By Jon Beaty
Years ago, while delivering pizzas for Domino's during my college days, I learned a hard lesson about laws we don't know exist. I parked my idling car outside a dorm to drop off an order, only to return and find a police officer writing me a ticket. It turns out it's illegal to leave a vehicle running unattended. According to the judge, ignorance was no excuse—I was still accountable.
This principle applies to God's laws as well. Not all are explicitly listed in Scripture, yet they operate powerfully in our lives. Gravity isn't mentioned in the Bible, but we see its effects, like when Eutychus fell from a window in Acts 20. There's another often-overlooked law: the law of gratitude. Evidence of it runs throughout Scripture, but we frequently forget it. Perhaps we’ve been ignorant of it.
The apostle Paul treats gratitude as a command: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you"
(1 Thessalonians 5:18, ESV). If it's God's will, it's as binding as any law. Practicing gratitude isn't optional for Christians—it's essential for spiritual thriving.
In my own life, gratitude transformed tragedy into triumph. At age 10, my world shattered when my parents divorced. Our stable home in California dissolved; we moved apartments, schools changed, and eventually, my brother and I relocated to Oregon with my dad to live with grandparents. Religion wasn't central before, but in our new Adventist school and church, I encountered Jesus. At 15, during evangelistic meetings, I started over, giving my life to Jesus and choosing baptism. Gratitude flooded my heart for Jesus’ sacrifice—He died for my sins and offered hope amid pain. God used a broken home to draw me to salvation.
Yet, years later as a college freshman, bitterness crept in. Financial struggles, a broken heart, boring jobs, and loneliness led to self-pity. I forgot God's past faithfulness. Turning my eyes back to Jesus and cultivating gratitude replaced bitterness with peace.
Scripture warns of ingratitude's dangers. In Numbers 21, the Israelites complained bitterly, and God sent venomous snakes as judgment. Many died from bites—symbolizing how bitterness poisons the soul. Modern research echoes this: chronic bitterness links to weight gain, weakened immunity, and cardiac disease. Ingratitude breeds self-pity, unhappiness and poor health.
Gratitude does the opposite. First, it makes us happier. Psalm 107:22 links thanksgiving with rejoicing: "Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing." Honestly thanking God lifts our spirits. Try it—pause and name one blessing. Notice how your mood shifts immediately. Gratitude and joy are inseparable.
Second, gratitude makes us less self-centered. The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram in Numbers 16 stemmed from ingratitude. They coveted Moses' leadership, twisting facts to accuse him of failure. Forgetting the physical and emotional weight of slavery under Pharaoh, Egypt became a "land flowing with milk and honey" in their complaints! They focused on what they lacked, ignoring God's deliverance. Coveting violates the 10th Commandment and fuels envy, jealousy, and selfishness.
God instituted thank offerings in Leviticus 7 to counter this. Publicly declaring God's goodness shifted focus from self to Him. Gratitude reminds us every blessing comes from above, humbling us and fostering contentment. Gratitude and covetousness can’t occupy the same space.
Third, gratitude makes us whole—truly whole. In Luke 17, Jesus healed 10 lepers. All were cleansed physically as they obeyed His command to show themselves to priests. But only one, a Samaritan, the one with a mixed-up theology, returned to thank Jesus. The others, likely Jews feeling entitled as God's chosen, hurried off. Jesus told the grateful one, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well" (v. 19). The Greek word "sozo" means saved or made whole—spiritually complete.
Physical healing can fade; wholeness endures. The nine missed deeper a blessing by forgetting gratitude. Faith expressed in gratitude completes God's work in us.
Every need we have is supplied "according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). Yet we often act entitled, forgetting to thank God for food, shelter, health, family, or salvation itself.
If gratitude feels lacking in your life—if bitterness lingers from past hurts, self-pity over what others have, or a sense something's missing despite Christ's gift—commit today to this forgotten law. Express thanks daily. It will make you happier, less self-centered, and truly well.