It is delightfully easy to thank God for the grace we ourselves have received, but it requires great grace to thank God always for the grace given to others.

The saying contrasts two kinds of gratitude: the instinctive, self-referential thanks we offer for blessings that come to us, and the more demanding spiritual discipline of rejoicing in blessings bestowed on others. It implies that envy and comparison are natural human reflexes, so celebrating another person’s gifts requires a deeper “grace”—a transformation of the heart toward humility, generosity, and trust in God’s providence. The quote also reframes gratitude as a moral practice rather than a mood: true thankfulness is tested not when we receive, but when someone else receives what we might want for ourselves.