Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20)

Ponder It.

• What are you thankful for today?
• What have you overlooked being thankful for recently?
• What gets in the way of your thankfulness?

Receive It. It’s a struggle to be thankful for everything. It’s counterintuitive to be thankful for some things: pain, suffering, loss. The list goes on. The problem is we think we should only be thankful for those things that make us happy. Happiness is circumstantial. Happiness is enjoyable, but it’s also fleeting. If circumstances are favorable, you’re happy. If not, you’re unhappy. Your happiness is dependent on what’s happening around you – and your perception of what’s happening around you. I imagine we all know people who seem “happy” even when what’s going on around them doesn’t seem happiness-worthy…and people who seem miserable even when they’re surrounded by fantastic circumstances. What we’re actually seeing isn’t so much happiness or unhappiness but joy or lack of it.

Joy is chronic. It’s a firm confidence that all is well regardless of the circumstance. Thankfulness is chronic as well. It’s the expression of joy, a confidence that all is well regardless of the circumstance. We can’t always be happy about everything, but we can certainly be grateful. We can appreciate something or someone around us. We can not only find thankfulness but also show it to someone. When we live out gratitude, it’s contagious. Let’s let others take a lesson from us. Let’s live out an attitude of gratitude.

Live It. Express your gratitude today. Show your gratitude to a stranger or acquaintance you encounter today. Dig deeper and contact a friend or family member and express your gratitude. Your gratitude will not be contagious unless you begin to share.