Ever felt thankful at Thanksgiving but wondered why that feeling didn’t last long? Perhaps, you need a new way to think about gratitude and a new approach to practicing it. In this plan and 5 day challenge, you’ll learn how to exercise your gratitude muscle, especially in moments when you’re struggling to thank God or feel joyful. Scott Savage
Day 1
Scriptures: Lamentations 3:22-24, Colossians 3:16, James 1:17
When I grew up, Thanksgiving dinner at my house included sitting at a table with a few acorns in front of your plate. Each person would share one thing they were thankful for, placing an acorn in the center of the table to represent that gratitude. As they placed their acorn in a bowl, they shared something or someone they were grateful for that day.
This experience helped shape my view that while Thanksgiving included family, food, and football, it was ultimately about an overwhelming appreciation for the blessings in my life – big and small.
However, it wasn’t until I entered my most physically exhausting work season as an adult that I truly began to appreciate the power of gratitude. I worked three jobs for a few months and two for over a year. For six or seven days per week, I pulled shifts in both jobs on the same day, several days per week. I worked harder than I ever had before.
That season showed me some fundamental flaws in my character. I was arrogant, unteachable, and entitled. Working in food service with many challenging customers exposed my character flaws and gave me regular experiences to grow in humility, teachability, and gratitude.
Over time, I realized how my awareness of these flaws and openness to growing in those areas allowed God to transform me. Not only did I develop new physical muscles in working these jobs, but I also developed new character muscles, including gratitude.
During that time, I began identifying something I was grateful for each day or each shift. That simple practice changed my mindset as I worked a 4 pm-12 am shift at Starbucks on Saturday night and then showed up at my church on Sunday morning by 7 am to set up for a 13-hour day of services and events. My gratitude muscle got a lot of work during that season!
Like Jeremiah wrote in the book of Lamentations, each morning (and sometimes the minutes after midnight) became when I experienced God’s new mercies. He was faithful to sustain me, even when I was exhausted, short-tempered, and discouraged. As He consistently got me through that period, I began to consistently thank Him for the big and little ways I saw Him at my work in my life.
So, here’s my challenge for you. Beginning today, I invite you to identify three items you are grateful for. (Those “items” could be people, things, experiences, etc.) Starting today, I want you to repeat that simple daily practice for 21 days. You can keep that list in a note on your phone, in a journal, or post the list each day on your social media. (If you post on social media, please tag me. I’m @ScottSavageLive, and use #TheGratitudeMuscleChallenge.)
Over this five-day plan, I’ll teach you about the power, science, and wisdom of gratitude, all rooted in Scripture.
Tomorrow’s devotional will explore the idea behind that hashtag and the title of this plan. You’ll learn why a feeling or a calendar does not drive gratitude.
So, what three things are you grateful for? Write them down.
I’ll see you on the next day of the plan as we learn how gratitude operates differently than Red Bull.
Day 2
Scriptures: Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4
Do you drink caffeine every day? I used to be addicted to energy drinks and iced coffee, relying on a caffeine rush to get through my day.
I approached caffeine similarly to how many of us approach gratitude. We give thanks when we feel like it or when some outside force brings on a sense of appreciation (like a certain holiday in America that involves turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie).
But, like an energy drink wears off, this short-term approach to gratitude rarely transforms us in a lasting way. We give thanks when we feel like it; when we don’t, we don’t.
However, we know from every other area of our lives that the things we do occasionally don’t change our lives in a lasting way. Consistency creates lasting change.
Instead of thinking of gratitude like a Red Bull or a large coffee, what if you thought of gratitude like a muscle? We don’t expect muscles to be large or defined outside of consistent and challenging exertion. Our muscles are developed over the long term through consistent, challenging workouts when we feel like working out and don’t want to but do so anyway.
Have you ever considered that you have a gratitude muscle? Tim Sanders is an author who introduced me to the gratitude muscle, sharing how his grandmother challenged him to grow in this area of his life. She said that gratitude is your strength and ability to find something or someone to be grateful for, no matter the circumstances. Giving thanks to God does not have to be circumstantial or feeling-driven.
