Today’s lesson deals with how King David reacted to his circumstances. To get your students thinking about how they feel in different situations, start by asking a few questions about their experiences. Have you ever paid attention to the way you react when the unexpected happens? We can learn a lot about ourselves if we stop and take a look at our attitude.
- Tell about a time you had a really good surprise! How did you react? (Be prepared to share your own story to prompt discussion.)
- What’s the most disappointed you’ve ever been? (Encourage students to discuss, but be careful to avoid gossip or oversharing.)
- Have you ever tried to be grateful even when you were disappointed or things weren’t quite what you expected? What happened? (Answers may vary.)
It’s easy to be thankful when we have everything we want, but it’s a little more challenging to stay positive and thankful when things are tough!
Play the following video for your students [3:46]:
The Science of Gratitude
- What does this video teach us about the benefits of gratitude? (Answers may vary.)
- Have you ever tried to show thankfulness even when you were experiencing something challenging, such as losing a game, doing poorly on a test, or having a friend move away? Did it feel harder to be thankful in that situation than when you weren’t in a tough situation? Talk about that a little bit. (Accept all reasonable responses.)
Gratitude is actually good for us and benefits our health! While it’s easier to be thankful when times are good, it can be hard to feel thankful when we’re experiencing tough times. In today’s lesson, we’ll hear a story about someone chose to be thankful even though it would have been easy not to. Let’s find out why.
