Tonight at Kairos, Pastor Chris launched into a new series on 1 Thessalonians. If I had to pick out a theme so far, it would definitely be that gratitude and thanksgiving is an art and a discipline. If we fail to give thanks, we naturally gravitate toward criticism and cynicism.

Learning to give thanks and live thanks has been the theme of my life for the last 5 or so years. Truly, developing an attitude of gratitude changes everything. Or better yet, it changes you and the way you see everything. You learn to find God and His good gifts in the midst of any and every situation once you learn to give thanks.

According to 1 Thessalonians 5:17, God’s will is for you to give thanks in every circumstance. So gratitude is more than an optional response. It’s what God wants and desires from us. A life full of thanksgiving and thanks-living is one of the most powerful witnesses to the love and grace of God in Jesus.

So give thanks and live thanks.