The Gratitude Muscle! A 5 Day ChallengeSample

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.