A SPIRIT OF UNTHANKFULNESS
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Luke 12:15 A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth.
Matthew 6:33 is the Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness and these things shall BE ADDED unto you.
Gal. 6:9 Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Fainting can be a direct result of worry
We are pondering UNTHANKFULNESS, and how a lack of thankfulness shows a lack of self discipline.
We must cause our hearts to value and flow freely with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is beneficial to all.
We often are defeated in bad attitudes teamed with poor choices of words. Luke 17:17 Jesus ask, "Where are the nine?"
2 Timothy 3:2 is a discourse on last day signs.
One trait of the last day people will be UNTHANKFULNESS.
While this will be true of the whole, we don’t have to fit into this mold.
We should develop a habit of giving thanks.
This thanks should be God ward, but it should also be directed to our family and friends. We can often develop thanks toward God and forget giving thanks to those that we love and serve.
We must look beyond the value of the gift and see the value of the giver. This is a lesson I learned painfully.
It does not matter if the back of the card says Hallmark, or it is a colored scrap of paper. The gift of a rock or a dandelion can root it self in deep love and admiration. Many of the maladies of life develop with a lack of giving thanks, appreciation. or the lack of expressing our thanks.
Often we assume, --- well they know?
Let us look at why we are unthankful?
#1 WE JUST FORGET TO GIVE THANKS?
James 1:25 warns us about being "FORGETFUL HEARERS." This means we listened, decided on a course of action, and then we just flat out forgot.
It is also easy to forget what is not real important.
Hebrews 13:2 warns us not to forget to entertain strangers.
Deut. 4:23 Warns us not to forget the covenant with the Lord.
Deut. 6:12 Beware lest thou forget the Lord,
WOW. If we can forget the covenant and if we can forget the Lord, what would the danger of forgetting thankfulness be.
How many times have we planned on sending a card, making a phone call, or taking someone to lunch and we just forgot?
A older preacher friend of mine was supposed to have preached a funeral, and he forgot. He was a no show. The family are still mad years later.
But the older pastor honestly forgot. Shame on him, but we humans can forget.
Remember how Mordecai helped the King, and he was forgotten?
One night the King was reading some "notes" and he remembered.
I suggest we should take action while we remember.
Daniel was forgotten in jail. It was an honest mistake.
But there comes a day when we remember we must take action.
Discipline your self to remember thanksgiving.
Someone let you drive that first time? Someone changed your diaper? Someone taught you in Sunday School?
How many have helped us along the way and we have planned on encouraging and thanking them, but we have forgotten? How many times has the Lord been merciful to us, and we have forgotten? REMIND US, O, LORD!
#2 We have lustful attitudes and always want more?
The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want?
There is a spirit of greed that grows in poor soil?
Where our daily emphasis are on the riches and things of this world we are bound to unthankfulness.
Happiness is not found by gaining our desires.
Often chasing rainbows will cause us to be conquered by things.
Luke 12:15 A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth.
Matthew 6:33 is the answer, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be ADDED UNTO YOU.
Haggai warns of making plenty and having holes in your pockets.
Then Haggai says twice CONSIDER YOUR WAYS. Maybe he warns us here of a lack of priorities and unthankfulness?
Look at 2 Kings 5:22 The servant, and young man of God in training, decided he needed more and he deserved more.
As Namaan leaves healed, the young man of God ends up with Namaam’s sickness because of greed.
Often a child will not have played with a toy for months, but another child shows interest and the child cries and wants that toy. You have what God can trust you with. Faithful over the little receives promotion. Always looking for more hinders thanksgiving.
Many count what they have not, instead of counting what they have?
# 2 A spirit of anger, hatred, bitterness, UNFORGIVENESS WILL ALWAYS HINDER THANKSGIVING.
We often develop victim spirits where unforgiveness thrives? Unforgiveness and anger build dams that stop the flow of God.
Bitterness causes frozen commication lines.
Gen. 37:4, ten brothers can not talk peacably to their dreaming brother of hope.
They will later eat often at his table, but they can’t talk now--- there is unforgiveness. Bury the hachet, but not in their head. Forgive and release yourself.
#3 A spirit of worry chokes the WORD AND THANKFULNESS.
Matthew 13:22, growth occurs, but the cares/worries of the world chokes the word and unfruitfulness becomes a trait.
You will never have a thankful heart while you set in a dark corner worrying. Worry is doubt. Doubt is a lack of faith.
Get up, wash off. God is in control.
Have faith in God. You can trust God.
Gal. 6:9 Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Fainting can be a direct result of worry?
Thankfulness thrives in the fertile soil of a complete trust in the scarred hands.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Please pass it to others?
