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The Amish Voice 6
Do you consider yourself a thankful person?
What I mean is, when was the last time you
stopped, looked into someone’s eyes, and
said, “Thank you?”
When was the last time you sat down and
wrote a heartfelt note to a friend or spouse
using those powerful and amazing words,
“Thank you for what you did for me”?
What about God? Do you appreciate Him for
all He does for you? Do you tell Him thank
you? How many years has He provided you
with food? Breath? Protection? Health?
Finances? Family? Love? Roof over your
head? Job?
I’m going to be brutally
honest with you. I believe
we live in a day when
most of us are so caught
up in ourselves and what
we can get out of life that
we have forgotten to be
thankful for the many
things we have. We go
days and weeks without
thanking those people who
gave their hearts to help
us! The same goes for
bowing our heads and thanking God for all
He does for us.
There are at least
three indications of an
unthankful heart:
Anger.
People ar e angr y because
they don’t get their way.
Depression.
People ar e depr essed
almost daily because they are
discontent and dissatisfied.
Self-centeredness.
People use the
word “I” and “me” constantly because
they think the world revolves around
their lives and their needs. I want to
draw your attention to a description of
one of the most chaotic, unruly,
disorganized, and messy lives found in
God’s Word. Please stay with me; this
leads to the reason to be thankful.
In Romans chapter 1, the Bible describes
what the last days will be like. Listen
carefully; it begins with an unthankful heart.
Because that, when they knew God, they
glorified him not as God, neither were they
thankful (Romans 1:21).
Plainly and simply, as we head full speed
into the last days, it is very clear that people
everywhere know God. Some even claim to
care about the things of God, but they have
stopped worshipping and thanking Him.
Why?
The answer is simple! They are too caught
up in themselves and what
they can get out of life.
Let me show you from the
Bible where people like
this are headed. Many are
not only headed that way,
they are already there and
don’t even know it.
Romans 1
says because
they
stopped
being
thankful:
Verse 24:
God also
gave them up to
uncleanness through
the lusts of their own heart. . . .
Verse 26:
God gave them up unto vile
affections. . . .
Verse 28:
God gave them over to a
reprobate mind. . . . God is saying, “Because
you stopped glorifying Me and being
thankful, I am going to pull out of your life
and let you do your own thing.” The truth is,
our world is full of people who are
completely blinded. They are so caught up in
their own selfishness they don’t even
recognize the fact that God pulled out and
left them wallowing in their own mire and pit
of darkness. No, it’s not just the unbelieving
crowd who are “of the world;” worldly
people can also be found in our communities
and in our churches. They dress up nicely
and know all the right words, looking much
like the church we read about in Revelation.
Take a look Revelation 3:15-17:
I [Jesus] know thy works, that thou
art neither cold nor hot: I would thou
wert cold or hot. So then because
thou art lukewarm, and neither cold
nor hot, I will spue thee out of my
mouth. Because thou sayest, I am
rich, and increased with goods, and
have need of nothing; and knowest
not that thou art wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked.
What are some outward signs of a person
with an unthankful heart?
Living a sinful lifestyle no longer bothers
them. Maybe it did in the beginning, but not
anymore.
In their hearts, they have said, I can pretty
much live any way I want and God will
overlook my sinful lifestyle.
Romans 1:29-31
gives us a glimpse of
where unthankful people are headed: Verses
29-31 say they are filled with all:
Unrighteousness
: mistr eating and
acting unjustly toward God and
mankind.
Fornication:
having sexual r elations
before marriage. We live in a day when
people from all cultures are shacking
up, having sex, and not caring whether
they are married or not. Let me just say
this as kindly as I can: you are
deceived! You will be judged! You will
not get away with it.
Wickedness:
not car ing what anyone
says or feels; doing whatever they
want, when they want, and where they
want.
Covetousness:
a deep and continual
craving for material things instead of
God.
Maliciousness:
a hear t completely
turned over to evil.
Full of envy:
going beyond jealousy it
makes a person angry, holding a
Are You a Thankful Person?
—By Joe Keim
Continued on next page
Illustration by Lydia