Ingratitude: a sign of dangerous times .

Gratitude and ingratitude do not seem important to most people. But God sees things in a different way. Ingratitude is one of the symptoms of a society in danger. The apostle Paul warned about the difficult and stressful moments that would come before the return of Christ: 

“You should also know this: that in the last days dangerous times will come. For there will be men who love themselves, greedy, boasting, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful ... ”(2 Timothy 3: 1-2, emphasis added). 

His list of destructive attitudes of the end times is quite long, but let's focus on "ungrateful."

Why is ingratitude a symptom of a sick and self-destructive society? Why is it growing and how does it harm us, while gratitude benefits us?

Predictably Ungrateful

Why is ingratitude increasing in this secular and humanistic society? Paul wrote a revealing analysis about people who ignore the evidence of our Creator:

“Because the invisible things of him, his eternal power and deity, become clearly visible from the creation of the world, being understood by means of the things done, so that they have no excuse. For having known God, they did not glorify him as God, nor did they give him thanks, but they became puffed up in their reasoning, and their foolish heart was blackened ”(Romans 1: 20-21). 

People who don't recognize God are obviously not going to be grateful to Him. Thoughts that don't take into account the obvious reality of existence and God's plan are vain thoughts.

If you think that you are only an animal and paradoxically also believe that you are lord of your own destiny, your thoughts will not transcend beyond your life time (Psalm 146: 4). They will be fleeting and futile, and will be blinded to the spiritual realities that last forever.

Study of an old case

We can see this in the life of King Nebuchadnezzar.

God warned him about the results of his path of pride. “That they will cast you out of men, and with the beasts of the field it will be your abode, and with the grass of the field they will feed you like oxen, and with the dew of heaven you will be bathed; and seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High has dominion in the kingdom of men, and that he gives it to whomever he wants ”(Daniel 4:25).

But Nebuchadnezzar did not heed the warning and 12 months later he was again idolizing his own power and wealth. He said: "Isn't this the great Babylon that I built for the royal house with the power of my power, and for the glory of my majesty"? (v. 30).

From that moment the prophecy was fulfilled and King Nebuchadnezzar became a wild animal. He ate grass and his nails grew like claws, until this poetic justice transformed his superb pride into praise.

“Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise, magnify and glorify the King of heaven, because all his works are true, and his righteous ways; and He can humble those who walk with pride ”(v. 37).

The problems of ingratitude

Being ungrateful implies an underlying rejection of God. If we do not recognize what He has done for us, we are putting something else in its place. This not only shows that we are disconnected from reality, but it generally means that we are making a god of ourselves.

If we ignore the blessings of God and the contributions of others, we create blind spots that prevent us from seeing the whole picture. These blind spots can prevent us from perceiving the mistakes of our path. It is a law of the universe that pride precedes the fall (Proverbs 16:18).

The focus on oneself and ingratitude prevail in those around us, which leads to a lack of privacy and isolation. Ingratitude can destroy relationships and prevent new ones from forming.

Benefits of gratitude

On the other hand, gratitude has many benefits that are now being confirmed by science.

John Tierney summarized some of his most recent research in The New York Times: 

“Cultivating an attitude of gratitude has been related to better health, a deeper sleep, less anxiety and depression, greater long-term satisfaction with life and friendlier behavior with others… A new study shows that feeling gratitude makes that people are less aggressive when provoked ...

Why does gratitude do so much good? 'More than any other emotion, gratitude is an emotion of friendship,' says Dr. [Michael] McCullough . 'It is part of a psychological system that causes people to raise their estimate of how much they are valued by others. Gratitude is what happens when someone does something and then you realize that the person cares more than you thought. '”

It is the Golden Rule in action (Matthew 7:12). We all like to feel appreciated, and gratitude acts as a lubricant in human relationships. It helps us make friends and strengthen friendships and family ties. Being grateful to others helps us make our life more pleasant and happy.  

In addition, happiness can also help us develop our relationship with God. He is a loving father and wants the best for us. This includes having the benefits of a positive outlook on life (Philippians 4: 8), and a correct perspective on our blessings and challenges.

Free from blind spots and the traps of pride and ingratitude, we can see our future clearly, according to the definitive reality. God has made us and given us everything we have. Beyond this, He has a purpose for us that transcends the problems of this age. He wants us to think like Him - to appreciate what is good and to give.  

God is the owner of everything and has given us everything we have. He still gave his Son's life so that we could be forgiven of our sins. What can we really give Him? Thanks!

“Praise the Eternal, because he is good. Because forever is his mercy ”(Psalm 107: 1).