Gratitude is the seed
You have been deceived by your own pride
because you live in a rock fortress
and make your home high in the mountains.
‘Who can ever reach us way up here?’
you ask boastfully.
But even if you soar as high as eagles
and build your nest among the stars,
I will bring you crashing down,”
says the Lord. (Obadiah 1:3,4)
Gratitude is a seed that is being deprived the opportunity to grow in our current cultural environment. The hot sun of a “Me” first culture is beating down on the seeds of gratitude bleaching out even the tiniest drop of moisture. They fall onto the prideful hard ground of opinions of man. We have come to value our opinions higher than God.
If God were open to it, we believe we could be His advisor. Perhaps a good start would be a rewrite of His book, bring it up to date, add in our wisdoms and learnings. Why not? We have mastered destroying marriages, elevating corruption, redefining marriage, short term pleasure with long term regrets. We know how to get what we want and then not want what we got. We can be a bigot while calling others a bigot.
“We have mastered destroying marriages, elevating corruption, redefining marriage, short term pleasure with long term regrets. We know how to get what we want and then not want what we got. ”
Surrounding ourselves with those who agree with us is a good way to live blind. We traded the seeds of gratitude for the beans of PRIDE. If we are going to worship anyone it might as well be the one in the mirror. We have arrived, even our phones are smart. Everything at our fingertips, we know what is best for everyone on the planet. We have the power to reshape the language and make it near impossible to define sin. We do what is right in our own eyes and defy anyone to stand against us.
The ability to be truly grateful for the things in your life requires a core of humility. You can’t make this journey without God. Oh yes, you can say thank you and truly mean it in the moment. You can show flashes of benevolence, generosity, grateful posture but it all ends when your world view is challenged. There is a reason people do not want to talk about their politics or religion. Those things are sacred to them. It’s easier to like you when I don’t know those things about you.
God is not impressed with your politics and He never sanctioned any religion. Politics is your opinions validated in a vote. Religion is mans attempt to connect with God by using a prescribed set of actions. As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.Then come, follow me.”At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad…(Mark 10:17-22)
This young man came to Jesus trying to strike an deal. He wanted to know what HE could do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus challenged his PRIDE, this young man, from an early “ME” first movement, went away sad. The young man wanted Jesus to change his mind and become one of his converts. Foolish PRIDE in us that convinces us, we can accomplish anything even talking God into going along with our sin.
Gratitude needs the soil of Humility to grow. God knows how to deal with our pride: “I will bring you crashing down.” Call the baby a “fetus” and end his/her life. Shake your fist in God’s face as your declare your “rights” and deny your responsibilities. Shame those around you who value God’s commandments more than your opinion. March on Washington and rage against authority. In the end we all come crashing down. You can humble yourself before God or be humbled by God.
“The next generation picks up the failed habits and beliefs of the fallen one and begins to build another castle on the sand, while in the distance a storm rises from the throne of God. Yes, your kingdom will fall too. ”
You are standing in a long line of generations who thought they knew better than God. Conceived in pride they raised empires but in the end every empire crumbled and all the people became the salves of their own sin. Bitter in defeat they lay blame and justify but their empire will never rise again. Humbled by God but refusing to live in humility, they offer the next generation suggestions on how to tweak the philosophy of man so as to get a better outcome next time. The next generation picks up the failed habits and beliefs of the fallen one and begins to build another castle on the sand, while in the distance a storm rises from the throne of God. Yes, your kingdom will fall too.
Only in true Humility can we see truth. It’s why the 12 step program begins with “Admitting powerlessness”. The beginning of freedom from addiction is defeating your own PRIDE. Admit you can’t do it on your own, Admit HE can and lastly Let Him do it! Let Jesus help break your pride. You need to know that the only thing that is keeping you from an intimate relationship with the living God is your pride.
We are living on His planet, in His solar system, in His universe, breathing His air. warmed by His sun. Don’t you want to know why He gave it to you? If you are tired of pounding sand there is something you can do…Build your life on the Rock.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”
(Matt. 7:24,25)