In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
(1 Thess. 5:18)

Do you know that the Greek word for “thank” is charis, the same Greek word used for “grace”? So to be full of grace is to be full of thanksgiving. God wants us to give thanks always. Even when things don’t go well with us, we can choose to have a spirit of thanksgiving because He is faithful and able to work all things out for our good (Romans 8:28).

The thing about us is that there can be 10 good things happening to us, yet our human tendency is to focus on the one thing that is negative and fixate on it. We tend to look at what we don’t have, instead of thanking God for what we do have. We need to understand that when we thank God for what we do have, even if it is only “five loaves of bread and two fish,” what we have will be multiplied. Remember what Jesus did before the five loaves and two fish were multiplied to feed more than 5,000 people? He gave thanks to the Father for the little that He had (Matt. 14:17–21, NIV).

My friend, cultivate a spirit of thanksgiving and graciousness, and keep it flowing today. Thank God for the parts of your body that are working fine. Thank God for whatever the amount you have in your bank account. Don’t focus on what you don’t have. Count your blessings every day. Thank Him for His presence and grace that make all the difference. Not only will you have more joy, but you will also experience His blessings and increase!