(PNN) PPSIMMONS News and Ministry Network: Gratitude Affects Attitude

By Rev. Joda Collins

I was speaking with one of our communities well-known and respected Christian-Church leaders a few days ago. We were reflecting on an individual of mutual acquaintance that is often in need of assistance through no significant fault of his own. He is handicapped, has chronic medical conditions, nearing senior citizens age, cannot work and is trying to live on a very limited income in a world that takes a lot of money to make ends meet.

We have both helped him several times over the years in small ways and significant ways. Neither one of us have ever heard the words, "thank you" from this individual. We each confessed to the other that we did not do for others for a thank you, but both agreed that it is always easier to help people who appreciate the help compared to those that act like help is owed to them; thus find no reason to express a thank you. When a person is thankful, it makes it easier to sacrifice time, energy and money to assist him or her. His attitude of no-gratitude affects our attitude when he asks us for more help.

It also works the other way around. If a person expresses thanks it is always easier for the recipient of kindness, favors, work and money to feel appreciative. It is this phenomena I would like to address. This is an article and not a book, so I do not have the word space to mosey up to my point. So, I will just be blunt. I am a member of a really, really, really good church. I know what a good church is because I have been in a lot of churches in the last 52 years. I have been in some good churches and some bad churches. I know a good church when I see it.

My church has three Pastors and every one loves the Lord, loves the church, loves people and is doing his very best to serve the Lord with a pure and devoted heart. They live clean, dedicated and godly lives and each has done so for decades. To find one such pastor is a blessing. To have three in the same church is a miracle. It is a favor from God to the congregation. The Church is peaceful and members care about and for one another. The church body ministers unselfishly to one another, our community and beyond. It is a really, really, really good church. I am grateful every day to God. I am grateful every day for my Pastors and my church for doing the consistent hard work to be superior.

If we stop being thankful for anything, soon we lose appreciation for it! And, once we lose appreciation for it, we will treat it as common. And, once we treat something that is valuable as if it is common, we are destine to lose it or give it away. It will either slip through our hands due to our carelessness/neglect, clouded judgment (inability to value the blessing, thus we toss it away) or taken from us as an act of God for our lack of gratitude.

"Every good...gift comes from above." James 1:17. My Pastors and my church are a gift from God. The fastest way to discourage God from allowing me to enjoy those gifts is to be ungrateful. That is one reason the Bible commands, "...be ye thankful." Colossians 3:15. Unthankfulness is a sign of demonic activity/influence in one's life. "...in the last days (days of increasing evil) perilous times shall come. For men shall be...unthankful...." 2 Timothy 3:1-3.

Do not let God's blessings slip through your hands. Do not treat good things from God as if they are common or you will find yourself not valuing them enough to protect them or even want them! Do not tempt God to remove his blessings from you due to being unthankful.

When was the last time you bowed before the Lord and just spent time thanking Him for his blessings, not as a group of blessings, but one by one? If you have a good wife, husband, son, daughter, friend, pastor or ..., when was the last time you showed those individuals open and honest appreciation for the blessing they are in your life. When is last time you shook their hand or gave them a hug, looked into their eyes and said "thank you!" Show appreciation to God and to others for your blessings or you may lose those blessings. Great friends, a great spouse, great parents, great kids, great pastors and great churches are hard to find. Do not throw them away!