“…they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Rom 1.21)
Being grateful is something we know we should be. We have a national holiday to practice it and influencers speak of its value. Throughout Scripture we see the posture of gratitude—from Job to Mary to John.
What is unique about the biblical model of gratitude is the object. That is, our culture wants us to be generally grateful. But gratitude is something that is always paid toward someone…an actor. One who has worked on behalf to produce a better environment for the recipient.
As I have been studying and meditating on the plight of Judah in Isaiah (as our church walks together through the prophet’s message during our sermons), this concept seems to continually overlay with the need of our day. It’s what we see in Isaiah as Judah succumbs to idolatry—giving thanks to the work of their hands rather than God (cf. Isa 42.8). It’s also what we see in Paul’s letter to the Romans as he reflects on Israel’s taking for granted God’s good gifts (Rom 1.21). Derivatively, it’s what we should be on guard against in our own hearts.
We must be aware of the crouching tiger and hidden dragon of taking credit for the good and taking for granted the good and feeling entitled to blessings and disdaining the refining fires of adversity.
Gratitude actively puts us in the place of humility. After all, a proud person cannot thank another person from the heart because they don’t believe they received anything…but worked to get what was rightfully theirs.
Gratitude reminds us that we are dependent on another. It reminds us to look at our lives and see all as gift. Yes, even the adversity.
Gratitude puts us in reality. We often live in imaginary conceptions of an idealized world. We might not articulate them as such, but in the recesses of our minds we believe that we deserve better than we have. Gratitude forces us to look at the actual world around us and see it for what it is…
One of the practices I regularly commend when going through a season of difficulty or when you’re having trouble is to force yourself to write three things down that you are grateful for. Yes. Writing them down is key. A preemptive strike on our pride with a dose of gratitude is a way to safeguard falling into the same black hole of perceived self-sufficiency.
Go ahead. Try it today.
What are three things you are grateful for today?