30-Day Personal Devotion Challenge Day 20

Good Morning Church Family – Day 20

Read Colossians 3:16-17

Devo Thought: I always find it a little funny when science “discovers” what the writers of Scripture have known and proclaimed for thousands of years. It’s like someone climbing to the top of a mountain and thinking they are going to be the first to summit the mountain only to find a whole civilization living at the top. When we think about gratitude, this is a place that modern science has discovered the incredible benefits it has on the human mind and body. The writers of Scripture have been telling us to be grateful for thousands of years now. In our passage today, the Apostle Paul mentions thanksgiving in both verses (and in fact it was the last thing he mentions in verse 15). Obviously, God in His love for us knows how important the practice of gratitude is for us. So, what does gratitude do to us? Physically, gratitude has been shown to strengthen our immune system, improve our heart health, and help our sleep patterns. Socially, practicing gratitude has been shown to improve our ability to communicate and make us more empathetic. Neurologically, expressing gratitude releases dopamine and serotonin (hormones that make us feel good/happy). Gratitude has been called the “natural anti-depressant.” In other words, God has created us in such a way that we are hardwired to recognize and appreciate the work that He has done, is doing, and will do in our lives. When we do, our bodies and brains work as they ought to. So, the Apostle Paul reminds us of the importance of gratitude long before the modern scientist affirms the value of gratitude. It is a centerpiece of the Christian life.

Prayer – Let us give thanks together (silent prayer for a few minutes).