New Identity Magazine

God in focus. World in scope.

  • About
  • Grow
    • Spotlight: In Perspective
    • Growth & Maturity
    • Foundation
    • Practical Application
    • Jargon
  • Connect
    • Community
    • Discovering God
    • God Talk
    • Life Together
  • Live
    • Give Back
    • People
    • Culture & Creativity
    • Careers & Callings
  • Back Issues
  • Write
    • Submit an Article
    • Writer’s Guidelines
    • House Style Guide
    • Content Submissions Agreement
    • Jargon Substitutions
  • Shop
  • Donate
  • Contact

The Lost Virtue of Being Thankful

By Jeffery Porter Leave a Comment

While I was in seminary, I lived with a very nice family in a very nice house rent free. Not only will I always be thankful for their kindness, generosity, and hospitality, I also learned a profound lesson about gratitude through my experience. On the face of it, the idea of gratitude seems a simple one. Everyone is familiar with the feeling of being thankful. Yet, gratitude is actually an ancient concept, and when we talk about gratitude we are borrowing from ancient theological and philosophical traditions. When talking about ancient ideas such as gratitude it can be helpful to look back at those traditions in order to better understand why it is important and how we can best practice it. To begin, gratitude is essentially biblical. There are hundreds of passages in the Bible calling the reader to be grateful. In the Old Testament, back when offering physical ritual sacrifices was key to Judaic worship, the psalmists tells us, “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies [God].” (Psalm 50:23) In the New Testament, alongside instructions to be peaceful and students of the word of God, the Apostle Paul implores his readers in Colossae to be thankful. (Colossians 3:15) These verses, and the main passages like them in the Bible demonstrate that gratitude is important to God. To be sure, when I received the offer to live with this generous family, I was naturally grateful, and I also know that God would want me to be grateful. So I was doing the right thing by having gratitude. Yet, in the early days of my stay in their home, I was missing an important part of gratitude. I hadn’t learned that gratitude was something I needed to practice, rather than merely feel. Had I known more about gratitude as an ancient tradition I may have learned this lesson more quickly.

Ancient morality was a bit different than the way we think of morality today. Modern people tend to think of morality in terms of actions which are either right or wrong. As Christians, this can be a focus on whether a single action is or is not a sin. Ancient Christians, while deeply concerned with living a sin-free life, were more concerned with becoming a righteous person through habitual practice infused by the the grace of God through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Of course they obeyed specific divine commands, like do not steal, but obedience to such commands was considered the easier part of one’s moral life. The real challenge came in the form of daily practicing the virtues. Our modern conception of being a good person is often along the lines of a type of moral scale. A person is considered good if all of their good actions outweigh all of their bad ones. In contrast, the ancient idea of a good person was that of a complex amalgamation of moral characteristics. A person only lived up to the potential of their humanity if they cultivated virtuous habits through the practice of good behavior. Ancient philosophers and theologians – people who spent a lot of time thinking about and practicing virtues – believed gratitude was essential to the human life in three interconnected ways.

First, the ancients believed gratitude is one of many unified virtues which must be practiced in order to have a good life that honors God. When people were instructed to be grateful in the Bible, readers at the time would have understood the practice of gratitude as part of what it takes to be a flourishing person. It was not merely a command to them. Divine directives towards gratitude are supernatural moments wherein the creator reveals an essential component of the purpose for which he designed human life. It is not just another rule to obey. God is telling his people, “Hey, this is what you are designed for, and without it you will not experience true joy.”

Secondly, the ancients believed gratitude is an essential part of justice. God commands his people to have gratitude because there is no justice without it. (For example: 1 Thessalonians 1:2, Philippians 4:6, 2 Corinthians 9:15, Colossians 4:2) In fact, the English word gratitude, as well as the word grace, comes from the the Latin word grātia, which refers to actions done out of favor or kindness. In English translations of the Bible we use simply read the word gratitude in passages that much older Latin Bible uses the phrase gratiarum actio, which literally means, “action in response to grace.” Gratitude is a just response to favor. This we expect someone to say “thank you” when we do something nice for someone. In a small way, when people do not say “thank you,” injustice has indeed occurred. In a perfectly just world everything would be in its proper order, and everyone would be given what they deserve. In such a world every person would be grateful whenever they received a favor. Of course, because God is the cause of everything as the creator and sovereign ruler, God always deserves the most gratitude. If there is anything in our lives to be grateful for, it began with God and God has seen it through to completion. Furthermore, when we show gratitude towards the correct source for the correct favor we honor God by glorying him by participating in his justice.

