It is, I think, significant that the most famous, the most enduring Christian hymn, is “Amazing Grace.” It begins:

“Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but not am found
Was blind but now I see”

This hymn has endured because it ought to have endured. It speaks the very core of the Christian message. We have received grace and therefore we are grateful people. We are people who stand joyfully amazed that we’ve been blessed.

This world is a scary place. The world is afraid of all sorts of things, but ultimately it is afraid of the wrong things. The hymn goes on:

“Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fear relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed”

Someone has said, “Fear God and you need fear nothing else.” I believe that to be true. Grace teaches us, first of all, to recognize our sin, and then to accept God’s forgiveness. God’s grace is everything for us. Thus, our whole attitude toward life, should be one of gratitude.

How do you cultivate such a mindset? The Apostle Paul who spent a disturbing amount of time in jail, tells us repeatedly to be joyful. So clearly, that is something we all need to work on. We should all do the following.

• Give thanks. Look for things to be thankful for. Make a list.
• Find community. We don’t stand alone.
• Be gracious towards others. Helping people whose problems are bigger than yours puts your own problems in perspective and it makes you realize that you have enough and to spare.

And then finally, we should contemplate our ultimate destiny.

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.”