The Power of Gratitude
Is it natural for humans to focus on all the good things they have or instead on all the things they don’t have? It is the latter. And it is a recipe for discontent, depression, and despair, per Gregory Jantz. He wrote an excellent article on “The Healing Power of Gratitude” in The Epoch Times this November. It is from that article that several of the following points are made.
So why be grateful in a world that is so depressing at times? Why incorporate it into our daily lives? Gratitude is the antidote for every toxic thing that comes into our lives. It fosters optimism, which strengthens hope, much lacking in our society today. There is a body of research that demonstrates how gratitude enhances our well-being. It improves self-esteem, better sleep, boosts immunity, decreases depression, reduces anxiety, and stronger relationships.
Some people keep a gratitude journal. They record at least three things per day they are thankful for. People who continue this activity score 25% higher on surveys that measure happiness. They also sleep a half-hour longer most nights. Grateful people exercise 33% more every week than unthankful people.
Gratitude is something we can control. It is a deliberate attitude. When we do, we often find that hope, courage, joy, and contentment rise, shifting our focus from negative to positive. Gratitude reveals the bright side in dark times. Today, we live in dark times, don’t we? So how do we start? Here are a few ideas to get started as shared by the article’s author referenced above.
- Notice the small moments that bring you joy.
- Keep a gratitude journal. List 3 blessings in your life and describe how they enrich you.
- Take a fresh look at friends and family. Count your blessings for those who love and support you.
- Celebrate creativity. Be grateful you live in such a rich and textured creative culture.
- Make daily rituals memorable. Sit and enjoy your morning coffee rather than quaffing it down as you hurry out the door.
- Look at the world through a child’s eyes. Don’t fret about the future or dwell in the past. Appreciate the present moment, with all of its opportunities and pleasures.
- Give a compliment to someone. Write down what you appreciate about that individual and the quality you admire.
- Pray or meditate. Shut out a noisy world and focus personal thoughts on God rather than yourself.
- Mine today for possibility. Every day is an opportunity to steer your life in a new direction and find blessings.
So what are you waiting for? Get started now!
Lies, Liars, and False Deniers
Why do we seem so ready to accept false testimony and lies against people we barely know? Does hate reside in our hearts against our neighbors and toward our political leaders? Perhaps our depravity is on display as we join others in accepting false testimony as accurate and true without further evidence or thought. A false testimony seeks to bruise a good man’s reputation, spoil his good works, and, if possible, deprive him of his life and any public political service. The one who slanders and lies about a good person exhibits their own wickedness and hatred.
“Once a country is habituated (or accustomed) to liars, it takes generations to get the truth back.” ― Gore Vidal
Neglect
Now and in the days ahead, people will need our help somehow. They may need a listening ear, a hug of sympathy, a word of encouragement, a grocery bag of food, or an explanation of understanding. We should not ignore those around us nor neglect our duty to serve and help as we can.
Alexander MacLaren, a Baptist preacher and expositor (1826-1910), wrote about many things and subjects. Still, the Crime of Negligence got me thinking about those in my orbit of life. I share a portion of his writing below.
The Crime of Negligence
We are to use any power we possess to help others. Not doing so is a sin. Whether we intentionally or forgetfully neglect to do anything we can is a crime. To withhold help we can render or provide is to participate in the authorship of all the misery we have failed to relieve. He who neglects to save a life; kills. Our cities and communities are led by incompetent, inept, and bungling men or women in high positions. The indolent, lazy, and slothful ones in lower places of authority are responsible for the suffering of many. It is their blundering blindness that allows any suffering to continue. Misery is caused by their selfishness. Violence slays its thousands, but tens of thousands are destroyed by a failure to act or protest due to one’s moral weakness or laziness. Where the conditions are fatal to life, the guilt of blood lies on these people.
The Excuse of Negligence
We are obliged to know things. Even the most ignorant of us know. We cannot help knowing which condemns our neglect. Basically, there are no excuses for being negligent. To say, “We didn’t know,” is really a lie of a coward. Pretending ignorance is partly a false excuse. To neglect those in trouble and need around us is to be callous of heart to the woe and loss that other men suffer.
The Condemnation of Negligence
God watches the hearts of men and women with great diligence. This contrasts with our lazy and superficial looks. If God ‘takes pains’ to see after His children, we are bound to look with great care on each of our brethren. God seeks to know each of His children. Are we not bound or obligated to know one another? Are we too busy with our petty personal concerns to take an interest in helping the sorrows and fighting against the sins of the world? The strongest motive for seeking to save others is that God has saved us.
The Judgment of Negligence
Let us not forget that our works follow us in this life and the future. There is a judgment both presently and in the future for all men. Not only what they do but what they inconsistently fail to do. Deliver those that are appointed or sentenced to be slain unjustly. Don’t hesitate to help them with your faithful witness.
Advice from an Old Man to a Younger One
What wisdom I have comes from the Word of God as I study the Bible. This advice today comes from the book of Proverbs 24:27 as the father instructs his son on how to proceed as he is about to leave home.
First, give attention to the things most necessary for your survival in making a living in this world. Don’t shy away from hard work, but be diligent in preparing yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually. You may choose a path toward more education or to develop a trade skill, but whatever path you choose, it should provide enough income to support youself and save a little. After that, you may consider marriage and building a family. But always be prudent in counting the costs before proceeding.
“The Lord bless you, and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-25
Comments by Robert Wilkin, Ph.D.
Robert N. Wilkin, Ph.D., editor of Grace in Focus magazine (Nov/Dec 2022), shared that he was listening to a book on tape (see below) about a future in which planet earth was destroyed. Humanity moved to a planet called Harmony. A computer named Oversoul controlled the thinking of all the subjects of Harmony so that they would not make weapons or even things like cars and airplanes. The computer did so using thousands of satellites. But 40 million years later, Oversoul was losing its grip on people’s minds.
This was probably the book that Dr. Wilkin was listening to that drove his comments.
Perhaps part of the book’s point is that mass media has a grip on most people’s minds. Instead of people being taught to think for themselves, they are taught groupthink. What is groupthink? It is a pattern of thought characterized by self-deception, forced manufacture of consent, and conformity to group values and group ethics (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
This type of current humanistic mindset is widespread today. Cultural relativism reigns. It may remind you of a critical line from the book of Judges: everyone did what was right in his own eyes. The idea that God has a wonderful plan for His creatures and we do best to follow His teachings is now considered a right-wing derogatory or offensive statement.
Bill Wyler
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