Something about modern wellness culture has troubled me for some time. Gratitude is often presented merely as a technique for attracting good things into our lives, as though being thankful is simply a mechanism for manifesting our desires. The prevailing message suggests that if we maintain an attitude of gratitude, positive outcomes will naturally follow.
However, biblical thankfulness runs much deeper than that. It is not a formula for attracting blessings or manipulating outcomes; it is a heart response to the goodness of God, regardless of our circumstances.
Gratitude vs. Thankfulness
I distinguish between the two: gratitude is often an internal feeling of appreciation, whereas thankfulness is its outward expression. Thankfulness puts gratitude into words, actions, and active acknowledgment.
In Luke 17:11–19, we read the familiar account of Jesus healing ten men with leprosy. All ten cried out for mercy, and all ten were healed. Yet only one returned to glorify God and fall at Jesus’ feet in thanksgiving.
Jesus asked a question that still challenges me today:
“Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17, NKJV).
All ten received the miracle, but only one returned to acknowledge the Giver of the gift.
That account makes me pause and reflect: if I were among those ten men, which one would I be? Would I be with the nine who continued on their way, or the one who remembered to return and say thank you to Jesus?
When You Don’t Feel Grateful
What happens, though, when life becomes painful? What happens when a spouse dies, when you grieve the loss of a child, or when circumstances leave you struggling to understand God’s path?
Are we expected to feel grateful for such losses? Must we manufacture positive emotions even when our hearts are breaking?
I do not believe so.
God does not ask us to pretend that suffering doesn’t hurt. Grief is not ingratitude, and tears are not evidence of a lack of faith. We can mourn honestly without abandoning our trust in God.
Even when we struggle to summon a feeling of gratitude, we can still choose thankfulness. We can thank God for His sovereignty, His unfailing love, His presence in our pain, and the promise of eternal life in Christ.
This does not mean praising the loss itself; rather, it means anchoring ourselves in who God is, even amidst deep sorrow. Thankfulness fixes your heart and focus on God which is what keeps your body and soul in a state of wellness amidst circumstances.
The prophet Habakkuk models this enduring faith. Despite a lack of fruit, harvest, or visible provision, he declared:
“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:18, NKJV).
His circumstances were not good, but his confidence in God remained. In such moments, offering praise to God is indeed a sacrifice inspired by a thankful soul.
Thankfulness does not deny our pain; it acknowledges God’s faithfulness in the midst of it.
What Does This Have to Do With Wellness?
Quite a lot! Our understanding of gratitude directly shapes our emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. If wellness relied solely on constant positivity or favorable conditions, what would happen when life brings disappointment or grief?
Biblical wellness provides a deeper foundation. It allows us to process pain without being defined by it, experience sorrow without forfeiting hope, and remain thankful without denying life’s difficulties. Our well-being is thankfully sustained not by fleeting emotions, but by a life anchored in God’s truth, love, and faithfulness.
Which Leper are you?
You do not want to become so consumed with celebrating God’s gifts that you forget to honor the Giver. Nor do you want a transactional relationship with God, where thankfulness is driven merely by the expectation of the next blessing.
It will heal your heart and fill you with peace if thankfulness flows from knowing who God is, not simply from what He does or can do.
Sometimes thankfulness sounds like joyful praise. Other times it looks like a quiet prayer through tears or the simple decision to trust God’s goodness when His ways are unclear.
The lesson of the ten lepers goes beyond remembering to say thank you after receiving a miracle. It asks us what kind of relationship we desire with the One who heals and restores.
Only one leper went back.
Which one am I? Which one are you?
Thankfulness is one of the important principles I explore in my book, The ABCs of Wellness Through Biblical Wisdom: true wellness is not simply about cultivating positive feelings but about building a life anchored in God’s Word, even when life doesn’t turn out as we hoped.
It is a principle of wellness we must all learn to embrace.
Get your copy of The ABCs of Wellness on Amazon through the relevant link for your region:
