Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving
Giving thanks and having an attitude of gratitude has long been the advice for a healthy mind by professional counselors, coaches, and pastors. When you have a negative thought, you have exactly 5 seconds before that thought becomes an emotion, which is then much harder to change into something positive. So a healthy practice is learning to recognize the moment you are having a negative thought and then quickly turning it into a praise, a form of gratitude. I do not know how one does this activity in an effectual or authentic way without making that praise about God.
For example, you might have an intrusive thought such as, “I am unloved and unwanted.” What kind of advice or counter-thought might the world have for this mental assault? Perhaps it would be to simply tell yourself that you are awesome, that you’re a good person and therefore people should love and value you. But I have been a professional counselor long enough to know, that kind of self-talk does not help. But when you apply a kingdom perspective, your thanksgiving becomes life-changing. “Thank you, Father, for adopting me as one of Your own, I praise you Jesus for sacrificing Your life out of Your deep love for me.” That kind of declaration will not only renew your mind but fill your heart with genuine peace and joy. See the difference?
Earlier this year, the Holy Spirit really spoke to me about the mental health value of thanksgiving and the transformational power of praise through Psalm 100:
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Can you picture these verses? Try to engage your imagination right now, what would it sound like if ALL the earth made a joyful noise? What would it look like and feel like to serve the Lord in all that you do with gladness? When you come into His presence, whether in fellowship with others or in private, do you enter with singing? And why would we come before Him with such exuberant joy? Not because our circumstances are perfect or because our lives are pain-free, rather purely because we know God is God. That He made us, and He only makes good things. We rejoice because we belong to Him and we know He will provide for us. We bow down in humble recognition that we are His sheep, so we can be confident that He will protect us and keep us safe. Therefore, shouldn’t it be with these assurances of His love and faithfulness in which we are inspired to worship Him?
As you celebrate the holiday of giving thanks, I would encourage you to take a moment for reflection, through the lens of Psalm 100…How do you see the attributes of our Heavenly Father, Your Savior Jesus, and the ever-present Holy Spirit in tangible ways as you spend time with family and friends? Could these emotional encounters motivate you to offer a sacrifice of praise beyond your normal one- or two-line prayer before you partake of a bountiful meal? How will you express your gratitude in new ways? Will you jump, sing and praise the King, undignified, like David? How will you express your deep feelings for the One who loves with a steadfast and faithful nature, who is not just for you, but for ALL generations?!
May you have a very blessed Thanksgiving, and be filled with the kind of joy that comes from praising the Giver of all good things.
-With much love,
Dr. Jessica Stone
