Think Better Thursday: Gratitude Rewires the Brain

Years ago, I was watching Oprah talk about being thankful. She said if you can’t think of anything to be grateful for, be grateful you’re breathing.

Fast forward years later—I had become a Christian, and God began to convict my heart about how often I focused on what I didn’t have instead of what I did. Then I came across the verse that says, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.” (Psalm 100:4 NIV)

It reminded me of Oprah’s challenge, and I decided to take it seriously. I started listing things I was grateful for—starting with my breath. I did it out loud, on Facebook, as my way of saying, “Okay, God, I hear You. I’m going to shout about how much You bless me.”

What I know now, as a counselor, is that gratitude doesn’t just make us “feel better.” It literally changes our brain. When you practice gratitude, you strengthen the neural pathways that look for goodness and calm instead of threat and scarcity. It’s how the brain rewires itself over time—one thank-you at a time.

Gratitude doesn’t deny pain; it redirects our attention toward what’s still true, still good, still evidence of God’s hand in our lives.

Try This

1. Start Small: Each morning, name one thing you’re grateful for—out loud. Don’t overthink it. It could be your breath, your coffee, or the sunshine through your window.

2. Reframe the Hard: When you catch yourself complaining, pause and ask, “What else is true right now?” Gratitude isn’t ignoring pain—it’s noticing grace in the middle of it.

3. Make It Public: Share one gratitude post or text each week. You never know who else’s mindset you’ll help rewire when they read your words.

Inviting God

Ask God to help you notice His goodness in the ordinary. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” (Psalm 100:4 NIV)Let your gratitude be worship—spoken, shared, and lived.

Let’s Connect

Leave a comment or reach out to me via the website—let’s talk about how this has sparked your desire for better living. I’ll see you back here tomorrow for Fact-Checking Friday. And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss future posts.

If today’s message spoke to you, you’ll love my book My Pocket Counselor—it offers perspective-shifting truth and faith-filled guidance to help you grow emotionally and spiritually, one step at a time.