Why I Don’t Want to Be An Ungrateful Christian
Inside: The key point is, Jesus gives us eternal life. We shouldn’t have anything really to be ungrateful for if we’re ungrateful do we take advantage of Christ?
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I haven’t had the most grateful heart in the past especially during the actual day of Thanksgiving.
The Holiday Season likes to capture me. My thoughts seem to bypass Thanksgiving and fly straight to Christmas.
I miss the blessings of the present, when I’m unthankful and focused on the future.
Honestly, I don’t think I’m alone in this. Does it seem to you like our culture is moving more and more towards leaving thankfulness behind? Share on X
Has gratefulness gone out the window?
I searched the internet to see what I could find about being ungrateful. A few articles suggested that it’s OK to be ungrateful.
When you’ve mastered the art of appreciating what you have for what it is, but you’re still deeply discontent with the situation… you have permission to be “ungrateful ~Stephenie Zamora (you can find the rest of the article here.)
What do you think about that quote?
The definition of ungrateful is: not feeling or showing gratitude or not pleasant or acceptable.
As Christians, can we be ungrateful?
I think it’s possible to have an ungrateful heart as a Christian.
The causes of ungrateful hearts
- Captivation of trying circumstances, we forget what God has done for our past.
- An intense focus on the circumstances, instead of the good gifts God is sending us (James 1:17).
- Dissatisfaction with our current state, and we look forward to the future by passing the present.
Being ungrateful can have a huge effect on our faith. It can cause us to question God’s goodness and His Protection and Provision in our lives.
Ungratefulness is a sign we aren’t in sync with our Savior. Share on X
If we can’t find anything to be thankful for in our faith, we’ve missed the point about our faith.
The key point is, Jesus gives us eternal life. We shouldn’t have anything really to be ungrateful for.
Do we take advantage of Christ when we are ungrateful?
Faith and gratitude go hand in hand, don’t they? Our faith causes us to be grateful. If we start to feel ungrateful, it looks like we need God to do some heart-work in us. Here’s what God says about ungratefulness.
2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly
When we feel our hearts twinging with the feelings of thanklessness, might we realign ourselves with what God says?
Therefore, with 10 eyes watching me (I have 5 kids) I don’t want them to grow up with my ungrateful heart or get caught up in the culture’s version of Thanksgiving.
I want them to see Thanksgiving Day through the lens of a Christian child looking at their Creator.
I’ve come up with a list of ways to cultivate a grateful heart.
8 Blessings I want my kids to know this Thanksgiving:
- The gift of salvation moves us to thanksgiving continually. Thanksgiving Day is a day set apart to be a little more thankful for this gift.
- The world might seem dark, but there is always something we can be thankful for. Focus on the blessings instead of the circumstances.
- A Christian heart is a thankful heart.
- Being thankful is not a feeling, it’s a choice.
- Everything is a gift from God, we need to view it as a blessing.
- Thankfulness rubs off on other people.
- God deserves to be thanked for who He is.
- Cultivating a thankful heart is important to health and wellbeing.
Here’s the thing, with so much dark in this world, don’t we want to raise children that can see the positives in whatever circumstance they are looking at?
We have a huge mission field out there in regards to showing people the good things God gives us each day. Our culture is so wrapped up in the negative and dark.
Let us show hearts of thanksgiving. I promise it will rub off on someone else.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8, NLT).
The Way of Gratitude: Readings for a Joyful LifeChoosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy
Gratitude
Gratitude Works!: A 21-Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity
Gratitude: A Prayer and Praise Coloring Journal
21 Prayers of Gratitude: Overcoming Negativity Through the Power of Prayer and God’s Word (A Life of Gratitude)
Our culture has changed. We skip Thanksgiving and jump right into the commercialized Christmas. We must be a peculiar people, a chosen generation paving the way with a grateful heart. I appreciate this blog Julie. It is a word in due season.
Calvonia- I appreciate your friendship!
