If your class is meeting online, invite your students to bring index cards, envelopes, and pens/pencils with them to class.

Many of us can often find ourselves in the position of the day laborers from today’s story. It’s so easy to get sucked into thinking about what we don’t have instead of being thankful for what we do have. What does our memory verse remind us?

Ask one student volunteer to read the memory verse (Philippians 4:19).

God promises to meet all our needs, although this may not always be in the ways we expect or in the ways we want. God’s promise of provision is great news! Think about how much peace we can have when we focus on all the good God’s given us and all the good He’s promised us. It’s easy to forget that in our daily lives though, isn’t it? Thankfully, there’s a way to combat our discontentment: gratitude. Remembering what we’re thankful for is the perfect antidote to dissatisfaction and jealousy. Let’s start practicing gratitude now.

Ask for a volunteer or two to be the scribes and stand at the whiteboard. Give the students two minutes to write down all the things they’re thankful for. When you’re finished, have everyone look at the list. (If your class is meeting online, invite students to share items they’re thankful for as you record them on the screenshared document.)

• How does it feel to think about all the things you’re thankful for? (I feel happy, I realize that my life is pretty good, etc.)
• How does it feel when you think about all the things you don’t have instead? (I feel jealous, annoyed, angry, discontent, etc.)

Hand out one envelope per student plus index cards and pens/pencils. (If your class is meeting online, invite students to have supplies ready at home.) Ask each student to write the word “Gratitude” on their envelope. Make sure each student has six index cards. Have them write each day of the week (one per index card) from Monday to Saturday across the top of the cards. Under the day of the week on each card, have students write numbers 1–5 in list format so they can add items they’re thankful for.

Challenge them to keep track of things they’re thankful for each day. They should try to write down at least five things every day without duplicating anything. Once they have filled out their card for the day, they should put it in their envelope. Every night before they go to bed, urge them to set aside some time to pray thanking God for all of those blessings. At the end of the week, look over all your daily lists of gratitude. See if your attitude changes during the week when you’re focused on gratitude instead of comparison.

End by praying together. During the prayer, ask each student to thank God for one thing. End the prayer by asking for the strength to stop the comparison game and live in gratitude.