Christian Family Services Ministry

9-11-2022 – A Word to the Wise – I have seen a virus infecting many of us. It may be observed in this manner. Ask a person what they are thankful for, and this blank look crosses the persons face along with dead silence. It is as if the person goes through labor, and delivery by themselves, changed every dirty diaper all by themselves, provided all the food, clothing, and shelter all by themselves. I know in my mind this is a hyperbole, yet I fear we just do not get it sometimes. In 45 years, I have never heard a person express thankfulness for the care they received the first year of life, never.

What is gratitude? It takes humility for a person to experience gratefulness because gratitude is acknowledgment of one’s inability to provide for or accomplish a task. Without humility there is the lack of desire to express appreciation. We see it clearly in Jesus’ ministry.

Notice please the number of miracles that Jesus performed throughout the Gospels yet the infrequency the healed expressed appreciation.

There are few things that amazed the Lord. Circumstances like the Roman Centurion who understood authority and realized that healing did not require anything but the word of God. Jesus, in contrast was amazed at the ignorance of His own disciples who though seeing miracles day to day still found the breath of those miracles astounding.

But the most amazement expressed by the Son of God was the lack of gratitude on the part of man when healed from disastrous illnesses. Can you imagine being sick unable to walk or move for 38 years. Jesus comes along and heals the man. Not only does he not thank the Lord but in the next breath turns Jesus into the authorities who want to kill him?

This also is so much like mankind though Jesus healed a great many men often they failed to give the Lord praise. Interestingly there is not a biblical example where a woman does not praise the Lord for her healing!

So, the question arises why is it necessary to express appreciation? Simply, appreciation is also an expression of faith. Whether belief in the divine or the profane. A simple expression of gratefulness encourages deeper faith and discourages narcissism.

Gratitude in a very real and practical sense is the antidote to addiction. Over the years I developed several methods to try to get individuals to grasp the importance of acquiring the quality for gratefulness in their life.

Reviewing the results, it always seemed people just did not get it. There were some improvements, but it seemed to me most of the things they were asked to write about gratitude seemed so shallow.

A major indicator of a lack of gratitude in one’s life is the presence of addiction. How is addiction and lack of gratitude intertwined?