Daily Devotional: When People Are Ungrateful
Originally Broadcast on Daily Devo on November 4, 2019
A godly farmer was invited to a fancy dinner at a well-known man’s home. When the farmer sat down, even though he was the guest, he said grace over their meal. His fancy host laughed at him and said, “Farmer, you’re so old-fashioned! No one says grace before dinner nowadays.” The farmer replied, “Well, to me it’s customary, but there are some of those on my farm who still don’t pray over their food.”
“Aha!” said the host. “Those people must be modern and enlightened. Who are they?”
“My pigs,” the farmer replied.
When you’re chasing after God and living a life of gratitude and thanks, it’s easy to see an attitude of unthankfulness in others. We tend to be a little self-righteous and think to ourselves, “How terrible! They should be more thankful!” And honestly… they should. In God, we are all blessed beyond measure.
But today, I want to look at a passage of scripture with you from Luke 6:35. In this passage, Jesus is speaking:
“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.”
God is kind to the unthankful and the wicked? That seems a little counter-intuitive.
Let’s look at the beginning of that verse. “Love your enemies.” God loves all people.
“Do good to your enemies.” God is good to people, even when they live in sin. While we were yet sinners, He sent His one and only Son to the cross.
“Lend to your enemies without expecting to be repaid.” This can be one of the most difficult things to do! To lend to someone without expecting something in return?
Jesus was promoting a no-strings-attached kind of love. That’s the kind of love that He wants us to share with the world.
So as you head out to face your day, put on the attitude of Christ and prepare show kindness to the unthankful people in your life. Yes… they may be like the farmer’s pigs and not say grace before they eat, but they have a Heavenly Father who loves them too.