Week 7: Chapter 6 — I Feel Afraid: Choose to Be Grateful

1.Allen pairs fear with gratitude as its antidote — which might seem counterintuitive. What is your initial reaction to that pairing? Does it feel like a real solution or a spiritual platitude?

2.She argues that fear and gratitude cannot fully coexist in the mind — that choosing to give thanks is a way of physically redirecting the brain and the spirit away from fear. Have you ever experienced this dynamic? Describe what happened.

3.Paul's command in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 — "give thanks in all circumstances" — is not give thanks for all circumstances. What is the difference, and why does it matter for someone in the middle of real suffering or real fear?