I notice a couple of things about thankfulness that seem odd to me...
Lots of folks are not thankful. I see nice things done for people all the time and yet the people who received the act of kindness seem to think they deserve it. This would not be completely odd in a young child, but it’s really strange with an adult. Why would someone not say thanks for a kindness done to or for them? Have we trained people to expect everything as an entitlement? Do people truly believe that they owe nothing to others? To those who have helped them?
It is amazing to me that people do not say thanks. I would rather thank someone twice to be sure they heard it than leave it alone and say nothing. Not everyone expects thanks and they shouldn't, but it encourages the one who gave, when they are thanked for the thing they did. We should look at thankfulness as a ministry and know that we impact others by being grateful. Giving is better than receiving so we should give thanks.
On the other hand, lots of folks say thanks, but don't mean it. They say it in passing, as if they feel obliged to do so. They feel like a cosmic force pushes them to say the word “thanks.” Sometimes people say thanks just to get credit or look good to others. They will say thanks in front of a group or certain individuals so that those people think well of them. This is not effective and, usually people see through it, so it hurts rather than helps.
One of the points of being thankful is understanding that something was done for you that you didn’t deserve, and another, is to be a blessing to the one who was kind to you.
Lessons Learned: Be thankful...and mean it.
Thoughts: When was the last time you took someone aside and truly thanked them?
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