Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. —Philippians 2:4
Grateful people are loving people who seek to bless others, while ungrateful people are bent on gratifying themselves. They tend to focus on “my needs,” “my hurts,” “my feelings,” “my desires.” An unthankful person is full of himself, seldom pausing to consider the needs and feelings of others.
I believe this is why a common end result of ingratitude is the sin of moral impurity. A person who is wrapped up in himself, whose whole world revolves around getting his own needs met, is prime bait for a tempter who thrives on accusing God of being unfair and ungenerous.
An ungrateful heart is quick to notice when self is feeling unsatisfied and is vulnerable to resort to sinful acts and behaviors in an attempt to eliminate pain and experience personal pleasure.
As we mature in Christ and focus more on pleasing Him, our natural inclination will shift more toward serving God and meeting others’ needs out of sheer gratitude for what we know God has done for us.
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Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy
©2009 Revived Hearts Foundation
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
Ask God to help you focus more on serving Him and meeting the needs of other people.