“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.  4  Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy” (Philippians 1:3-4, NLT).

     Barbara Johnson is one of my favorite Christian authors. Barb tells of the time she had overslept and was late for work. Then, several things happened at the office to contribute to her agitation. By the time she reached the bus stop for the trip home, her stomach was tied into knots.

     Then, as she took her seat, Barbara heard the words, “Beautiful day, isn’t it?” She couldn’t see who was speaking. However, a man’s voice continued commenting on everything the bus passed that added to his joy. A church here. An ice cream parlor there. The man’s enthusiasm became contagious, to the point that Barbara herself found herself smiling. The problems that had earlier weighed her down seemed to dissipate.

     So, when the bus finally stopped. To her surprise, Barbara Johnson discovered that this joyous man was wearing dark glasses and carrying a white-tipped cane. He was blind. Amazingly, God sent a blind man to help Barbara Johnson see that even when things go wrong, it’s still a beautiful world.

     When you read Paul’s letter to the Philippians, you come away with the impression of a man sitting comfortably in a beach chair beside the ocean sipping Pina Coladas. The reality is that Paul was writing his letter from the inside of a dank, dark, disgusting prison.

     Yet, Paul begins the balance of his letter with the words, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” In these two verses from today’s Bible passage, Paul describes the effects that gratitude can have on a person’s life. Paul claims that gratitude forges a path toward greater joy. “I thank my God every time I remember you,” said Paul, “always praying with joy for all of you” (Philippians 1:3-4, NIV).

     Unfortunately, too many of us walk through our day like Barbara Johnson. The absence of gratitude in our hearts blinds us to God’s blessings, consequently robbing us of joy. Ingratitude focuses our attention on what’s gone, while gratitude centers on what’s left. Ingratitude laments that we are not what we want to be, while gratitude celebrates that we are not what we used to be. Ingratitude is dejected by what is wrong, while gratitude delights in the things that are going right. The truth is that joy does not always lead to gratitude. However, gratitude always leads to joy.

     John Henry Jowett, a British preacher, once said that “Gratitude is like a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic.” Like a vaccine, gratitude can inoculate us from an infected, disgruntled, and discouraged spirit. Like an antitoxin, gratitude can prevent the poisonous effects of cynicism and grumbling. When your heart is filled with gratitude, your spirit gains altitude. No matter the circumstance in which you find yourself, this three-word prayer can change everything.  “Thank you, Jesus.”