Scott Tibbs
God expects us to be thankful
By Scott Tibbs, May 3, 2023
God commands us to be thankful throughout all of Scripture. And yes, being thankful is a very good thing: It encourages those who help us and it protects our souls from being
corrupted by envy. I believe it was God’s providence for our nation that
our very first President encouraged us to be thankful.
But what about being ungrateful? What about refusing to be thankful for all of the things God has provided for us, and for the things that others have done for us? This is a grievous sin. Note that when the Apostle Paul lists all of the sins that bring God's judgment in Romans 1, he includes the fact that the pagans were not thankful right in the middle of that. Being ungrateful is also included with the list of sins in II Timothy 3:1-5. When Jesus points out in Luke 17:12-19 that only one of ten lepers healed returned to thank Him for this miracle, the lone thankful person was one of the despised Samaritans.
Thankfulness is also basic manners. Think back to your own childhood and how you were taught to say "thanks" when given something or when someone does something for you. Showing gratitude for what others do for you is one way we fulfill what the Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 22:36-40 is the second greatest commandment: Love thy neighbor as thyself.
Refusing to be thankful is a very wicked thing, and is emblematic of the self-centered and narcissistic age we live in today. Our churches, and our church leadership, should sternly warn us of the dangers of this sin, and rebuke people who refuse to obey this command.
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