“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
As we approach Thanksgiving, we find ourselves reflecting on what it means to cultivate grateful hearts in our children. There is a remarkable difference between teaching a child to say, “thank you” and forming a soul that genuinely overflows with gratitude. The first is behavior; the second is character. The first can be trained through repetition; the second must be cultivated through intentional formation and biblical understanding.
At Great Hearts Christian Academies, we are committed to the formation of virtue, and gratitude stands as one of the foundational virtues upon which all others rest. A grateful heart recognizes that every good gift comes from above (James 1:17), that we are recipients of unmerited grace, and that our very breath is a gift from the Creator. The Bible is unequivocal: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:4). Gratitude isn’t just a nice sentiment; it is the proper posture of the human heart before God. It is the antidote to entitlement, the remedy for discontent, and the pathway to joy.
The Roman philosopher Cicero understood this when he wrote: “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” Apart from biblical revelation, the ancient thinkers recognized that gratitude opens the heart to see clearly, to love rightly, and to live generously. In classical thought, gratitude was understood as essential to the well-ordered soul. The Greeks called it “eucharistia,” a word that means both thanksgiving and grace. To be grateful was to recognize one’s place in the cosmic order, to understand that we are not self-made but immensely dependent upon God, family, community, and the countless gifts we have received from those who came before us.
As we gather around our tables for this Thanksgiving, we have a sacred opportunity to form our children’s hearts. Here are a few ways to cultivate gratitude intentionally:
An ungrateful child grows into an entitled adult who believes the world owes them something. But a grateful child understands that they stand on the shoulders of giants, their parents who sacrifice, teachers who inspire, family members and friends who serve, and ultimately a God who loved them into existence.
We are grateful for your partnership in our upcoming service projects, particularly the cans being collected for the food drive. Your children’s efforts in collecting cans for the food drive will help families enjoy a Thanksgiving meal, reminding us that gratitude blossoms into generosity. They will begin to see their own abundance clearly and understand that “to whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48). Thank you for teaching your children to participate in these acts of service. Through these experiences, they learn that grateful hearts are also giving hearts that thanksgiving is not complete until it moves us toward others in love.
As we enter this season of thanksgiving, our prayer is that your home would be marked by genuine gratitude, not just the “thank you” of social convention, but the deep, abiding thankfulness that recognizes every moment as a gift, every breath as grace, and every relationship as a sacred trust.
With Gratitude,
Toyin Atolagbe, Executive Director Great Hearts Christian Academies
Great Hearts Christian Academies are fully accredited private Christian schools that unite the proven Great Hearts classical model with a nurturing, Christ-centered culture. We believe a classical Christian education uniquely integrates faith and reason so students can develop moral, academic, and spiritual virtue. All families are welcome. Learn more at https://christos.greatheartsamerica.org.
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