Giving Thanks Makes Life Simpler
Giving Thanks Makes Life Simpler
Giving thanks is an an action that can unlocks the potential for living more simply.
We all know that November is National Gratitude Month and that Thanksgiving is fast approaching. We also know that giving thanks is not a seasonal activity nor confined to a day marked on the calendar. It is an indispensable action that possesses the power to declutter and uncomplicate life. Cultivating a mindset that naturally and easily gives thanks opens the door to a more tranquil and fulfilling way of living.
We know this because our sacred texts tell us that giving thanks is meant to be a habitual practice, not just a rare occurrence. Take Psalm 100, for example; it is a poem and prayer that highlights the importance of giving thanks as its primary action.
Enter [God’s] gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to [God]; bless his name! (verse 4)
Is it possible that the writer of that Psalm is facing a battle with depression? Do you think he feels disheartened by comparing himself to someone who possesses more? Maybe he has been counting his shoes in his closet and feels unhappy with his 10 pairs? Far from it! His spirit is free; he is brimming with joy. He embodies true freedom.
We know this because neuroscience tells us how giving thanks positively impacts our brain’s activities. The simple act of expressing thankfulness stimulates brain regions responsible for generating positive neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. When we begin naturally and easily to give thanks, not only do we become healthier, but we tend to be liberated to focus on contentment, not on what is lacking.
We know this because our thinkers tell us this is a the way of abundance. Henry David Thoreau’s example highlights this truth : “I make myself rich by making my wants few.” This countercultural idea effectively ends the comparison trap. It centers us in the present, allowing us to let go of feelings of inadequacy or envy towards others, and liberates us to cherish our own existence.
We know this because Jesus lives this way. I identify as a follower of Jesus. For me, as well as many others, his ways represent not just a commendable way or the most effective one, but the only way. There are no other ways. The process of spiritual formation is one of significant transformation. Falling far short of the ways of Jesus as we do, the power of the Gospel of the Living God and the Holy Spirit is relentlessly renewing our hearts, allowing us to begin to do what Jesus did easily and naturally all the time.
What did Jesus do? At his last meal with his closest followers, knowing the sacrifice he would pay for our spiritual freedom in only a matter of hours, he gave thanks for the chance to fulfill his mission:
Taking bread and giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you…” (Luke 22:19).
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An Invitation to Turn the Idea into a Practice
The more I explore the landscape of spiritual formation, I increasingly recognize the significance of translating theory into action. While it is valuable to explore the key concepts related to biblical and Christian spiritual formation, these ideas should not merely be subjects of discussion or admiration. Instead, these concepts are meant to be integrated into our daily practices and lived out as part of our lifestyle. It is through the act of practicing that these ideas acquire their true transformative potential.
I would like to invite you to make gratitude a part of your day by taking action. This practice, which I have named Eucharist-O, is a playful adaptation of the Greek word eucharisteo, used by the gospel writer Luke to describe what Jesus did during the last supper with his companions. Before he made the ultimate sacrifice for our spiritual freedom, he took bread and eucharisteo — he expressed his thanks. This is your chance to practice the natural and profound way Jesus embodied gratitude, unaffected by the trials he faced.
The rhythm of this practice is simple:
First, a centering word about thankfulness and gratefulness
Second, a centering scripture
Third, an invitation to be still for a few moments before returning to the day’s activities.
The Eucharist-O for Tuesday, November 12, 2024
First: A Centering Word
What to do: read Beecher’s sentence three or four times. Pause and breath between each reading. Pay attention to what draws your attention. What are you seeing? What are you believing? What are you doubting?
Next: Read Psalm 100:4-5
What to do: Read the scripture words three or four times. Read slowly. Pause between reading. Pay attention to what is stirring inside of you. What are you seeing? What are you believing? What are you doubting? What are you feeling? What questions are being raised?
Next: Be Still
What to do: Before returning to your full day, sit in stillness for a few moments. Your soul and imagination were possibly drawn to a word by Herbert or by the author of Hebrews. Perhaps you were drawn to a moment in your life where you regret not being thankful. Maybe you were drawn to a situation that seemed too hard for you. Wherever you were drawn, be there for a few moments. Pay attention to the stirrings deep within, the questions that are forming, the words that want to be spoken. Give your soul the gift of a few moments of stillness to let memories, questions, words, and prayers form.
Before returning to your day, let what is stirring inside become a conversation with God. The conversation, whatever its mood, is a form of prayer and communication with God who has been waiting for this moment all day.