Paul talks about the "gratitude attitude" in the middle of a discourse on the model life . Let's listen in to hear what the Lord has for us concerning this important issue.

The Lord tells us, through the apostle Paul, that we are to give thanks. That's not so hard to do, or is it? The next part of the verse says we are to give thanks in "all" circumstances. That means that even if life isn't working out the way we think it should, we are to be thankful anyway, because this is the will of God for us. He has placed us in the position we are in for a specific reason.

I know a married couple who take the attitude that their church owes him a staff position. This attitude has caused him to be overlooked for various opportunities in the service of the Lord. Though his church has several areas of ministry where his gifts can be used more effectively, he flounders in his selfishness. Instead of utilizing his spiritual gifts and accepting the opportunities afforded him, he prefers to wallow in self pity and gossip. Ultimately, hurting the body of Christ just because he can't have it his way.

We must never take such a selfish attitude toward the work of the Lord. If we don't learn to have gratitude in all the things that happen to us, we are doomed to repeat the same miserable process over and over until we finally learn it. We will remain on the bottom rung of the ladder to leadership until we learn to be thankful in ALL circumstances.

Teach the "gratitude attitude" to your children and yourself and you will see God work wonderously in your life.