Yesterday I asked what would change if you and I always began from a place of gratitude.
Honestly, that’s not my default setting. I tend to be somewhat cynical. It’s easy for me to see what’s wrong. I’ve always felt like choosing gratitude in the face of darkness was sort of naïve.
Perhaps, though, the point is about focus.
We should never fail to confront injustice and evil. Jesus was clear about that. But we need to be careful that darkness doesn’t become our focus.
When we choose gratitude, we focus first on the light that always prevails.
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Choosing gratitude isn’t naïve or unrealistic. It’s not pretending we aren’t struggling.
It’s absolutely not ignoring or refusing to confront injustice.
I’m learning choosing gratitude first means deciding where I will focus.
When you and I begin from a place of gratitude, we focus on the light of the world.
We affirm our trust that Jesus holds our circumstances in his hands.