Is it just me or is the world getting less grateful?
For those of us in the United States, we have never experienced better health care, more financial prosperity, more freedom from tedious work, and more opportunities to travel and stay connected.
From a Christian point of view, we have never had more access to better teachers and theological education. We have the freedom to drive past numerous good churches to fellowship with people who agree with on second- and third- tier theological issues. We have an abundance of Bible translations, study tools, and a plethora of good books.
But you would not know it by taking a measure of the level of gratitude. It seems like there is more a sense of entitlement. And an attitude of entitlement destroys gratitude.
A Survey of the NT
A quick survey of the New Testament reveals how important thankfulness and gratitude is to God. Ungratefulness and refusal to honor him are some of the most basic sins (Rom 1:21). Ungratefulness is a manifestation of ungodliness (2 Tim 3:2). When Jesus wanted to highlight how kind God is to his enemies, he spoke of how he causes rain to fall on the evil and ungrateful (Matt 5:45, Luke 6:35). Ingratitude is that large of a sin.
Thanksgiving, on the other hand, is a mark of God’s people. It is happening in heaven right now (Rev 4:9). It is a fruit of being filled by the Spirit (Eph 5:18-20) and being filled by the Word (Col 3:16-17). Giving thanks to God is a fruit of maturity and a way we please God (Col 1:10-12, 2:7). It calms the anxious (Phil 4:6) and should be part of all our prayer (Col 4:2, 1 Tim 2:1). In reality, it should permeate all we do. “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God through him” (Col 3:17).
And yet, it seems to me, that generally, what characterizes our moment is ingratitude – both in the church and outside of it. And from where I sit, this seems especially prevalent in a younger generation.
Action Points
What are some action points we can take?
1. Repent of our own complaining, sighing, grumbling. What kind of example are our children and grandchildren seeing? Do they see us with thankful hearts? We are told to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thes 5:18). Do you express thankfulness for your spouse? Your pastors? All those who serve you?
2. If we are going through a particularly trying trial, start with lament but move into thanksgiving. Call upon the Spirit and immerse yourself in the Word. Even the Psalmist said, “It was good to be afflicted that I might learn your decrees” (Ps 119:71). He found good in the struggle. Paul started his letter to the troubled Corinthians by telling how thankful he was for them in prayer (1 Cor 1:4-5). Turn your anxiety into prayer and petition with thanksgiving (Phil 4:6).
3. Make it a goal to train and raise thankful children. Since the sin nature is to complain, we need to put off complaining and put on thankfulness. How did we try and implement this training?
a. When our children were very young and they asked us for something, we would not start giving it to them until they said, “Please.” And then we would not let go until they said, “Thank you.” As they matured, we still required them to match those two together even if we did not hang on to the object. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. See the post – “Love is not rude. Is my family?”
b. We had them write thank you notes after Christmas and birthdays. Yes, children should still do that. In other instances, a text or email that says thank you is thoughtful. To this day, whenever my mother-in-law comes over for a meal we get a thank you email the next day. Who could you send a short email or text to?
c. If they were complaining about a sibling (a common and understandable occurance), we had them go sit in the other room for three minutes and come back and tell us four things they were thankful for their sibling. (See more of the rational in Parenting with Confidence.)
d. Sharon and I tried to speak of ways we were thankful for others and them. We wanted an attitude of gratitude to fill our home.
No, we did not do this perfectly. But it was a goal we were aiming at. Spurgeon observed, ““We should be ten times more full of bliss if we were proportionately more full of thankfulness.” Gratitude is important to God. And it should be important to his people.
