“…give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

When we think about things for which we can be thankful, our minds and hearts often go to the obvious and easy first. I’m thankful for my family, for my job (on most days), for my kids (right?!?), for my spouse, and so on and so forth. But when the apostle Paul was giving some final instructions to the believers in ancient Thessalonica, he called them to give thanks in everything. More than that, he told them that this was God’s will for them. If you’re at all like me, I suspect you can quickly think of some circumstances in which you were not particularly thankful. And yet this command remains. So, today’s prompt is simple: I want you to think of a circumstance you have faced recently in which you were decidedly not thankful. Got it? Now, take a few minutes and write out some things that you experienced in that situation for which you could have been thankful. The idea here is not that we should learn to see everything as something good and to be grateful for, but rather that we do ourselves a great favor when we learn to see the world around us through a lens of gratitude first. Use today’s exercise as a chance to practice developing your gratitude lens. If you’re willing, share about your situation and why you are grateful in the comments. Enjoy your day and remember to give thanks as you prepare for tomorrow.