Someone approached me awhile back, seeking advice on how to teach her seven-year-old son the principle of gratitude. At issue, apparently, were a number of birthday presents the child had received, and for which he had yet to write a single thank-you note. She had reminded him repeatedly to attend to this task, and even emphasized that it was more than just common courtesy, it was “the Christian thing” to do. But her words had failed to make an impression.

“How does one teach gratitude?” That was her question—and it is a profound one, because we are talking about more than simply learning the mechanic of politeness. After all, you can write a hundred thank-you notes without being genuinely thankful!

Like a great many other things in life, I am persuaded that gratitude is not something that any of us do naturally. It takes practice. In fact—and you can try this out for yourself—I have discovered that when I intentionally begin my day by being thankful, the day goes infinitely better.

Given the state of the world these days, it is very easy to slip into thinking only about the negative. Just read the morning paper or watch a news program, and you are almost guaranteed to become depressed.

However, if I wake up in the morning and bring to mind one person whom I am grateful for, it is never long before the face of another person pops into my head, and then another and another. Pretty soon I am thinking of other things that I am thankful for—my health, my family, my calling as a pastor, those of you who read this blog, and on and on it goes.

It may seem like a simple exercise … and, truthfully, it is. But like Naaman learned when Elisha told him to wash seven times in the Jordan River—sometimes the simplest things in life are the most effective. If you wake up each morning focusing on gratitude, and counting your many blessings … you will find that it is exceedingly difficult—maybe even impossible—to feel anything but peace throughout the day!