Thankfulness: The Key to a Sound Mind!

Usually, when someone prescribes an exact formula for a specific spiritual result, I note that there are exceptions. However, this one principle—I haven’t seen it fail to produce its desired result!

Choosing to be thankful!

Training yourself to give thanks, if you apply yourself to it, will result in increased joy, contentment, and peace of mind. Of course, this isn’t a “fix-all,” but a daily discipline of writing out things you are grateful for should be incorporated into every other mental health tool you use.

Scientifically, thankfulness is shown to increase dopamine and serotonin, decrease cortisol production, lower stress, and boost your mood. A study on individuals who wrote weekly gratitude letters reported better mental health in just three weeks compared to those who only received counseling or journaled their negative emotions.

This makes sense why God prescribes thanksgiving as a crucial part of our Christian lives!

• 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us that “giving thanks in all things” is “the will of God for our lives.”
• Philippians 4:6 teaches that the key to overcoming anxiety and rejoicing always is to make our prayers known to God—with thanksgiving.
• Hebrews 13:15 and many Psalms admonish us to “offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving,” showing that giving thanks can be hard and may require emotional sacrifice.

If thankfulness becomes a disciplined part of your worship to God, the context of these verses shows that the result will be learning to be content, experiencing less anxiety, gaining the ability to rejoice, and—according to Ephesians 5:18-20—living a Spirit-filled life!

Incorporate writing 10 things you are thankful for every day to strengthen your mental health!

Joel Bomberger
@joelbomb