For the next five days we’re going to dive into the very essence of gratitude and wear it like a garment.

We want to be people who see life through a sharply-focused lens of gratitude to Jesus that defines and shapes how we live; constantly striving to see life as He sees it, to truly look at the faces of people, and to see the beauty of life around us. This doesn’t mean life is perfect, or even close. It doesn’t mean we don’t struggle or face hardship; the opposite is often true.

So many of us have faced difficult circumstances: grief, death, cancer, divorce, broken relationships, and more. Our feelings have been a roller coaster of emotions: the whole gamut, from elation to bitterness to joy to unthinkable pain. Being rooted in gratitude doesn’t mean we downplay or disregard these very real realities. It means that in every single circumstance, the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and every moment in between, we cling to Jesus.

It’s a deliberate choice to clothe our hearts and minds with an attitude of gratitude. We remember God’s promises to us in and through Jesus. In the remembering we speak the truth of who God is and who we are as a result. This causes us to look up, to be reminded of God’s faithfulness, not just to the world, but to you and to me personally.

Write down three ways you have experienced God’s faithfulness toward you. Follow that up with a prayer of gratitude!