That’s why the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 5 that suffering and adversity can be transformational in how they shape us. Paul states that we “glory” in our sufferings. The Greek word for glory means “to rejoice.” You may think, “How can I make a gratitude list when facing these challenges? ” You may also wonder, “Who on earth rejoices when they suffer?!”
In addition to Paul’s admission that he does, consider this observation. After pastoring people in churches for nearly 20 years, I’ve found that the times people felt closest to God and grew the most in their faith were not the easy seasons, but the seasons of adversity and pain. When I talk with those people, they do not wish for those adversities and crisis moments to return. But, they praise and thank God for what He did through them, and as James wrote in his epistle, they can count those things as joy because they can see the final product looking back.
I encourage you to identify your three items for your list today, just like you did yesterday. Today’s list might seem like an easy walk or bench pressing a couple hundred pounds.
Whatever emotions you’re processing presently, I’m with you in the gratitude gym, spotting you and encouraging you as you exercise your gratitude muscle. Please reach out and drop me a note if you need some encouragement.
I’ll see you tomorrow when I’ll share the story of someone who took this challenge right before his world fell apart.
Day 3
Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 11:23-30, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Crisis rocked Jim’s world in 2020.
As the leader of a camp in the pine trees, he saw over 80% of his organization’s yearly revenue disappear in a few days. During a health crisis, no one wanted to come together in close quarters like cabins, cafeterias, and auditoriums.
Jim led his team to pivot, offering resources online, creating outdoor-only activities, and cutting expenses in every way possible. He was resourceful, creative, and resilient! Though most of the staff would eventually be furloughed, with many finding new jobs, Jim stayed the course and led the camp to reopen the following year to many very happy campers.
In the spring of 2020, Jim sent me a note to follow up on a message I shared at our church. I’ve included the note with his permission.
“On November 10, 2019, you preached a message that encouraged us to keep a log of three things for which we were grateful. On Monday, November 11, I took that challenge and started a log on my phone.
It has been over six months, and every evening before I go to sleep, I reflect on the day and list the three items that I am grateful for. I haven’t missed a day. So, I have done 187 days straight and listed 561 items.”
Jim took the Gratitude Muscle Challenge seriously! He sustained this habit for over six months, which changed his life. In November 2019, Jim had no idea what kind of adversity was coming in the spring of 2020. But he built his gratitude muscle, which was strong when he needed it the most.
In many ways, what Jim did reminded me of what Paul did before his imprisonment in Rome. Paul became an expert at his own story, even listing out all of the ways and places he suffered in 2 Corinthians 11. But, his listing of these sufferings testified to God’s provision and protection. His suffering also led to a profound experience of God’s grace and sufficiency in 2 Corinthians 12. Paul’s past sufferings helped him develop the spiritual muscles of Thanksgiving and rejoicing – muscles he would need when his most significant challenges remained ahead of him.
Like Jim, you and I have yet to learn what the future holds. But, if the past is any predictor of the future, you and I will face adversity in the coming days. Because we know challenging days are coming, we need to prepare.
Writing down three items on your gratitude list today is one part of that preparation. Like Jim, I encourage you to keep your list in one place. Then, you can look back on tough days and see all the blessings in your life. On the days when you’re stuck, you can review past entries to find some inspiration.
I hope Jim’s story inspires you to practice gratitude today!
I’ll see you on the next day of this plan, where I’ll share some fascinating science that validates the power of gratitude in our lives.
Day 4
Scriptures: Philippians 1:3-6, Philippians 4:6-7, Philippians 4:10-13
Did you know that scientific research has shown the way that gratitude impacts every facet of your life?
In 2013, two researchers published a study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology about the impact of practicing gratitude. Later, Johns Hopkins University summarized that research.
