As the Advent season unfolds with a whirlwind of activities, celebrations, decorations and gifts, I am inspired once again by the simple yet powerful practice of gratitude.

WHAT EXACTLY IS GRATITUDE?

Gratitude is an emotion of both happiness and thankfulness that we feel when we become aware of the good things in our lives.

They can be very simple things, such as the cute smile on a child's face, the taste of our favourite dessert, or the sound of rain gently pattering against a window... We can also be grateful for the bigger things in life, such family, friends and other specific people in our lives, our jobs, financial provision, our health...

All of these blessings come from God who is good in his very nature.

And that is what makes gratitude so special! We don't just appreciate something, but we are thankful towards someone. Thankful to God and also to all the people around us for who they are and what they bring to us.

The Bible actually tells us over and over again to be thankful and to give thanks – not just when things go well, but “in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5v18). Why is this such an important issue ?

THE BENEFITS OF GRATITUDE

In the last decades, neuroscience has made amazing discoveries about the positive effects of gratitude on our physical and mental health.

In a nutshell, people who practice gratitude on a regular basis feel happier, more alive and connected to others; they are more resilient emotionally; they sleep better, have a stronger immune system and generally live longer.

These benefits are already amazing in themselves! Who would not want any of this? But there is more.

In the Psalms, we are invited to :

In other words, thanksgiving is a key to access the presence of God. I love the way The Message translation puts it : “Enter with the password: 'Thank you!'”

Obviously, God is always with us, but we become more aware of his presence as we give thanks for his goodness and all He has given us.

Even more so, giving thanks to God helps us shift our perspective away from all the things that we find heavy and negative, and focus instead on His goodness. It's not about denying what's wrong, but about seeing God's goodness as even greater.

Even in the worst circumstances, God is always good and there is always something to be thankful for.

We may have to look for it for a while, but we'll always end up finding something.

GIVING THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

One of my favourite stories about gratitude comes from the autobiographical book of Corrie Ten Boom, "The Hiding Place".

She tells the story of how she and her sister were imprisoned in a concentration camp during World War II, for having hidden Jews and helped the Dutch Resistance against the Nazis. They got assigned to an overcrowded, smelly dormitory that was completely infested by fleas.

At this horrifying discovery, Corrie's sister Betsie reminded her of what they had read in the Bible the very same morning :

So they started to thank God for the good things in their situation, until...

“‘Thank You,’ Betsie went on serenely, ‘for the fleas and for–‘

“The fleas! This was too much. ‘Betsie, there’s no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.’

“‘Give thanks in all circumstances,’ she quoted. It doesn’t say, ‘in pleasant circumstances.’ Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.

“And so we stood between tiers of bunks and gave thanks for fleas. But this time I was sure Betsie was wrong.”

With the help of a Bible they had been able to smuggle in, the sisters started to hold secret "worship services" at the rear of their dormitory.

For some unknown reason, no guard ever entered their building, which allowed them to hold more services and touch more women. They couldn't understand why they were left in peace, until they found out a few weeks later that no staff would even come close to their dormitory because of...

... the fleas.

Even in the worst circumstances, God is good. As we focus our attention on His goodness and trust Him that he works all things for our good, we can thank him.

And in this state of gratitude, we are more open to connection with Him and others, and we can then deal with the challenges from a much more peaceful place.

So gratitude is a powerful key to improve our mental, emotional and physical health, as well as an entry door to a deeper experience of God. Many reasons to take this topic seriously!

But how can we cultivate gratitude on a daily basis? What does it look like?

4 PRACTICAL WAYS TO CULTIVATING GRATITUDE

There are many different ways to practice gratitude on a daily basis, and you may already have your own routines routines in place. But if you don't know where to start, I will share with you 4 practical ways to cultivate gratitude in your day to day life.

The first 3 are inspired by Florence Servan Schreiber, author of the book “3 kiffs par jour” (3 joys a day) which I highly recommend.

1) Three joys a day ("3 kiffs par jour")

Research has shown that in order to increase our general level of happiness, we can simply identify three things in our day that made us feel good, and consciously say thank you to God or to a specific person.

It's very easy! You can start by sharing 3 things you enjoyed during the day with the people around you, for example at dinner time. It's a great practice, even with kids.

Personally, I don't always have someone to share them with, but I tell God about them and we rejoice over those things together. It's a simple, fun ritual to have. Why not give it a try ?

2) Keep a gratitude journal

Instead of listing your 3 favourite things of the day, you can also write them down in a diary. Research shows that if it's the very last thing you do before going to sleep, your sleep will be deeper and longer. And if you suffer from chronic pain, you will manage it better or it may even disappear.

3) Write letters of gratitude

The brain is made in such an extraordinary way that it cannot feel resentment or anger at the same time as gratitude.

By writing a letter of gratitude to someone close to us, we realise how much this person and this relationship mean to us.

Especially with people who are close, it can be easy to make a list of things we don't like about them, or how we would like them to change. But as we think about all the good things this person brings to our life, our perspective shifts and we can appreciate them more and deepen our connection with them.

As the festive season approaches, why not write such a letter to your loved ones? It's a great Christmas present that will bring joy to all concerned!

4) Putting on the goodness lenses

Think about a painful and challenging experience of the past. If we're honest, no one likes to face those kind of situations... But if we truly believe that:

then surely God turns even the darkest times into something valuable!

So as you think back, put on your "goodness lenses", in other words, reflect on the good things that have come out of it for you: skills you have learnt, connections you have made, knowledge you have accumulated, experience and wisdom that you can draw from and share with others, character you have formed... Take some time to thank God for these treasures.

As you reflect on the past and realise all the good that has come out of difficulties, this perspective may even help you look at your current challenges in a different light.

If God has come through for you in the past, surely he will do the same for you with what you are facing now.

Here we are - 4 practical ways to cultivate gratitude in our daily life. How do you practice gratitude in your life? I'd love to hear more about it in the comments below.

As we get closer to Christmas, may we be reminded of all the blessings in our lives until our hearts overflow!

Have a wonderful Advent season and enjoy all the little things that come your way, every day.