Friday - Giving Thanks

Ephesians 5:18-21 - “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

When you are filled with the Spirit, one of the first things He produces in you is gratitude. Paul says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God.” That is a big statement. The words “always” and “all things” remind us that this is not selective thankfulness. It is not praising God for the good stuff and grumbling about the hard stuff.

This kind of gratitude comes from trusting that God is working in every situation. It does not deny hardship. It declares God’s sovereignty over it.

When the Spirit shapes your perspective, you start to see God’s hand even in the things you would not have chosen. The job loss that opened a better door. The sickness that brought you closer to Him. The betrayal that showed you who your real friends are.

Gratitude is not based on feelings. It is based on facts. God is good. God is present. God is working.

And when that truth gets inside you, complaining turns into contentment. Anxiety turns into peace. You stop living by what you see and start living by who you know.
That is the fruit of a Spirit-filled life.