Perspective Shift: Student EditionSample

Ever noticed how some people seem to have inner peace, regardless of life's ups and downs? Like the Apostle Paul, they've discovered a secret, and it starts in the heart. Paul didn't say life was easy. Remember yesterday? He said he "learned" how to be content in any circumstance. Gratitude is about perspective. Paul tells us that whether he was up or down, well-fed or hungry, he found a way to be grateful. As the saying goes, the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. Gratefulness is a choice, and it doesn't depend on abundance or lack. Things change. Things break. Things are fleeting. But a grateful heart? That's eternal.

Biblical gratitude is radical when you understand that everything on Earth has an expiration date. The surest things, greatest possessions, and even good health won’t last. But our heavenly riches cannot be taken away. Where is your treasure?

• Recite this week's memory verse: Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content" (Philippians 4:11, NKJV).
• What is preventing you from having a grateful heart today?
• How might clinging to material things slow your spiritual growth?
• What's one actionable step you can take today to cultivate a more grateful heart?