The Graciousness of Gratitude

Does that sound confusing? It’s not really. Both are often lost in the hustle and bustle of today’s society. They seem so passé and old fashioned that they’ve been relegated to the trash heap. A man tipping his hat to a lady or opening a door for her is now an insult, while a few years back not making the gestures were considered rude and ungentlemanly. Pulling out a chair for your mother, wife, or any accompanying female to sit was expected and if not done, it was inconsiderate.

Those acts are reflected in the word graciousness. When we show kindness to another in even the smallest act of being polite we are being gracious. Something that we are not forced to do but we share is something from the heart. That’s the love-type charity of which God speaks in his Word. When we show compassion to someone less fortunate than we are, or are merciful to another, that’s being gracious. Shakespeare wrote, “The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”

Now we come to the word gratitude. Gratitude is appreciating an act of kindness, no matter how small. It’s being thankful for having received any favor or having received a blessing in our lives. It is an attitude that was once developed in homes in the past. This was especially true in Christian homes where parents taught their offspring that all goodness and blessings come from God.

Today, people tend to ignore God altogether. They refuse to acknowledge him. Because of that, they fail to recognize his blessings. Today, pride, sinful pleasures, and arrogance have replaced the need to be grateful. People now flagrantly display shameful acts wrapped in their egotism and self-importance.

History has shown that people who are most grateful are the humble, needy, and brokenhearted. In the past, it has been the responsibility of the church family to care for the destitute. The church was to care for the sick, the hungry, the indigent, and the widow and orphans and withhold from the slothful.

The government has removed this duty from the church and now forces everyone to pay for it by taxation. Government chooses who they will “bless” and from whom they will withhold that “blessing.” People have become dependent on the government to the extent they consider it to be their rightful portion. Recipients are no longer grateful for the bounty that they’ve received. They have become intolerant, inconsiderate, and lazy, showing contempt for those people who continue to work to earn things for themselves.