Promise:
Gratitude and anxiety can not coexist.
Passage:
Research shows that gratitude and anxiety cannot exist in the brain at the same time, as they activate different nervous system modes. While anxiety triggers the “fight or flight” (or hide or acquiesce) response, gratitude activates the “rest and digest” state.
Times of transition can be filled with anxiety. And since anxiety sells a lot of pharmaceuticals and causes people to dwell on social media platforms or click on advertising there are overwhelming cultural and commercial forces in our world wanting to keep us anxious. It takes a lot of effort to counter those forces.
Before I go further, I should say that I am not saying that treating clinical depression is bad. I believe modern medicine is a tool God uses to provide healing. And neither is social media or digital advertising bad unto itself. These are all tools that can be used for good or ill. But if you find any of these “cures” make you feel ill, then you need to examine their role in your life. If your recognize the feeling of fight or flight when doing something you go to for rest, relaxation, or inspiration, then something is wrong.
What does the Bible say about how to overcome feelings of fear? Throughout the Psalms and into the New Testament there were commands to give thanks. In all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and because of the nature of God Himself (Psalms 136:1). Nearly every letter in the New Testament begins or ends with thanks to individuals and to God. And a lot of these were written from prison cells or in hiding amidst persecution. If the authors could find reasons for gratitude, we can as well.
Practice:
List out 50 things you are thankful for today. They could be people, places, memories, physical items in your home or workspace, things you have learned, or anything that you consider of value and worthy of gratitude.
If you are having a hard time focusing on gratitude, start with laying your burdens down in prayer. I recommend taking a stack of sticky notes and writing out each care of concern you carry today, big or small, on a sticky note and place them in a stack. Cover them with a cloth or piece of paper. Pray over them and ask God to allow you to set them aside for a time to focus on thankfulness. If they still weigh heavy after the gratitude exercise, take each sticky note, one by one, and pray over it asking God to relieve the burden, resolve the situation, heal the wound, revive the joy, and show you what actions you need to take. Then rip them up and throw them away (or burn them, safely, if you want something more dramatic) as a demonstration of you laying those burdens on the shoulders of the one who if faithful.
Pause:
Look over your list of blessings. If there are any who are people or memories, consider sharing your gratitude for someone with a quick text, call, email, or visit. In this way you pass the peace and inspire others to be grateful as well.
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