Be Thankful: How a Grateful Heart Helps You Resist Sin

It’s eight o’clock at night. You’ve just finished your civics homework and you have a bit of time before bed, so you pick up your phone and start scrolling social media. And as you scroll down, so does your mood.

Tammi’s dad bought her a vintage car. Ayla just posted a photo dump of homecoming pictures with her hot boyfriend. And Harper looks gorgeous in every picture she takes, even when it’s a selfie of her jogging.

If your life were a movie, I’d tell you to push pause on this scene right now. You may not realize it, but this moment of discontent is where temptation begins. It’s not always a dramatic event, like someone offering you a beer at a party. You only take that beer because you feel entitled to a bit of excitement, thanks to your discontent with life.

The moment your heart shifts from thankful to envious or dissatisfied, sin finds a little space to grow.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, America is talking about gratitude this month. But what if Thanksgiving were more than a holiday? What if gratitude could actually help you resist temptation?

Thankfulness isn’t just good manners or something you express right before gorging on turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. It’s spiritual armor, and that’s why it’s super important for Christian teens to be thankful, not just on Thanksgiving but every day.

Hey, I’m Lauren, author of YA Christian fiction and blogger for teens with higher aim.

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Run From Sin, Run Toward Jesus

My teenage son and I have been talking about strategies for escaping lust. With any temptation, the first step is to run away from it. Don’t use an unprotected device if you struggle with porn. Don’t shop at stores that only carry skintight, low-cut mini dresses. Don’t open a novel written by an author known for her steamy bedroom scenes.

(Check out my post What to Do When You Struggle With Temptation.)

But fleeing isn’t enough. You have to run to God. That means pursuing holiness (The Holy Teenage Life: Real Faith, Real Happiness) and training yourself to BE THANKFUL for God’s goodness and blessings.

“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
2 Timothy 2:22

How a Grateful Heart Helps You Resist Temptation

Maybe you already grasp how discontentment opens the door to sin, but if not, consider these examples.

The girl who constantly compares her dress size with that of her friends grows jealous, leading to envy. She might take this further by attracting (and possibly seducing) boys to make herself feel sexy and validated.

A guy who covets the fancy house and sporty car of his neighbor is likely to turn to greed, which leads to selfishness and dishonest gain.

Someone seeking escape through alcohol or drugs is likely doing so because she feels unhappy about her reality. Sin promises a little pleasure in the midst of pain, then lets you down even deeper.

But thankfulness reverses this pattern. When you’re focused on God’s goodness, you aren’t thinking about the things you lack. When your heart is filled with gratitude, there’s no room for sin. A grateful heart helps you resist temptation because it fills the space where temptation grows.

Thankful people are harder to tempt because their hearts are already filled with pleasure.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18

How to Be Thankful Every Day

Just say thanks!

It’s time to pause—I’m serious, do it right now—and thank God for what you already have. Everyone has something to be thankful for. (You can start by thanking Him for the device you’re reading this article on.) People who are more dedicated to journaling than I am find that keeping a gratitude journal helps. But even if you’re not one for writing things down, make it a routine part of your bedtime prayers to thank God for three things every day.

Find delight in Jesus.

Developing a life of gratitude means taking delight in something bigger and deeper than yourself, and that person would be Jesus. Are you aware of how much he has given you and how much he loves you? To be sure, check out these posts:

If you want to become resistant to sin, you have to desire him more than anything else. Read Desiring God As the Ultimate Source of Pleasure for more on this.

Pursue great friendships.

The kind of people you hang out with can have a HUGE impact on your contentment. Super-materialistic friends will have you wanting more stuff, while pessimists will constantly make you feel down about life. So choose your friends wisely! Pursue relationships with people who are also practicing gratitude and seeking their pleasure in Jesus.

Pursue wholesome pleasures

Call me old-fashioned (I’ll accept it as a compliment), but I never felt the draw to go to parties and get drunk as a teen because I always found pleasure in sobriety. Who says you need alcohol to have a good time?

(As a bonus, you have no trouble remembering what you did the next morning.)

Take part not only in wholesome fun, but also in engaging hobbies and meaningful work. These are God’s created pleasures, and he welcomes you to enjoy them. My post Work, School & Play: How to Serve God In Everyday Life talks about how you can take pleasure in serving God.

Focus on others rather than self.

I don’t mean focus on all the stuff your peers have that you don’t. Focus on being thankful for the great people God has placed in your life, and on how to reach out to those who also struggle with discontent.

Two posts to help you with that:

Thankfulness: The Antidote to Temptation

Sin loses its allure when your heart is thankful. So don’t relegate gratitude to one holiday a year! Focus on God’s faithfulness, and may the peace that transcends all understanding guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 5:18-20

You don’t have to have all the answers.

But, hey, why not?

Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.

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Be Thankful: How a Grateful Heart Helps You Resist Sin

In This Article

Run From Sin, Run Toward Jesus

How a Grateful Heart Helps You Resist Temptation