A study of 5,000 Christians revealed the difference between those who were consistently more like Christ and average Christian. What caused the greatest difference? Was it prayer? No Bible reading? No fasting? No praise and worship? Some other spiritual discipline? No. Prolific Christian author and Professor Michael Zigarelli, who conducted the study, was surprised to discover that, as he says, of all the possible explanations for why some Christians look more like Jesus than others, one explanation, one characteristic, clearly stood out above the rest.
Gratitude.
Professor Zigarelli concluded that the influence of gratitude was much greater than any of the spiritual disciplines. And it really did explain why some Christians were more like Jesus. By that he meant that they consistently displayed the fruit of the Spirit, the virtues of Galatians 5:22 23. But the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in us is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generous faithfulness, and self control.
The Holy Spirit produces the fruit in us. Let me clarify. It's not that prayer, reading, the Bible, praise and worship, and other disciplines didn't have an impact. Of course they did. But Professor Zigarelli was surprised to find that gratitude had a much greater impact.