Is Everything from God a Gift? A Deeper Look at Gratitude

Adina asks: “When a mother brings a child into the world, she is expected to care for them. So why should we feel that God, who created us, is giving us everything as a gift?”

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Hello Adina, and thank you for your thoughtful question. In order to truly appreciate and thank God, we must first develop gratitude toward our parents. As Rabbeinu Bachya writes: “One who denies the good done by others will ultimately deny the good of God.”

It is not something to take for granted that parents invest so much effort in their children, love them unconditionally, and are willing to sacrifice for them. Parents do not care for their children merely out of obligation, but from love and a personal willingness to give. Therefore, they deserve appreciation and respect from their children.

God has given us far more than any human being ever could. He gave us our bodies and our souls — eyes to see, ears to hear, hands to grasp, and legs to walk. He gave us intelligence and wisdom, a heart and emotions. Beyond that, He created a world filled with everything we need to live: air, water, trees, fruits, vegetables, metals, and more.

God was not obligated to create such abundance. A person could survive with far less, with limited senses or a simpler world, but instead, we were given far more than necessary, so that we could experience and enjoy life.

Beyond Parental Care: A Higher Source of Giving

There is a certain similarity between the kindness of parents and the kindness of God, although no comparison is truly equal. Nothing in reality is comparable to God.

Parents act according to their nature. They did not design their child’s body or create their soul. God, however, created everything from nothing. He designed our intelligence, our personality, our desires, our emotions, our sense of morality and justice, and beyond.

Every good thing we recognize in this world, every moment of joy or pleasure we have ever experienced, ultimately comes from Him. He knows exactly what is good for us, both in this world and beyond, because He is the One who created us according to His plan.

Faith, Trust, and True Connection

Our relationship with God is therefore more than gratitude for specific acts. It is a connection to truth itself.

God is the source of all wisdom and all goodness. We therefore trust Him fully and believe that everything He does is for our benefit — even when we do not fully understand it.

In this sense, we are like children who rely on loving parents, but even more so. Our trust and gratitude toward God come from a deeper awareness, a connection to the very foundation of reality.