So how can we transition into gratitude and melt the bitterness around our hearts? Let’s begin by turning to Scripture and meditating on gratitude Bible verses.
When life doesn’t seem to turn out the way we had hoped, it’s easy for our minds to shift into negative gear. And when our minds are set in negative gear, it can feel as though our days couldn’t get any worse. This kind of mindset highlights the gray hues of life so much that it filters out the colors—the blessings God has provided. The ways He has proven himself to be good and faithful in our life. The endless love and mercies that He illustrates for us with each sunrise. If we continue to drive through life in negative gear, our hearts will soon grow bitter and resentful. Yet the opposite occurs when we shift into gratitude: The heaviness lifts. Our perspective becomes renewed, and we can finally notice the beauties of life, the colors we had somehow missed. So how can we transition into gratitude and melt the bitterness around our hearts? Let’s begin by turning to Scripture and meditating on gratitude Bible verses.
Why Is Gratitude so Important for Christians?
As Christians, we have every reason to give thanks and rejoice. Those of us who are in Christ are saved, redeemed, and set free from the curse of the law. Our hope in Christ provides us with joy in the midst of despair and peace in the midst of chaos. Not only that, but we can look forward to spending a trouble-free life with Christ in eternity! So why is it that we are often tempted to complain just as much as those who do not have this hope?
First of all, I believe that anything that does not come from God comes from the enemy because he is the ruler of this world. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
When our minds zone in on the negative, our joy becomes stolen, our passion for life becomes killed, and our attitudes become destroyed, replaced instead by a bitter heart. How can we possibly live the way God intended us to live, enjoying a “full life,” in this condition? How will we have the joy and light we need to serve as a beacon for those who do not know Christ?
We simply are not very good representatives of Christ when all we do is murmur, grumble, and complain.
So if negativity zaps and kills, then gratitude must uplift and build. When we choose to be grateful, a funny thing happens: Our circumstances might not change, but it seems like they have. Because rather than viewing our days through this black-and-white, woe-is-me lens, instead, the days appear brighter. Our steps seem lighter. Why is this?
Perhaps it’s because what we focus on grows. If we become so attentive to the negative aspects of our life, then we will constantly emphasize every detail about our lives that we despise. Yet if we focus on God and the blessings He has given us, the opposite will occur. We will constantly be aware of details about our life that we appreciate, even if it is only a small reason to rejoice. It’s those small moments of gratitude that will do wonders for our spiritual, emotional, and mental health.
Then, when our spirits are renewed, we can better enjoy our lives and have the joy we need to share Christ with others.
Science actually proves the power that gratitude can have in our lives. As we give thanks, the neurotransmitter dopamine releases a feeling of pleasure to our brains. Once this occurs, the brain will then begin to crave more of this, which will prompt us to practice gratitude even more.
Practicing gratitude prevents us from becoming spoiled as well. If you’re a parent, don’t you love it when your children acknowledge that you are their provider? Does it not make your heart swell with pride when they thank you for a birthday or Christmas gift, acknowledging that it cost you to give that to them?
I believe God, too, appreciates it when His children acknowledge Him as their provider. Thanking Him will prove that we have not taken these gifts for granted. We recognize that He is the source from whom all blessings flow and that everything we need, everything we have, and everything we are, comes from Him alone.
Gratitude maximizes just how good God is. It helps us to recognize how much we have both in life and in our relationship with Christ. It’s also important because it keeps us from falling into a pit of despair. It keeps us from the trap of comparison, which can quickly give way to jealousy.
So why is it important for us to give gratitude? It’s simple: It’s God’s will for us. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 makes that clear: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
To help you in thanking God, we created a 30 Days of Gratitude Prayer Guide HERE. Download and print this guide to keep with you as a reminder of God's love and promises.
Examples of Gratitude Exercised in the Bible
The writers of the Psalms didn’t shy away from expressing their true feelings about the trials of life—but rather than remaining in a state of sorrow, they always remembered to lift their eyes to Christ.
For example, David was a man who had every reason to grumble and complain. His persecution and suffering often felt undeserved. In Psalm 43, he even asks God, “Why have you tossed me aside?”
But instead of remaining in this state of despair, take a look at how he used thanksgiving to lift his spirits:
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God,” Psalm 43:5.
This was probably David’s way of asking himself, “Why are you complaining? Look away from your circumstances and lift your eyes to God! He is the source of your hope, joy, and strength.”
This is biblical proof that we have control over our attitudes. It also illustrates that our attitude is often a byproduct of where our gaze is fixed. If our gaze is lifted to God, we will always have a reason to rejoice, and by thanking Him we can begin to see through a clearer perspective.
Another example of gratitude in the Bible comes from Matthew 14 when Jesus multiplied the five loaves of bread and two fish to feed the 5000. Notice how Jesus didn’t give thanks to God after the food was multiplied, but before. He chose to express gratitude for the little, and that—combined with His faith and power as the Son of God—is ultimately what led to the increase. We also see examples of Jesus thanking God for His provision before the Passover meal as well (see Matthew 26:27).
So if God in flesh saw it important to thank God for His food, don’t you think we should as well?
There’s also a story in the New Testament that illustrates just how much gratitude means to God. In Luke 17:11-19, we read a story about ten lepers who received healing from Jesus as He was on His way toward Jerusalem. The lepers received their healing as they left Jesus, but only one returned to thank Jesus for what He had done.
Take a look at Jesus’ reaction in Luke 17:17-19: “Jesus asked, ‘Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’” Isn’t it interesting to see how much gratitude means to God? It’s not just nice for us to offer gratitude to Him. It’s expected. It is an act of respect and reverence. I’m sure those other lepers were grateful for their healing, but it was this one leper’s expression of gratitude that stood out to Jesus.
This leads me to wonder—how often do I fail to express my gratitude to Jesus for all He has done for me? And how does my lack of gratitude appear in His sight, especially in light of the high price He paid for me on the cross?
22 Gratitude Bible Verses to Renew Your Spirit
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
“Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!” Psalm 103:2-5.
“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds” Psalm 9:1.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” James 1:17.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” Psalm 100:4-5.
“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful” Colossians 3:15.
“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little” Philippians 4:11-12.
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” Psalm 118:24.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” Colossians 4:2.
“I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death” Psalm 30:1-2.
“I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High” Psalm 7:17.
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” Ephesians 5:18-20.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever” Psalm 107:1.
“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning” Lamentations 3:23.
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire’” Hebrews 12:28-29.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:6-7.
“O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” Psalm 30:12.
“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods” Psalm95:1-3.
“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” Colossians 2:7.
“I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you” Psalm 35:18
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy” Psalm 107:21-22.
“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” 1 Corinthians 15:57.
“For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” Romans 11:36.
Further Reading
The Power of Gratitude: 21 Verses of Thanks to God
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/AaronAmat