Lastly, the ancients believed gratitude is a necessary part of friendship and community and that gratitude required action. As people embedded in communities it is actually our duty to not merely be grateful. They believed, we must also demonstrate our gratitude. The only way to be grateful is to somehow appropriately reciprocate act of kindness in question. Having a sense of gratitude in response to a nice thing someone has done for you is only the starting point. As modern people we tend to resist an idea like this. The duty to pay back a favor seems to cheapen act of kindness. We rightly believe a truly authentic favor should not have any strings attached. Yet, this is where it is important to remember the unity of virtues. Being authentic is good, but like any virtue we can focus on it too much. Undue focus on the authenticity of singular actions can lead us to justifying ingratitude in our heart. We can think, “I don’t owe them anything. In fact, if I pay them back then their original act of kindness will be reduced to an economic exchange.” This was my mistake when I first lived with the family who took me in. I said thank you because I was grateful, and went on with my business. My actions would have looked like nonsense to the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas who likened our duty to gratitude within a community to the liveliness of our faith. (Summa 2.2, 106, 1) Just as faith without works is dead, gratitude without its appropriate demonstration is also dead. In fact, without some kind of demonstration, gratiarum actio is meaningless, since the phrase itself entails some sort of action. The practice of gratitude is not just trying to remember to feel thankful. It is real action motivated by gratitude. The feeling of being grateful might be a good feeling, but that feeling only benefits the person having the feeling True gratitude is practiced and demonstrated in action. As part of a faithful community, God’s church, we ought to make it a habit to demonstrate our gratitude to those in the faith community, as well as those around us in general.

When I was given the enormous favor of living rent free during seminary I no longer needed a second job to cover my rent, affording me extra money and extra time. Eventually I learned that I could say thank you a thousand times, but if I used my newfound time and money to go surfing and buy unnecessary stuff, I was not practicing gratitude. Even though I had said thank you and even though I felt very thankful that I they invited me to live with them, I initially wasted much of my saved time and money, and thus was not actually grateful for all that family had done for me. Over time I learned that in order to truly practice my gratitude, in addition to volunteering for chores and tasks to help the family, it was appropriate to us my additional time and money to focus on my studies and being a better youth minister. This was also how I could best demonstrate my gratitude. Now, I am not only still grateful for the opportunities the family afforded me with their generosity, which I try to mimic in the hospitality in my own home, I am also grateful that God used that time to teach a lesson about who I am and who I ought to be as God’s creation. If you would like to do your own research on the ancient tradition of gratitude you can expect to find a wealth of great reflection on the topic from three of my favorite early Christian theologians: Augustine, Ambrose and Aquinas.

Share with friendsShare on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on Reddit
Reddit
Email to someone
email

Filed Under: Connect, Featured, Life Together Tagged With: Gratitude

Related Posts

  • The Vide Noir of Death or The Gratitude of Life?The Vide Noir of Death or The Gratitude of Life?
  • An Eye for An Eye, and a Tooth for a ToothAn Eye for An Eye, and a Tooth for a Tooth
  • Loving God by Loving OthersLoving God by Loving Others
  • IN PURSUIT OF INTIMACY: SPIRITUAL PRACTICES THAT CAN GROW US CLOSER TO GODIN PURSUIT OF INTIMACY: SPIRITUAL PRACTICES THAT CAN GROW US CLOSER TO GOD
  • MURDER IN THE HEARTMURDER IN THE HEART
  • IN PURSUIT OF INTIMACY: PRAYERIN PURSUIT OF INTIMACY: PRAYER

