How exactly do we show gratitude to God when He is blessing us? Do we say sweet words to Him and at the same time throw heart breaking stones in jubilation to hurt him while we enjoy ourselves? Is posting a thank you as valuable to God as what He sees you do as a result of His blessing in return?
There’s nothing that baffles me like seeing people smoking shisha to celebrate Christmas or drinking beer in wild parties to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday…When we are doing Birthdays, Weddings, Thanksgivings, e.t.c. showcasing our private body parts with very hot sex triggering attires in a hot public sexual appeal to a God whose word forbids nudity and putting a text beside the pictures saying “Lord I have come to say thank you… I’m grateful”. Sincerely what exactly are we doing?
We have prayed in Tongues and English for your wedding day to happen. You have cried to God so many times and on this day of your great joy, we checked the special songs you specifically chose for the DJ to play as you danced into the reception and here we are wondering whether this our God whose name is JEALOUS was indeed the peak of your joy or JayZee. Is this your GRATITUDE?
A baby that survived death at birth is now 5years old and healthy. Then we gather all the children in the neighbourhood to come and dance zarzu and skelewu in appreciation and praise to the Almighty God…Is this your GRATITUDE?
You finally get the long awaited job or promotion, and now your marriage is in crisis. You don’t see coming home as a big deal and the damsels that care have begun to take some strange seats in your heart; the sins you were never involved in …Is this your GRATITUDE?
You sought God’s face for this Android or iPhone. Now see what you are doing in return with the phone. Your GRATITUDE? Oh! How you prayed hard for this University admission to click. Now see what the Lord has done… just when all hope was lost. You vowed to serve God and preach to others. You vowed to live a sexually pure life for Jesus on campus. You’re now in 200L and you are the one fixing other people’s children to immoral relationships…and the pain that your deeds on campus have done to God’s heart is unquantifiable… Is this your GRATITUDE?
Dear Pastor, is this your GRATITUDE? More anointing, more anointing, now that it has come; where is His place? The quiet time, the simple “Read your Bible, Pray Every day” that birthed the fiery anointing are all gone. Now that the invitation letters have skyrocketed, where is your wife/husband and your special moments with your children? Is this your GRATITUDE?
You want to thank GOD for His mercies for another year. It’s your 21st and the plan is to gather friends to a sinful atmosphere or book a hotel room for a specially planned fornication session with your “yet to wed”. Is this your GRATITUDE?
Gratitude is not just about GOD… Sometimes people give you a leverage to rise. They go all the way to see you progress and now you turn back to speak lightly and rashly about them to others. Is this your GRATITUDE? And when you have an opportunity to credit their labours you do as if they were not really there and it was actually your hard work that got you the rise…
See how you begged this man to loan you some amount of money for just 2weeks, you were pleading to be allowed to take the goods on credit till your salary is paid…that’s it. You begged and promised heaven and earth… it’s been 2years now with no refund! If people have injured themselves to bless you and all you do in return is flaunt the very things you bought and never paid for on their social media handles in the name of praising God… Is this your GRATITUDE?
Or is it people that opened up their houses, and even lives to you by privileged access and you went about leaking every single thing you saw and heard from them in confidence… Is this your GRATITUDE?
There’s just this scripture that bothers me for all who do things that hurt God in return for His loving kindness, goodness and mercies and good men for their good deeds (Af’ibisan oloore…. in Yoruba)
“Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house”. Proverbs 17:13 KJV
“Those who return evil for good will meet their own evil returning”. (MSG)
WHERE IS YOUR OWN GRATITUDE?
HOW ARE YOU SHOWING IT BACK TO GOD AND MAN?
ARE YOU RETURNING BLESSINGS OR HURTS?
Forget a minute about the praise singing and dancing… what exactly are you DOING in return for the mercies God and man have shown to you? Gratitude is more “what you do” than “what you say”…because “what you do” can totally cancel out what you say, said or sang.
Timely wisdom…freely share
Segun Coker
seguncoker@schoolofvirtue.org