Grateful Heart: Grace Wins

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I have always really enjoyed receiving an unexpected gift. Who doesn’t? The anticipation as you unwrap it, wondering what's inside and what prompted the giver to choose it specifically for you. There's a special joy in that moment—not just in getting something new, but in knowing someone thought of you. How often, though, do we open the gift, use it for a while, and then forget about it? In our spiritual lives, God's grace works much the same way—it flows freely to us, but requires our grateful acknowledgment to continue its work in our hearts.

Thomas à Kempis wisely observed: "Man does evil in not returning everything gratefully to God. Thus, the gifts of Grace cannot flow in us when we are ungrateful to the Giver, when we do not return to them to the Fountainhead. Grace is always given to him who is duly grateful, and what is wont to be given the humble will be taken away from the proud."

How a Grateful Heart Keeps Grace Flowing

à Kempis’s spiritual insight appears throughout Scripture. God's grace, His loving, divine energy freely given to help people grow closer to Him and become more like Him through faith and the Church’s sacraments (e.g. communion)—flows most abundantly when met with a grateful heart. Gratitude isn't just good manners; it's the channel through which God's blessings continue to flow.

On the other hand, ingratitude blocks the flow of grace just as a rockslide into a river stops it from carrying water; a heart filled with entitlement, pride, or forgetfulness cannot fully receive God's ongoing grace. Jesus illustrated this principle in the parable of the talents—those who faithfully acknowledged and used what they were given received more, while the one who didn't properly value his gift eventually lost it (Matthew 25:14-30).

James reminds us that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights" (James 1:17). When we recognize the true source of all blessings, we naturally direct our thanks to the Giver rather than taking credit ourselves or simply enjoying the gifts without acknowledgment.

Today, consider Paul’s questions to the Corinthians in chapter four of his first letter: "What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? Already you have all you want. Already you have become rich. You have reigned as kings…" (1 Corinthians 4:7, 8a). This recognition keeps pride at bay and maintains the open channel for grace to continue flowing into our lives.

Returning to the Fountainhead

Take five minutes to write down three specific gifts of grace in your life that you may have overlooked or taken for granted. Offer a specific prayer of thanks to God. Then, choose one way to actively "return to the Fountainhead" by using one of those gifts to bless someone else this week. As you practice this, watch how the channel of grace widens in your life, bringing even more of God's goodness than before.

Always improve the present moment.