The purpose of Gratitude in mental wellness

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God spoke again recently, saying, ‘Think grateful thoughts, and search for ways to be thankful, and that will busy your mind enough that it will not wander into dark places.’

I said, ‘Wow!’ Suddenly such a revelation; to know I’ve thought both ways enough to know the truth.

It is the Lord’s discipline, that we capture each thought and make it obedient to Him (2 Corinthians 10:5). But, equally, the Lord knows just how difficult it is for us to do that with consistency.

The mind flits from this thing to that thing to another thing, always falling foul of itself.

Capable of great accomplishments that match and better the body, the mind is also weak, tempted by the heart to abscond.

But the mind is also a powerhouse of strength — when we take our thoughts and make them captive to obey Christ.

Gratitude is living in the light, acknowledging the truth in that light, as that light shines into our lives — lives touched by grace — and outward into others’ lives.

The more I have filled my mind with little things to be utterly grateful about, the less my mind has wandered into what isn’t worthy to be thought about.

The issue is simple. Leave our minds to themselves they conjure up all sorts of fantasies — good at times, but some dark, and the rest positively evil.

Mindfulness steeped in gratitude is thinking indwelt with worthiness. To use the apostle Paul’s words, it is thinking in honourable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, and excellent ways (Philippians 4:8). Gratitude is something wholly worthy for our thoughts to engage. It is a safe and positive way to think.