From the mounting scientific evidence, gratitude seems to be good for our health. The leading American researcher in this field, Robert Emmons, found it lowers blood pressure, improves immune function, and facilitates more efficient sleep. Other benefits include lower levels of cellular inflammation, more prosocial behaviors (that foster new and better relationships), and greater resiliency against trauma and stress. Perhaps the greatest benefit, Emmons points out, is how it focuses the mind on what an individual already has rather than what he or she doesn’t have. (Something Adam and Eve could have used at their time of temptation, eh?)

These kinds of secular studies are of course focused mainly on being grateful for temporal things. But for Christians, gratitude has a far greater scope and the spiritual benefits are even more important than the physical ones. Our souls are nourished by a profound sense of gratitude towards the One who has saved us, filled us, and led us by His Spirit since the moment we gave our lives to Jesus. No matter what, we can always rejoice in God’s steadfast love for us.

Psalm 95 declares: “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”

Here’s why, according to King David: “For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods … Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care” (vv. 1-3, 6-7).

We know we should be thankful in spirit, but our problem is sustaining it. When something good happens to us (especially if we feel we don’t “deserve” it) we naturally well up with gratitude and praise. But as soon as the tide changes – things don’t go so well for us – we sink back into grumbling or resentment.

So what’s the solution? How do we keep a thankful spirit towards the Lord?

As I meditated on this, I realized it’s no different from any other kind of harvest. We begin by planting a seed, then we diligently cultivate the environment in which it’s growing. When we reap the fruits – the spiritual benefits – of a thankful heart, we’ll be glad we made the effort.

The first step (planting the seed of gratitude) is simply to REMEMBER. What was your life like before Christ, and how has it changed for the better since giving it to Him? I’m not talking about the circumstances of your life. They might not have changed much, but every Christian can testify to new peace and joy … even in terrible circumstances … because of the comfort and hope found in the Holy Spirit.

David wrote, “I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done” (Psalm 143:5). Another good question to ask ourselves is “What would my life have been like if Jesus had not died for me and invited me into a relationship with Him?”

The second step is CULTIVATION. We don’t just plant the seed and forget about it. We make sure it gets adequate water and sunlight; we remove the weeds that threaten to crowd it out and take over. Spiritually speaking, we cultivate the seed of gratitude by worshipping God for who He is. We pray, asking for His help in handling the challenges of our lives. We meditate on His goodness, and we praise Him for how faithful He’s been to us. We call to mind the times when we failed Him, yet He continued to love and believe in us. We keep short accounts, confessing any sin that manifests in us as soon as we are aware of it. Then we ask the Lord to forgive and restore us. These are some of the ways we cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

Sometimes when I’m struggling to maintain a thankful spirit I consciously recall a specific experience I had with the Lord … a time when I was overwhelmed by His goodness and grace. One incident that stands out in my memory happened when we lived on a farm. One of my chores was cleaning out the barn stalls and my preferred time for doing it was when I put our kids down for their afternoon nap.

On that winter day I started out the front door as soon as I was sure the kids were sleeping, but something stopped me. It was like I heard a voice in my mind that said: “Check the stove before you go out.” The urgency turned me back towards the kitchen. I looked inside the woodstove where a bright fire was burning but saw nothing unusual. Still feeling uneasy, I decided to check upstairs as well.

When I reached the large room where all four kids were snoozing, I glanced at the stove pipe across the room and my mouth fell open. It was red hot and inside the wall I could see flames within the pipe. A chimney fire! I yelled at the kids to get up and find their coats in case we had to flee the house. I ran downstairs and smothered the fire inside the stove with baking soda. Then I filled a bucket with cold water to throw on the pipe upstairs, hoping to cool it down.

I had the situation under control within 15 minutes, but it took hours for my nerves to calm down. Over and over again I asked myself: What would have happened if I’d ignored the warning and gone on out to the barn? If a fire had broken out upstairs in that old wooden house with only one staircase, the kids would likely have been trapped. The nearest fire station was so far away, there would’ve been no point in calling them. I’d have watched helplessly from the outside, unable to rescue them.

God’s great love shielded me from all that tragedy and even now when I think about it, my eyes fill with tears and gratitude floods my heart. After I surrendered my life to the Lord a short time later, I realized it was the Holy Spirit who had spoken to me that day. What an incredible blessing of prevenient grace! Now, when I start to feel sorry for myself, I can recall that day and it reorients my heart. Can you recall a time when His mercy was especially evident to you?

The fruits of a thankful spirit are worth the investment. The joy of harvest can be ours on a continual basis as we remember, worship, cultivate, and trust in His unfailing love. “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6).