Have you noticed that many people these days have an attitude of entitlement?
So many voices today talk about what’s owed to them…what they deserve. But the child of God should stand in stark contrast to that.
In Deuteronomy 28, Moses was talking about the blessings God gives His people if they obey Him, as well as curses that come if they disobey him. He said something really interesting in verses 45–47 (AMPC)…
“All these curses shall come upon you and shall pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you.
“They shall be upon you for a sign [of warning to other nations] and for a wonder, and upon your descendants forever.
“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness of [mind and] heart [in gratitude] for the abundance of all [with which He had blessed you]…”
Sometime back, my parents had a guy stay with them who was going through a rough patch. After he left, they told me, “We were never so glad to see someone leave our house!”
I said, “Really? Why?”
They said, “He was the most ungrateful person we ever met. He complained about everything—the food we served, what time we had dinner, his bed. He expected us to wash his clothes and complained about the way his pants were ironed and folded! He acted like it was all owed to him.”
Contrast that with an experience my family had when we were able to help a needy family at Christmas. We bought gifts for the husband, wife, and their two kids.
We went over to their house, knocked on the door, and we brought all these gifts in and set them on the floor.
The husband broke down and he started to cry. He lifted his hands, started to give thanks to God, and a holy presence rolled into that room. I will never forget it as long as I live.
There is something divinely attractive about gratitude—it is the response of a heart that has truly been changed.
My friend, you and I have been forgiven so much. When we were enemies of God, Christ died for us. May we never forget the indescribable gift we have received and live daily with a thankful heart.