Blessings!
Julie
Thank you. Our joy should be in the Lord, this is my prayer!
Catherine- thanks for stopping by!
Julie
Such needful thoughts, Julie! And instilling an attitude of gratitude in our children/grandchildren, as well as demonstrating thankfulness ourselves, will go a long way toward helping others to be drawn to the Hope we have in Jesus. I am grateful for being your neighbour at the #TellHisStory link up this week! Bless you. 🙂
Joy- thank you for the kind words!
We can change this world just by helping shape our kids and grandkids, can’t we?
Blessings!
Julie
Love that number 4! It’s a choice and it’s easy to forget that it is! thanks, julie (five kids– now that’s a quiver full ! blessings!)
Sue- thank you for stopping by!
Have a great rest of the week!
Julie
Whoa shocker on the ungratefulness quote/article you found. Great tips and I want my kids to see me portraying the right heart attitude as well.
Kelly- it’s hard to always show our kids Jesus, isn’t it? I pray that when I don’t show them the right attitude, I can show them how to repent and strive to be better!
Blessings to you!
Julie
Thank you, Julie as always for your insight and thoughtfulness that you share here. I appreciate you taking the time every week to share this at Sitting Among Friends. I am grateful that you are there and it wouldn’t be great without wonderful ladies and sisters in Christ such as yourself.
Jaime- thank you for providing the environment to share at! I enjoy your site and your honesty. You have so much wisdom to give especially the last series of overcoming heartbreak through your loss. God is using you!:)
Have a great weekend!
Julie
Julie, gratefulness is so important. I enjoyed reading your 8 blessings. Blessings to you during this season of Thanksgiving!
Stacey- the same to you and yours!
Julie
Love how you wrote Ungratefulness is a sign that we are not in sync with our Lord Savior. I am definitely going to remember that one. Great post!
Thank you Carmen!
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Julie
I loved the thoughts that you shared here, Julie and I was trying to think about which of the blessings is my favourite. #7 definitely steals the show because it reminds me that even when we don’t think we have something to be grateful for, and when life is decidedly hard, we should still thank God for simply being God. That is a true act of faith.
Thank you for sharing these, I think they’ll make a great printable. (Hint, hint). 🙂
Marva | SunSparkleShine
Marva- thank you! Isn’t it true we always have something to be thankful for. Even in the midst of the worse possible tragedies, if we have breath, we have been given a gift.
I have taken your hint;)
Blessings to you!
Julie
I need to work on this one: “Dissatisfaction with our current state, and we look forward to the future by passing the present.” I can choose to be thankful in the moment.
Sarah- yes, intentional choice and I find that hard to do many times!
Julie
Julie, this is so important to remember. The fact that we’re forgiven of our sins and have had our eternal destiny changed should be enough, even if that were all He did for us … but He does so much more!
Donna- yes He does. We get so many gifts every day, don’t we? It’s easy (at least for me) to get caught up in myself and see what’s so wrong with my reality. The fact is my time here and breath are gifts too. I’m like my 6 year old, I unwrap the gifts and want more. If its clothes, I throw it to the side and want something better. Yikes!
Thank you for stopping!
Julie
What a great post, Julie! We need to be purposeful in expressing our gratitude. Thanks for sharing on Grace and Truth.
Thank you Aimee! Thank you for providing a place to encourage and give hope!
Julie
Praying I will always remember to be grateful. Merry Christmas!
I liked the blog; grateful to have read it this morning. I’ve been struggling with gratitude and found myself grumbling in my heart and to others about only getting one day off for Christmas when public school teachers get two weeks. Yet I have a job- a job I love that pays the bills. I have a family, a roof over my head, a car. Thanks for these reminders.
Amen! We need to hear more messages like this so we can always be grateful. Thanks
Such great thoughts, Julie. Love this, “Being ungrateful can have a huge effect on our faith. It can cause us to question God’s goodness and His Protection and Provision in our lives.”