11/25/2025
As we approach Thanksgiving, I’ve been reflecting on both the art and science of giving thanks. Yes, indeed, gratitude is crafted in beauty and confirmed through biology.
Allow me to explain.
I don’t always find myself grateful. In fact, I often find my gratitude tank about half full at best, and the more stress and busyness creep into my life, my gratitude needle moves way down toward Empty.
To fill my gratitude tank, I need to do two things: Refocus and recalibrate. The first connects with beauty; the second connects with biology.
To refocus, I need to step outside my current circumstances and observe. I ask myself curious questions: What am I thinking about right now? Why is this situation triggering me? What can I do to stop my current thought trajectory and redirect towards beauty, grace, peace, and the presence of the Holy Spirit?
Sometimes I don’t “feel” this way, but the truth of the matter is that we can choose our focus. “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2, ESV). If my mind is consumed with the ugliness of depravity, I can refocus my thoughts toward the beauty of divinity. By redirecting my mind from grumbling to gratitude, my body begins to follow. The mind is not enslaved to the body. The mind is the master and commander which charts a course toward the beauty of Christ and our gratitude for grace.
So, gratitude is crafted in beauty. Here’s an action step we can all take. When we find our minds wandering towards fear, anxiety, worry, or darkness, craft your thoughts to refocus on beauty and God’s grace. Fill your mind with Scripture, worship, art, and nature, and practice the rhythm of gratitude. Choose beauty over brokenness, delight over despair, and gratitude over grumbling.
But gratitude is also confirmed through biology. As the old adage goes, “We are what we think.” The King James version translates Proverbs 23:7 as, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Science confirms what beauty captures. Neural pathways are formed through a process called synaptogenesis, where neurons create new connections which are influenced by experience. The more we focus our minds on gratitude, the more a specific pathway is used in our brains, and the stronger it becomes.
Think of this process like walking a path in the woods—frequent use makes it clearer and easier to navigate. This adaptability demonstrates the brain’s remarkable ability to change and grow based on our experiences, including where we place our focus.
When we refocus our thoughts on beauty and grace, we choose the path of gratitude. When we refocus, we recalibrate, and our minds begin to reflect gratitude, which becomes our mental norm rather than the exception.
Remember the action step I listed above? When we find our minds wandering towards fear, anxiety, worry, or darkness, craft your thoughts to refocus on beauty and God’s grace. This is what I call gratitude being crafted in beauty and confirmed through biology.
The Apostle Paul sums it up quite nicely: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8, ESV). Choosing these thoughts leads to a heart of gratitude and a rewired brain.
I always find it amazing when science confirms what Scripture has been saying all along.
