Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Hank Walker | Pastor at Peach City Fellowship

I love Thanksgiving! Isn’t it wonderful that our forefathers recognized that because God has been good to us, we are responsible for giving Him the credit and expressing thanks.

Nonetheless, one needs not look far to find a negative Nelly or obnoxious Oscar who just cannot be happy with ANYTHING! Sadly, we can be THEM when things are not going our way. It is in those moments that we need to step back, reassess things, and offer a word of apology and many words of thanks to the God who made us and who providentially controls all things—even those things that are not going “our way.”

More than that, however, is the (maybe) surprising news that God HATES ingratitude! Consider the following: First, Gratitude, being thankful, is a COMMAND:1 Thessalonians 5:18, instructs us, “In EVERYTHING give thanks; for this is THE WILL OF GOD in Christ Jesus FOR YOU.” Why? Because when we fail to express gratitude, we deny the blessings we have already received—you know: things like breath, health, clothing, employment, transportation, etc. Romans 1:21 states, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God NOR GAVE THANKS to Him.” In this context, ingratitude is a sure sign of one who does not know God—one for whom God’s wrath remains. When the Holy Spirit has truly indwelled a believer, a wonderful by-product is joyful gratitude!

Second, ingratitude breeds discontent with others, dissension at work and home, and a lack of unity in Christ’s church. This kind of emotional upset becomes its own form of temporal punishment for the ungrateful person. Sadly, though, it also causes misery for those in the unthankful person’s wake. Consider the admonition in Colossians 3:15–“And let the peace of Christ RULE in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And BE THANKFUL.” Do you see how gratitude fosters peace and unity, while ingratitude breeds division and conflict?

Finally, God gives a stern warning to those who let their ingratitude spill over into sinful actions such as “…hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy… I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things WILL NOT inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5: 20b-21).

So, let us give thanks with a GRATEFUL heart—in ALL circumstances.

Grace and peace, y’all. Soli Deo Gloria