Gratitude is a state of the heart and not a result of the circumstances around us.
There's something I've come to realize in life which is, money and material things cannot give us joy. I was watching a documentary the other day, it was about kids living in the slums, the living conditions of these kids were terrible that they had to work in a dumpsite in order to survive.
But the amazing thing about these kids wasn't the fact that they were impoverished, it was the fact that even in that situation, they could still smile, laugh, and even thank God.
I was surprised and the first thought that came to mind was, how can they thank God for this terrible situation that they're in, then a text of the scriptures popped up in my head.
NLT. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
And as I remembered this scripture, I realized how wrong I'd been to have been upset at my parents for not giving me the money I'd wanted earlier. And so I went back to them and apologized as well as thanked them for that which they'd given me already.
I also listened to a teaching by Pastor Joel Osteen which said The Seeds Of Ungratefulness Cannot Take Root In A Grateful Heart. And since that day I've always learned to say thanks, even for seemingly trivial things.
Even looking at the life of Jesus Christ, he always gave thanks even when you'd think He shouldn't, like in the case of Lazarus, also during the feeding of the Five Thousand Men.
Jesus never complained but rather he was always giving thanks and since it is his life we as believers are to emulate, I think it is important that we master the art of Thanksgiving, even in the most dire of situations and circumstances.