DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONALS: DECEMBER 29 THE SIN OF INGRATITUDE (2) SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 18: 21 – 35; NUMBERS 14: 1 – 4
Today’s devotional is addressing the level of ingratitude in our society of this age. Ingratitude is dangerous when favour given is wasted. God provided natural resources for a country to be used for providing infrastructural and social amenities for the poor. Yet, few people are wasting the resources and looting them alone. Doing the needful would have been an appreciation to God. But diverting the resources to family and personal gains is ingratitude and a serious sin against humanity. The Bible has a story of a servant who was forgiven his debts owed his master but went out to put those owing him into prisons (Matt. 18: 21 – 35). He committed sin of ingratitude. The master was wrath on his attitude and dealt with him ruthlessly.
Yesterday’s devotional subscribed to the fact that ingratitude is a sin. First it causes anger, regrets and hates in the minds of those doing works of mercy but never been appreciated. Ingratitude has caused many people stopped themselves from extending helping hands to the genuinely needy people. Most leaders of developing nations are now being denied favour and assistance because of ingratitude. The developing nations became ingrates by diverting finances meant for infrastructural developments and social aids to private pockets. Many churches in Africa Continent have lost out helps from the Western world’s charitable groups because the leaders of the churches misdirected funds sent to them to develop and empower their people. The people stopped bringing further aids because the attitudes of the beneficiaries created anger in the minds of the benefactors. Any action that creates anger in the life of another person is sin.
Ingratitude causes people to murmur and complain because it makes people insatiable, wanting more and more for themselves alone. We have grumblers and complainants in churches, families and of course in offices who are never satisfied with what is done for them. The people of Israel were like this and God called them “evil congregation.” Evil congregation is a sinful word. Because the Israelites murmured, grumbled and complained in bitterness against God, desiring to go back to Egypt. God said their carcasses shall fall in the wilderness and they shall not enter into the Promised Land (Num. 14: 1 – 4). Because of this God delayed them in the wilderness for 40 years till those from 20 years and above died. Christians are to weigh this and see how God rated ingratitude. If God killed the ingrates of Israel then, we can wonder what God should have done to the 21st Century people for being ingrates. But for His mercy!
PRAYER:
HOLY FATHER, let your grace find me today and forgive me of all my murmurings, grumblings and bitter complaints against you, against my parents and against those I had felt neglected me in the name of Jesus.
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch