Thanksgiving draws us into a closer relationship with God.
The topic of gratitude is popping up just about everywhere these days. You see books, articles, podcasts, and research papers all dedicated to understanding how gratitude works in our lives. And with hundreds of references to gratitude in scripture, it's clear that gratitude is an important concept to God as well.
Gratitude and human wellbeing are intricately woven together in fascinating ways. A myriad of studies have found strong links between gratitude and happiness. Turns out that grateful people are generally happy people. Makes sense. And when you dig a bit deeper, you find out that gratitude is an important component of building strong interpersonal relationships. According to Algoe, Haidt, & Gable (2008, as cited in Chowdhury, 2021), humans use gratitude to build and sustain social bonds. 1 If we do so with human bonds, it's not far fetched to suggest it works the same way with spiritual bonds.
Consider the Psalms that are full of examples of thanksgiving, and more specifically consider Psalm 100:4:
With thanksgiving enter his Gates, enter his courts with praise; Give thanks to him and praise his holy name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever.
Given the context, I’m assuming these gates and courts refer to those of the tabernacle or temple, which at the time, acted as God’s earthly dwelling place where his people went to worship him. As such, going though the gates and being in the courts likely represented proximity to the presence of God. We also find an example or instruction of how to enter his presence--with thanksgiving and praise.
I think it's safe to say that God doesn’t need our gratitude, though he may desire it. I believe, however, that gratitude functions to orient our hearts toward God. In giving thanks, we acknowledge service and sacrifice on our behalf. When we praise God, it takes the focus off ourselves, shifting our thoughts to all that is good. Gratitude and praise help us adopt a posture of humility that prepares us to commune with God's Spirit.
Gratitude has the power to orient our hearts toward God.
We can understand further if we look to the New Testament, where we are taught that Jesus is the gateway (John 10:7b) to eternity with God. When we truly grasp all that Jesus has done for us, gratitude is a natural response.
I still remember the morning I spent pouring out my heart in prayer, mournful of sin I could not shake, doubting whether I could even call myself a Christ follower. And then all of a sudden, I had this image of my chin being lifted up and a feeling of assurance washing over me. It wasn't a voice, but it was this inexplicable knowing that I was His. To this day, I sometimes tear up with gratitude when I think about that beautiful, intimate moment. I felt known and I felt close.
Further, one concept that I've been exploring lately, that also has bearing on Psalm 100 is the mystery of our human body being called a temple:
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? (1 Cor. 6:19)
My understanding is that the purifying work of Jesus allowed the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of God) to come live in and help us (John 16:7) What this fully means, I'm just now starting to learn about.
But I've wondered, 'if the Spirit is in us, why don't we always feel close to Him?' I don't have the answer to that. However, based on Psalm 100:4, could it be that gratitude is an important emotion that helps us experience the intimacy that is available within us?
Maybe if we start by giving thanks for the simple ways we are loved: the beauty of a spring flower, a note from a dear friend, a specific answer to prayer. ...
Maybe if we spend time praising the character of God: his goodness, his creativity, and loving kindness. ...
Maybe then, our spirits would begin to stir and connect with God our Father.
Footnotes
1. For more on the science of gratitude, read The Neuroscience of Gratitude by Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury at https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/ for an overview. Visit also https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/gratitude-research/ for an article expanding on the links between wellbeing and gratitude, or watch Dr. Brene Brown on the relationship between joy and gratitude: https://youtu.be/2IjSHUc7TXM
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