Indebtedness and gratitude

Often times in the face of some eventuality that has overtaken us, we find ourselves saying regretfully. “If I had only known, I would have done differently.” Sometimes this is true, but more often it isn’t the fact that we don’t know what gets us into difficulties, but rather we choose to ignore what we do know.

We mix so little wisdom with our knowledge. We know the facts of history. We know what causes have produced what results in the past but time has a way of making the past seem different from the present. We may believe that Babylon and Rome fell because of their moral and spiritual dissolution. It seems so easy to believe this because it is all far in the past. But it doesn’t seem so easy to believe such probabilities of our own time and our own generation, however true they may be.

From history and from scripture it seems quite easy to believe that the breaking of a law has always exacted its penalty. It seems easy to believe of the past that the terrible luxury of over indebtedness has always brought a day of disastrous reckoning; that those who would rather mortgage the future than curtail their appetites have always been brought low in remorse. It seems easy to believe of the past that the Lord God has often permitted evil men to pursue their purposes for a short season before overruling their evil works. But what is not so easy to believe, but is also solemnly true is that, these same causes will still lead to these same results in our day.

We have not charmed immunity from the consequences of our own doing. On this point the Father of all men has said: “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” Knowledge of the past we have both of scripture and of history. It would seem now that we might well transmit that knowledge into wisdom, by believing of our own generation what we so readily believe of the past and then order our lives accordingly. No, it isn’t so much what we don’t know that causes our troubles but rather what we choose to ignore.

Not long ago, a University Researcher decided to conduct an experiment on gratitude. But her motives weren’t purely academic. This researcher is a mother of four teenagers. She explained, “I wanted to learn more about how I can raise my kids to be more grateful in an era of entitlement.”

What she learned might be a bit surprising: gratitude is tied to feelings of indebtedness. We often think of debt as a burden, an obligation that must be paid. But the research study found that feeling indebted to God, acknowledging what He has done for us, “leads to increased overall happiness and well-being.” The debt we owe to Him is one we can never pay, yet those who recognise that debt actually feel closer to Him, not intimidated by Him. What’s more, they are also more likely to reach out to others in acts of service and kindness. Rather than feeling burdened, they seem to be uplifted and inspired by their debt to the Giver of all good gifts.

The study was published in a major academic journal, but it had a major influence in the researcher’s family. “In our house,” she said, “we don’t just practise the feeling of gratitude; we practise acknowledging our indebtedness and expressing our gratitude through service.”

We all owe much to the kindness and goodness of others. While we’re certainly responsible for our own choices in life, we are indebted also to those who have taught us, nurtured us, and helped us along the way. And, above all, we are indebted to our Maker for life and everything in it. Indeed, every good thing comes from Him.

The more deeply we feel that, the more inclined we are to see that goodness all around us. We start to see God’s hand not just in our lives but in others’ as well. In this way, we draw closer both to God and to His other children, our brothers and sisters in God’s wonderful world.

By Samuel Enos Eghan