Finding Peace Through Gratitude & Kindness

One of my most cherished Bible verses is Philippians 4:6–7 (NLT),

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

This verse was a powerful source of comfort for me during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a reminder that gratitude helps shift our focus away from our own needs and toward the blessings we already have. Remarkably, Paul wrote these words while imprisoned - yet he still expressed thankfulness. His example reveals how God desires to protect our hearts and minds from anxiety and worry.

Modern mental health research supports this biblical wisdom. Studies show that redirecting our attention away from personal concerns can reduce anxiety and rumination. Practicing gratitude - thanking God for the spiritual, familial, and personal blessings in our lives is one of the most effective ways to do this.

Acts of kindness have been shown to lower cortisol (the hormone associated with stress) levels, helping to regulate mood. Paul may not have known the brain chemistry behind these practices, but he understood their spiritual power. These principles, revolutionary in his time, remain deeply relevant today.

As Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) reminds us:

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

This term, we’ve continued to embed these values into our school culture. Our goal is to create opportunities for students to experience the peace that comes from kindness and gratitude. Our 50th anniversary celebration, marked by the “50 Acts of Kindness” initiative, has extended these practices into students’ homes as well.

Here are just a few highlights from Term 2:

• Years 7 & 8 term theme: Being Kind
• Year 9: Random Acts of Kindness (in Community Organisational Groups): Car wash and primary school kindness project
• Year 7 Camp: Kindness Board – to encourage those demonstrating kindness to others
• Year 8: Kindness Project – raising funds for Compassion Australia
• Care & Wellbeing Student Leadership Team: ‘Say Something Kind’ Day
• Launch of Development Partners: supporting organisations such as Sharing Hop

My hope is that by integrating these practices into both our school culture and classroom learning, students will come to understand the profound value of protecting their hearts and minds through kindness and gratitude.

Let’s continue to encourage one another in these good works, both in school and beyond.