Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (New Living Translation)

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

Here is one of those lists we find in the Bible. These are bad things that people who are consumed with bad-ness do. Can’t argue with the list.

Wait, how did “ungrateful” get in there? I mean, the other things in the list are really bad. We have slander, cruelty, hate, betrayal, rejection of God, and so on. But ungrateful?

Consider that God’s relationship with us (with ME) is a gift. When someone gives me a gift, it is polite to say, “Thank you.”

No, it is not just polite, it is righteous. It is right in the sight of God. That fella’ behind the counter at Starbucks gives me a coffee after I gave him money. Thank you. Okay.

God sacrificed Jesus in humiliation so that I can be clean in the sight of God. Uh. Thank you. Okay simple, but let’s get serious and be grateful. Let us live in gratitude. Let us show gratitude all the time in all we do and with all the people we meet.

That sounds like a pretty good way to live.