What is one of the hallmarks of a well-grounded Christian? A grateful heart.
According to Merriam-Webster, grateful means: appreciative of benefits received or, put another way, pleasing by reason of comfort supplied or discomfort alleviated.
What does it mean to be grateful? Gratefulness is being thankful for receiving something that you neither earned nor deserved. In Christianity, we should be grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sin through that sacrifice because we certainly don’t deserve it.
Why would God sacrifice his son for you and me? Many people don’t understand the love it takes to make such a sacrifice. The closest example is a Parent’s willingness to give their own life to provide for their kids. However, many wouldn’t sacrifice their kids’ lives. It’s the way we are wired. The fact that God sacrificed his SON’s life should demonstrate His level of love for us.
Humans also have a difficult time being given anything for free. It is one of the most challenging concepts for us to understand. Why would God give us salvation for free? Again the parent/child analogy is valid here. Parents are willing to give almost anything to their children if it means that they can be protected and successful. There are downsides to giving anything away for free, however:
1) The recipient doesn’t appreciate the gift and abuses it. In spiritual terms, this could be an attitude of “I’m saved, so now I can sin as much as I like because I’m forgiven.”
2)The recipient neglects the gift, and it deteriorates or is damaged to the point that it isn’t recognizable. In spiritual terms, this could be a person who is saved but doesn’t go to church, study God’s word, or live their life in a way that glorifies God.
3)The recipient has an attitude of entitlement and thinks they deserve the gift. In spiritual terms, this could be someone who believes God created the situation that required them to be saved. Therefore he should be the one that saves them, as they are entitled to it.
None of these reflect a grateful heart. Accepting a valuable gift means knowing you are undeserving and could not have attained the gift on your own. You realize the value and are willing to display it and take care of it to keep it looking as good as when you received it. In spiritual terms, this means that you proudly show others the valuable gift you accepted; you are working hard to keep the gift free of dirt and soil of sin. You are sharing your gift with everyone you meet, explaining how they can get it too!
It is no small task to be grateful in a deteriorating world. It takes effort, and sometimes you may wonder if you should be grateful or not because of the things you see going on around you. Rest assured; it is worth being grateful. You will start to see the world in a way you didn’t know you could – the way God and Jesus see it, and notice people worth getting to know all of eternity.
I pray, MARANATHA! (Come quickly, Lord Jesus!)
