Gratitude requires humility as we receive with thanks that which was given to us. It pulls us out of our bubble of selfishness and makes us acutely aware of the gift and the giver. And, in this way, it becomes a good test as we exercise our freedom. What are we free to enjoy with deep gratitude?
Every good and perfect gift comes from God. And this frees us to enjoy with great thankfulness all the good he’s given us. And it’s this heart of gratitude that allows us to keep our eyes on him and grounded in his presence as we walk through life.
To be sure, it’s difficult to practice the presence of God and sin at the same time, or, said another way, to express sincere gratitude for our sin. Sin stirs our own selfish desires – fueling entitlement much more than thankfulness.
Of course, this is easy to see when things are black and white, but usually harder to discern in those debatable grey areas. While we’re free to eat and drink, be entertained, and enjoy all sorts of pleasures, wisdom reminds us it’s not helpful to indulge in everything just because we can. And gratitude helps us to decide what to freely enjoy without guilt, and to what leave, even if we’re not doing anything technically wrong per se.
In short, can we thank God for the gift of this experience? When we’re able to receive it with gratitude as a good gift from God, then we’re also free to reject the condemnation of others who might view it differently. But when we’re not free to pray and thank God for it, then it’s not likely something we should continue, regardless of how normalized it might be otherwise.
In the end, gratitude keeps our hearts focused on God and good gifts he offers. And it’s doubtful we can truly enjoy something good that we also cannot be thankful for. A heart of gratitude serves as a personal test of goodness.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels