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Current Issue

Current Issue

Read Now

newidentitymag

New Identity | Exploring Faith
We hope you enjoy the new issue! Check out the lin We hope you enjoy the new issue! Check out the link in our bio! Happy Fall/Winter! 🍁
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment! ✨
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment! ✨
How should we be using our money? - We're looking How should we be using our money? - We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment!
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment!
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on the topic of praying continually and what that can look like in our fast-paced society, please leave us a comment! 😊
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment! ✨
Happy Spring! Enjoy the new issue! #linkinbio Happy Spring! Enjoy the new issue! #linkinbio
Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on ou Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on our own is in vain. We can never hope to achieve the same level that Jesus was on while we are still here on Earth. We’re like little kids, struggling just to walk. But that’s why Jesus gave us an example of redeemed followers in the form of the Apostles, who were his close group of students here on Earth. He chose a group of broken, sinful men, and ultimately shaped them into the group responsible for continuing his ministry here on Earth. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Tim VanDeWalker in "Running By Example" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's th "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." –Desmond Tutu
The Bible tells us to live in the world, but not t The Bible tells us to live in the world, but not to become like it. The New Living Translation puts it this way, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Rom. 12:2a). Some have interpreted this as an instruction to reject anything that isn’t explicitly Christian. But I don’t think that’s what this verse is getting at. I think it means much more.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Lindsey Beharry in "Choosing Wisely" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
If you desire to serve, seek to form groups withou If you desire to serve, seek to form groups without age distinction. Maybe you want to form a group in your church. Avoid just inviting members from your age group. Seek out people older and younger than you to invite to meet together. Find that person who sits alone and talk to her or him. Instead of a focus on building groups that have the same characteristics to “relate” with one another, you center your discussion in the work of Christ. He will bring the group together. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Russell Almand in "Community and Age Diversity" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"If we put our faith in temporal things, they will "If we put our faith in temporal things, they will inevitably let us down. They were never meant to be enough for us. Not alone. When Barnum finally does hit bottom, he recognizes that his heart has been led astray, fooled into thinking that fame or fortune could satisfy him."⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @slimkeman in "The Greatest Showman" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Porn. We are only now beginning to realize the ex "Porn. We are only now beginning to realize the extent of its effects on the brain, relationships, and society at a time when sexually explicit content is just a click away. Christians have recognized pornography’s negative impact for decades, yet it is still often considered a “male” problem within the Church. This can leave women who struggle with porn addiction feeling isolated and alone. The organization SheRecovery (formerly Dirty Girls Ministries) aims to change that and has become a resource for women with porn addiction. You can read more about their ministry at the link in our bio. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Lisa Gagnon in "Dirty Girls Ministries" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"The presence of my sin reminds me of my great nee "The presence of my sin reminds me of my great need for grace, and good works are the outpouring of a grateful heart; being a good child is not a means of earning the favor of God."⁠
⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Sally Blotzer in "Forgiving Failure" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"As Christians, we identify ourselves not only by "As Christians, we identify ourselves not only by how we handle our daily lives, much like those around us, but also by an added component: our faith. How we pray and worship and spend time with our fellow followers provides additional meaning to our lives."⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Matthew Hamilton in "Does Your Form Determine Your Function?" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by Lum3n from Pexels⁠
Often I picture Jesus telling us to love others an Often I picture Jesus telling us to love others and not to judge. I forget that when he said, “Come follow me,” he wasn’t just inviting us to a strict set of rules but to a real and exciting life whether you turn out to be a pastor, a doctor, designer or simply “Dad.” Sometimes I forget one of his main messages was that he came to give us a better life than we could ever dream of—life to the fullest. Jesus wasn’t locking us down to a vocation or job title. It’s as if he was saying, “Real, vibrant life is available to you now. Following me, loving me and living like me is your real calling…the rest is just there to aid you in following, loving and living.”⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Wendy Van Eyck in "Living For A Purpose" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” There is yet another parallel between the Christian story and The Matrix, simultaneously the most foundational and the most captivating. It’s that something which is missing, something which is not quite right with the world. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know that it’s there. At the outset of the first film, Neo is searching for it. Trinity asserts that “it’s the question that drives us.” Morpheus claims that “you can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes.” The question is: What if I’ve only ever scratched the surface of all that life has to offer? What if there is a deeper, truer current of reality, ever-present behind all of my life’s experiences, to which I might awaken at any moment?⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @slimkeman in "Tumbling Down The Rabbit Hole" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because "I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because we all struggle with temptations to sin. And we all struggle to live in a way that honors God. Like Augustine we all feel the tug of our past sins that say, 'Don’t you want to enjoy us?' And Augustine’s story relates to Galatians 5:16-26 where Paul tells us about how the Christian life is like a walk. In a way, walking is a metaphor for the Christian life." ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @the_christopherscott in "In Step With the Spirit" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"The Holy Spirit empowers us for Christ-like livin "The Holy Spirit empowers us for Christ-like living, and for serving others." Where in your life or in what ways has the Spirit enabled you this week? We'd love to hear, tell us in the comments below!⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @the_christopherscott  in "In Step With the Spirit" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Subscribe

More Articles

DENOMINATIONAL DIFFERENCES: PART 3

To some extent, Christian denominations can be seen as ways to 'do church' differently. Usually, what sets denominations apart is their take on certain biblical … [Read More...]

HIKING WITH THOMAS OF AQUINAS

On the 26th of April 1336, Italian poet Francesco Petrarca decided to climb Mont Ventoux simply because he wanted to see the view. It might come as a surprise, but … [Read More...]

IS THERE A CHRISTIAN DRESS CODE?

My mother grew up in the old school Southern tradition where women were not allowed to wear pants to church or even outside of church. Also, they had to carry around … [Read More...]

Copyright © 2023 New Identity Magazine. All Rights Reserved · Log in