Ingratitude
I came across this quote recently and it got me thinking, so it is now time to share this with you all. Quote; “Ingratitude is regarded by the LORD as among the most aggravating sins.” It seemed a little unfair at first, but let us decipher this slowly. Ingratitude; (Collins Dictionary) “to act in order to bring oneself into favour with someone, ingratiating” or “lack of gratitude or of thanks.” In common terms, “greasing up to somebody for personal benefit.” Let us move to the next portion, “regarded,” (Collins Dictionary) “to look closely or attentively at.” Aggravating (Collins Dictionary) “to make worse, annoy,” or to just to rub up the wrong way, irritating, chaffing, and grating.
So to sum up and to use modern terms, we get this; “When we are being ungrateful in our dealings with people, God views this as greasing people up for your own selfish benefit. God then examines this behaviour very closely, and deems this as a worst type of sin.” Yes I know that sin is sin and that is sin, and that is that; but if you have to sin, then this is a “Biggie” and should be avoided at all costs. Let each of us be a whole lot more grateful in everything.
Let us examine some of the 10-Commandments using this quote as our magnifying glass and see what come to view. No5 = “Honour Parents.” Are you grateful for the food, clothing, bed, toys, home, family and all the rest, or are we just demanding this as some perceived right, and have become so un-grateful and demanding. No6 = “Kill, please don’t,” so are we grateful for our life and grateful for the life that others have, or are we becoming ungrateful and wished them dead, or worse, even plot carrying out this deed ourselves. Hating somebody is viewed as murder by God. No7 = “Adultery, please don’t,” you have a spouse so shower them with your affection, and show them your gratitude for them being an intergral part of your life. No8 = “Steal, please don’t” you have what you have and be grateful for that, if you need more, then work hard, budget carefully and purchase it. No9 = “False witness, please don’t,” ingratitude in greasing them up, or gossip to tear them down, setting them up with false information so that they will fall flat on their face is based on your selfishness and greed; “me,” “my,” so let us be grateful and thankful, and if they are on a wrong path, then try positive friendship and support to get them on the right path, and forget the “slander first and ask questions later.”
The final one, No10 = “Covet, please don’t,” God has entrusted you with what you have so be grateful for what you have, be a good steward of your resources, take extra good care of them all, and then sow & grow or earn things. Coveting what is not yours is in essence plain old theft, if looking at a woman with coveting is adultery, then looking at goods and chattels of others is tantamount to stealing/theft. Quote; “Ingratitude is regarded by the LORD as among the most aggravating sins.”
Quote; “At any moment God can withdraw from the impenitent the tokens of His wonderful mercy and love. Oh, that human agencies might consider what will be the sure result of their ingratitude to Him and of their disregard of the infinite Gift of Christ to our world! If they continue to love transgression more than obedience, the present blessings and the great mercy of God that they now enjoy, but do not appreciate, will finally become the occasion of their eternal ruin.” {CTr 16}
Quote; “Love to Be Manifested.–I have seen children who seemed to have no affection to give to their parents, no expressions of love and endearment, which are due them and which they would appreciate; but they lavish an abundance of affection and caresses to select ones for whom they show preference. Is this as God would have it? No, no. Bring all the rays of sunshine, of love, and of affection into the home circle. Your father and mother will appreciate these little attentions you can give. Your efforts to lighten the burdens, and to repress every word of fretfulness and ingratitude, show that you are not a thoughtless child, and that you do appreciate the care and love that has been bestowed upon you in the years of your helpless infancy and childhood. Children, it is necessary that your mother’s love you, or else you would be very unhappy. And is it not also right that children love their parents, and show this love by pleasant looks, pleasant words, and cheerful, hearty cooperation, helping the father out-of-doors and the mother indoors?” {AH 295}
Scripture gives us this admonition found in 1 John 4:20-21 “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also. If you really do love somebody, then “Ingratitude” should never exist in that relationship. Expanding this, we have this verse from Leviticus 19:18 “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I [am] the LORD.”
Dear Reader; “Being ungrateful in our dealings with anybody, God then views this as greasing people up for your own selfish benefit. God then examines this behaviour very closely, and deems this a worst type of sin.” “Ingratitude is regarded by the LORD as among the most aggravating sins.” May this aggravating sin be never found among us?