“People who are grateful benefit from less stress, a general sense of well-being, improved cognition and social performance, and reduced risks for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders. Physical health benefits can include lower blood pressure, improved immune function, and more restful sleep. A strong sense of appreciation helps develop a healthy mind, making us more inclined to make healthy decisions for our bodies. The cultivation of gratitude can also deepen our relationships and help us to be more forgiving of one another.”
As you engage in this gratitude challenge, consider the impact of adding those three little items to your list every day. My experience validates this experience. My stress decreased when I started building my gratitude muscle while working multiple jobs, and my thinking clarified. I lost weight, fell asleep faster, and had a new level of appreciation for my wife.
Jesus didn’t promise us that we’d experience the easiest of circumstances. In fact, in John 16, He promised that we would have trouble. But, earlier in John 10, He told his followers that He came to give them an abundant life. So, how can both of those things be true?
The answer to that question lies in the practice of gratitude and the attitude of contentment. In Philippians 4, Paul said he’d learned the secret of being content. He wrote these words from a prison cell! Paul ends the letter by describing how God’s peace has replaced worry in his heart. Since Paul’s circumstances didn’t change, contentment must be found in some other way.
Reading the book of Philippians shows me that thankfulness changed the mental, emotional, and spiritual state of Paul, even as his physical state of incarceration remained unchanged.
Adding three more items to your list today might seem insignificant. However, review that list from Johns Hopkins and consider Paul’s experience. You cannot always change your circumstances, but you can change your attitude when you exercise your gratitude muscle!
On the final day of this plan, I will share my favorite Scripture text about gratitude!
Day 5
Scriptures: Psalms 103:1-5, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Have you ever resisted an idea initially before embracing it eventually?
I once resisted the idea of a daily gratitude practice. I even resisted the Scripture’s calling to thank God at all times.
Today, one of my favorite Scriptures about gratitude is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”Seeing words like “always” and “all circumstances” may be tough to read if you’re having a painful or difficult experience, but consider this.
There is a distinct difference between being thankful in all circumstances and being grateful for everything. This distinction is essential, especially as we live in a world that treats gratitude as a feeling or an idea based only upon certain circumstances.
The people of Thessalonica were experiencing challenging times. Local government officials and many of their neighbors persecuted the followers of Jesus, leading to several deaths. Gratitude was far from easy for the believers, and “giving thanks in all circumstances” meant these men and women had to stretch like they hadn’t previously.
For the Thessalonian church, gratitude wasn’t their natural inclination. This passage reminds us that gratitude doesn’t have to be a product of our feelings or circumstances, though that’s where we have the most experience. Gratitude can be an intentional practice. Despite its discomfort, gratitude can be a discipline or an exercise we consciously choose. God empowers us to sustain this practice. Even during hard times, this practice keeps our eyes focused on God’s unchanging character.
At the beginning of this reading plan, I shared with you that I discovered the power of gratitude in circumstances that felt far from ideal. Working three jobs without any weekends off for months on end is something other than what I’d recommend. I felt exhausted and, at times, humiliated. It seemed like my marriage was suffering, and my sense of hope was slipping. There wasn’t much to celebrate. What on earth about this situation was there to be grateful for?!
Yet, it was in that very circumstance that I learned to give thanks to God. During those long shifts and short nights, I started choosing joy, and I found myself praying continually. I knew I needed strength beyond my natural capacity. I didn’t thank God for the poop I had to clean up outside our store or the bloodshot eyes I saw in the mirror on many mornings.
However, I began to see the opportunities those circumstances provided me, and I noticed how I grew and changed in the process. For those things, I could rejoice. In those moments, I could pray. For those gifts, I could be grateful.
The intentional approach to gratitude is far harder than the feeling approach. But it’s the only approach I’ve found that makes me the person I want to be! When gratitude shifts from a seasonal activity I do for a few days in November to a muscle I exercise all year long, I see the transformation in my life. My circumstances may not have changed, but God is making me more of the man I want to be.
Keep adding to your list and looking for reasons to give thanks, no matter what happens today.