«So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness» Colossians 2:6, 7, NIV
ROBERT EMMONS and Michael McCullough studied the impact of gratefulness on people’s well-being. They worked with college students, dividing them into three groups. The first group was to keep a weekly diary of gratefulness. The second group had to make a list of daily problems they encountered throughout the week. The third group simply had to describe anything that had happened to them.
They all completed weekly reports for ten weeks, and then the youth were observed for an additional nine weeks. What happened? The grateful youth were more optimistic, exercised more, had a more favorable opinion of life, slept better, and got sick less. Surely, «gratitude changes us.»*
Several studies reveal that people who write down weekly at least five things for which they are grateful are happier than those who do not. And we would be happier still if we wrote those five things down every day! Let’s take a moment to answer this question: Which five things can I be grateful for right now? I am sure this simple exercise will reveal we have many reasons to live a life full of gratitude.
May we apply the apostle Paul’s words to our lives today: «So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness» (Colossians 2:6, 7, NIV). Gratitude should be an essential part of our lives «in» Christ. And that life in Jesus is not a yearly experience, a celebration that takes place only on the fourth Thursday of November; it is an experience that is part of our daily lives. Paul actually suggests that we make every day a thanksgiving day, because gratitude is a key element for all those who want to remain firm in their faith.
Being grateful is clear proof that our faith is deeply rooted and therefore we still cling to Christ. As Warren W, Wiersbe said, «A thankful spirit is a sign of Christian maturity.»
www.meditacionesdiarias.com
http://www.faceboock.com/meditacionesdiariass
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.meditacionesdiarias.mobile
Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Avineyda Hernández
