Miami, there are PHYSICAL consequences connected to your attitude of gratitude

  • More physically active and less sick days
  • Lower levels of fatigue and inflammation (correlates to better heart health)
  • Less anxiety, less depression
  • Increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex, meaning an increased positive and supportive attitude toward others and a feeling of relief from stress
  • The effect 3 months later was they were more psychologically protective. In adolescents, an inverse correlation with bullying victimization and suicide risk.
  • Affects brain function on a chemical level and its practice promotes feelings of self-worth and compassion for others.
  • Openness and willingness to experience gratitude affects not only the individual but had positive affect on her/his interpersonal relationships

 

  1. Gratitude is an Antidote

 

What happens when I’m NOT grateful

  • I’m jealous of YOURS
  • I want what you have
  • I wish I was more like YOU

 

“For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.”

‭‭[James‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬]

 

 

“Surely resentment destroys the fool, and jealousy kills the simple. I have seen that fools may be successful for the moment, but then comes sudden disaster. Their children are abandoned far from help; they are crushed in court with no one to defend them. The hungry devour their harvest, even when it is guarded by brambles. The thirsty pant after their wealth. But evil does not spring from the soil, and trouble does not sprout from the earth. People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭5:2-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

 

 

“If I were you, I would go to God and present my case to him. He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles.” ‭‭

[Job‬ ‭5:8-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬]

 

2. Gratitude will Give you Peace

 

When we trust that God loves us and has given us what we need, it changes how we feel about everything.

 

 

“He gives rain for the earth and water for the fields. He gives prosperity to the poor and protects those who suffer. 

‭‭Job‬ ‭5:10-11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

 

 

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

‭‭[Philippians‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬]

 

 

There is a peace that settles in your heart when you trust God, when you go to him and then THANK HIM for taking care of you!

 

 

“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

‭‭[Philippians‬ ‭4:11-13‬ ‭NLT]‬‬

 

 

3. Gratitude Leads us Back to Jesus

 

 

“As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.”

[‭‭Luke‬ ‭17:12-16‬ ‭NLT]

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“You have to decide whether or not your trust him enough to obey him.”

 

  • In what area of your life are you losing peace, sleep, happiness or contentment?
  • That’s probably the area where you need to demonstrate a little bit of faith

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Application Questions

1. What stood out to you from this message and why?

2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?

3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?

4. How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?