Evidences of God’s Grace: Why We Turn to Gratitude in Times of Trouble
By Movieguide® Staff
In a recent article from The Wall Street Journal, “Is the Secret to Happiness Having a Gratitude Practice?” writer Lane Florsheim discusses how CEOs, celebrities, and athletes relied on, perhaps more now than ever before, daily routines of thanksgiving.
“A surprising unifier has emerged over the last year in WSJ.’s My Monday Morning column, which chronicles the routines and productivity secrets people use to start their weeks: gratitude,” Florsheim wrote.
Florsheim highlighted a variety of celebrities, including author Stephen King, actresses Tracee Ellis Ross and Kate Hudson, Questlove, Nike CEO John Donahoe, and more.
Amid the pandemic, many turned to gratitude to deal with difficult or different circumstances, Florsheim notes.
Dr. Robert A. Emmons, a psychologist and professor at the University of California Davis, adds: “In the face of crises and during troubling times, people rely on positive feelings to cope, and they seem to turn to gratitude more than any other positive emotion.”
For Christians, gratitude and thanksgiving play an essential role in our faith and are so important to God that He exhorts His children to “give thanks” throughout scripture (Psalm 92:1–4, Colossians 3:16–17).
The connection between faith and gratitude is not entirely lost on Florsheim, either.
Florsheim writes:
Gratitude isn’t a new concept or a practice that’s exclusive to celebrities. For one, it’s a tenet of most major religions. In modern times, it was popularized in 1990s self-help books like Simple Abundance: 365 Days to a Balanced and Joyful Life, a bestseller for which its author Sarah Ban Breathnach also created an accompanying The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude. Oprah Winfrey has extolled the virtues of gratitude journaling—writing down things she’s grateful for, which she’s been doing since 1996—numerous times over the years.
Unfortunately, gratitude as the world defines it often means a continued suppression of the truth and reliance on “self help.”
However, should believers discount gratitude from non-believers? Is an attitude of thankfulness bankrupt without a regenerate heart?
While their gratitude cannot bring the “fullness of joy” talked about in Psalm 16:11, thanksgiving is an acknowledgment of God’s common grace to his creation that should remind believers that God made every human in His image (Genesis 1:27, 2 Corinthians 3:18).
Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman, the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center director, highlights this in his secular analysis of happiness and its connection to gratitude.
“Humans are built to attend to the things that go badly in our lives,” Dr. Seligman said. “A lot of the exercises in positive psychology are ways of teaching people to savor and pay attention to what goes well.”
Dr. Seligman hits the nail on the head, whether he intended to or not.
Gratitude is an attempt to answer the question of “How Can I Achieve Happiness?” that God ‘built’ into his image-bearers from Genesis 1.
C.S. Lewis comments on this in his book, A Severe Mercy: “It is a Christian duty, as you know, for everyone to be as happy as he can.”
Biblical gratitude helps the Christian call to mind the greatest grace; God sending His son to die for us and saving us from an eternity of condemnation, void of happiness (John 3:16-18, 2 Peter 1:4).
Biblical gratitude spurs believers to true worship and faith, a deeper relationship with their Creator, leading to the greatest treasure.
Philippians 3:8: “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
Gratitude in life’s “small joys” are not useless. They are reminders that point to a greater good, greater happiness, and a greater thankfulness that this world could never offer.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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