“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”
— James 1:17

Do you realize that thankfulness is a choice? I say that because we can choose what we will focus on. Some people look at life negatively and see the glass as half empty, while others see it as half full. The ones who see the glass as half full praise God for what He has given them, but those who see it as half empty look at that same glass and complain about what they lack.

I have observed this in my ministry to people. There are individuals in my congregation who are always telling me how much the messages have touched their lives. But there are others who have been in the congregation for years and have heard the same sermons yet have never once expressed any joy over the word. They have never said, “Oh, Rabbi, that sermon blessed me so much,” or, “That word was just what I needed today.”

Some people, it seems, are thankful even if they face challenges in life; others have an attitude of lack, and nothing is ever enough for them. The good news is that we can cultivate an attitude of thankfulness. James said every good and perfect gift comes from above. That means your life is a gift. The fact that you can read these words right now is a gift. Good health; the ability to walk; the ability to see, remember, and reason—these are all gifts coming down from the Father of lights. Too often we take these blessings for granted, not appreciating them until they’re gone. We don’t appreciate good health until we find ourselves sick. We don’t appreciate our vision until it begins to fail. We don’t appreciate our hearing capacities until they begin to diminish.

Beloved, let’s thank God every day for what we have— the food that we eat, the home we live in, our friends and families. When we thank God for what we do have, He’ll keep blessing us with more. So keep your eyes on Him, and choose to be thankful. Every breath we take is a gift from above.

Father God, help me to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Help me to change my perspective so that I appreciate the blessings You have given me rather than focus on what I lack. Father God, help me to always be thankful.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Rivers of Revelation (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2020), Used by permission.