Dedicate Yourself to Thankfulness (Colossians 3:17)

According to well established research, cultivating an “attitude of gratitude” clearly demonstrates a boost in happiness, more energy, hopefulness, and an increase in more frequent positive emotions. Regular, mindful practice of this exercise is important in deriving the full benefits of the practice. This exercise goes beyond just “counting” your blessings to examine what you might have done that contributed to this blessing and to then connect this blessing to the giver of all that is good, God himself.

Complete this exercise every night, either in written form or as a mental exercise. Ask yourself what three things (or more) happened in your day for which you feel blessed to receive/experience. Next, think about what you might have done that contributed to this blessing. Identifying your role, does not overlook the reality of God’s grace and involvement that is present in the smallest of details in our lives. Some people like to use a gratitude journal for this type of exercise. Use your creativity in adapting this exercise to your personality, circumstances, and needs.

By doing this faithfully, you should notice a shift in your thinking and mood. Consider setting a goal of doing this for one month, designed as an experiment, and upon its completion you will take account of its benefits and decide on whether to continue or not.


Journal Entry: MY BLESSING
What contributed to this…



For those scientifically minded folks, check out this great research supporting the benefits of dedicating yourself to thankfulness.

• Expressing gratitude has a short-term positive effect (several weeks) on happiness levels (up to a 25% increase). Those who are typically or habitually grateful are happier than those who aren't habitually grateful. Park, N. Peterson, C. and Seligman, M. (2004). "Strengths of character and well-being among youth," Unpublished manuscript, U. of Rhode Island.
• People who noted weekly the things they were grateful for increased their happiness levels 25% over people who noted their complaints or were just asked to note any events that had occurred during the week. Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377-389
• A study was done by Martin Seligman and Jeff Levy with people who scored as severely depressed in a depression inventory. Participants were instructed to recall and write down three good things that happened each day for 15 days. 94% of them went from severely depressed to mildly to moderately depressed during that time. Cited in Authentic Happiness, Seligman, Martin E. P., 2002, NY: Free Press.