The Ways We Show Ingratitude

By Ethan Tidwell

Every year we celebrate Thanksgiving, where we give our thanks, say our thanks. Really though we should always be thankful especially to God for all He’s done.

One of the ways we show ingratitude is by not praying regularly. Prayer is our way of staying connected to God, yet many of us forget to thank Him for all He’s done. Do we truly count our blessings each day, or do we take them for granted?

Even more, when we sin, we take Christ’s sacrifice for granted. Every time we choose wrong, we put Him back on the cross. Remembering to pray, to thank God, and to appreciate the gift of salvation can help us avoid these moments of ingratitude.

Gratitude to God is not just a feeling or a passing thought; it is something that should be expressed through our actions. One of the clearest ways to show our gratitude to God is by living in obedience to His commands, offering our lives as a living sacrifice in service to Him. The apostle Paul captures this idea in Romans 12:1, where he urges believers to offer themselves fully to God as a response to His mercy and grace. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

Another essential way to show gratitude to God is through prayer. Prayer is not only a means of asking for help or guidance, but it is also a vital tool for giving thanks. The Bible repeatedly encourages believers to express gratitude through prayer. For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 instructs us to make thanksgiving a continual practice in our lives.” "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." With these words God deserves all the praise, glory, thanks, and honor.

Meditate on this:

John 10:17-18

¹⁷ “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

Amazed

By Jeff Curtis

We sometimes sing a hymn that says, “I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene.” Anyone who comes to know this God-man will truly be amazed. Jesus shared the Father’s glory before the world was, and it was through Him that the worlds were created. He was made flesh by the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit and a devout Jewish virgin. This took place in an otherwise insignificant land on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, in humble circumstances. Jesus grew up as a worker in His earthly father’s carpentry shop. Then He engaged in a campaign to teach an ethic and wisdom which comparative religionists around the world concede to be superior to all other religions. He gave credence to His teaching by being the only teacher ever who consistently lived what He taught, this made and deep-rooted impression on those who knew Him best. They testified that He died and actually rose again. This testimony continues to grip the hearts of men. Its power draws people from around the globe into its sphere of faith and transform their lives.

Paul knew this Jesus of Nazareth. He had seen Him and heard His voice (Acts 9:4-6; 22:7-8; 1Corithians 9:1), not only in that glorious vision on the road to Damascus but also on subsequent occasions (Acts 18:9-10). To him, Jesus was more real and substantial than the ground he walked on or the walls of the prisons that interrupted his tireless tours along the Roman Empire. Even these walls weren’t able to prevent the progress of the good news that he proclaimed (2Timothy 2:9).

While Paul stood in amazement at Jesus Christ, he was also “amazed” at the Christians in Galatia (1:6). However, this late amazement was for negative reasons. (1) They had deserted the wonderful grace f Christ. (2) They had deserted quickly. (3) They had deserted for an empty gospel of Law-keeping. The apostle’s words warn Christians of all generations not to trade the invaluable treasure of Christ for anything this world has to offer.

Meditate on this:

Deuteronomy 5:29

Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!