By: Obed Pineda
“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13:15)
A while ago I was told about a curious finding that was stumbled upon in a case study about the human brain. Neuroscientists have learned, through neuroimaging, that our prefrontal cortex is the region of the brain that plays a crucial role when it comes to making decisions, regulating emotions, and social interactions. This part of our brain is responsible for processing and interpreting the emotional significance that an event has on us. Additionally, there are a group of chemical agents called neurotransmitters that are released by our nerve cells throughout the nervous system, stimulating neurons from one cell to the next. Dopamine and serotonin are the two neurotransmitters responsible for regulating a person’s mood and behavior, contingent on the amount of these substances released in relationship with the emotion being experienced. A surge in dopamine and serotonin is what makes us feel joyful and good, often motivating us to repeat whichever behaviors evoked those warm feelings. Feelings of sorrow or anger, naturally, have the opposite effect on the brain enticing Neuroscientists to wonder which emotions counterbalanced one another? Through many tests, they unearthed a fascinating bit of information that was found among the majority of the people who volunteered to undergo their experiments, who are typically always grouchy. When they would emote gratitude, their levels of dopamine and serotonin would elevate, and with it their bitterness would dissipate. The more they expressed their thankfulness, the more their mood would improve. Thus, this confirmed that being thankful offsets wrath and has the power to rewire our brain from a pessimistic mindset to an optimistic one. When I was hearing about how having a grateful attitude in life helps cure the spirit of nihilism (i.e. an attitude of “what’s the point? It’s all meaningless anyway”) it amplified significantly the apostle to the Gentiles inspired commandment, saying, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1st Thessalonians 5:18). It is indisputable that there will be moments in our lives where our joyfulness will be depleted, but it is in those moments where we must make our best effort to allow a grateful heart keep unrestrained anger at bay (cf. Job 1:20-22, 2:9-10). It also opened my eyes to have a clearer understanding of why an indicator that one’s baptism was indeed practiced with the proper understanding of the Scriptures is joy (cf. Acts 8:39b). The joy that the Ethiopian eunuch is described to have experienced by the inspired Luke illustrates a grateful heart toward God for His saving grace. Those of us who have had the blessing of putting on Christ by obeying the Gospel in the waters of baptism (cf. Galatians 3:26-27) remember the sensation of a great burden lifted off our shoulders; a magnificent sense of relief. Without a doubt, that heavy burden that is lifted from us is the wages of our sins that have been pardoned by the magnanimous Father, through the propitiation of Christ Jesus our Lord (cf. Romans 3:21-26, 1st John 2:1-2). Yet, it is imperative to remember to protect that positive thinking process by always being thankful. While in Peru, I was reminded of just how powerful having a spirit of thanksgiving is when I met two brothers who fled to Peru from their country of origin. Luis and Ali are both from Venezuela; a country that is currently plagued by heavy violence as a result of a corrupt government. This has produced great poverty in Venezuela to a degree that food is very scarce and difficult to obtain. For this reason, many Venezuelans have fled the country to neighboring countries, seeking asylum and opportunity to work and earn fair wages to feed their families. Peru has received the greatest influx of Venezuelan refugees, with approximately two million people seeking safety and the chance to live a peaceful life, with Luis and Ali being among them. Amazingly, despite the circumstances that led them to Peru, Luis and Ali always had a bright smile on their face, and a resplendent spark of positivity in their eyes. Their “glass half full” attitude was always a refreshment to the group whenever things went awry. Verily, their positive outlook on everything was infectious and more than once they were the spark of enthusiasm among the crowd. When other members of our group would ask them if they were not worried about their families who were unable to leave Venezuela, they often replied that even though they were concerned, they trusted in a God whom they knew heard their prayers. Instead of allowing their woes to taint their happiness, they preferred to go to the Father in prayer to thank Him for what He had already provided for them. God had not only rescued them from the dangerous political climate of Venezuela but He, too, had “delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13). Luis and Ali did not dare to ignore the worldly life that the Almighty had redeemed them from, serving as a daily reminder to me as well why I had chosen to make this trip in the first place. These two new friends of mine pointed their spotlight on the meaning of Jesus’ words to Simon the Pharisee in regards to the sinful woman that he scoffed at, as He declared, “I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little (cf. Luke 7:36-47). Although they did not go into detail of what their previous life outside of Christ looked like (nor did I ask), they exhibited their great appreciation for Christ’s salvation with their zealous devotion in contributing in whatever way required to insure that the work continued to move forward. I can honestly say that every time those two were around my sister, fiancé, future sister-in-law, and I, we are always laughing and enjoying their company. Whatever fatigue wanted to take a hold of me, with Luis and Ali present ready to work, it would quickly loose its grip on me. These brothers taught me that possessing a grateful heart can help me find and extract the blessing hidden within the curse, no matter how deeply hidden it may be. They, too, demonstrated to me how my demeanor and approach to life can significantly influence those surrounding me. To be continued…