The Fall of Gratitude
Blog – 64
November 6, 2026 By:
Jeremy Nix
Direct Comments to:
Have you ever heard the words, “kids these days aren’t grateful.” Well, what about adults? What about the majority of our society? We live in a very busy world. It’s easy to get caught up in the vast, fast-paced society we live in. We live in an age of abundance. We can have food sent to our doors without even leaving our couch. We have access to an endless amount of information right in our hands on our phones.
I will say that many of our young people don’t appreciate the value of hard work. Why would they? They see a society driven by social media and YouTube influencers making millions of dollars for just posting videos.
Have you ever heard the words, “Well, back in my day, people were grateful and thankful for what they had.” This statement may have some truth to it, but gratefulness has been in decline for a very long time. In fact, gratitude began to decline in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were given a literal paradise, abundance, and a direct relationship with God. They had everything they could ever need in the garden. They could eat freely of every tree except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Notice, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17 – KJV)
They had everything they could ever want, but they focused on what they didn’t have. Does this sound familiar? Many people in our society have been graciously blessed, but they don’t recognize those blessings because they want more. They look at what others have and want more, or what they have. Our society can be driven by envy, jealousy, and greed. It’s not just Adam and Eve; throughout the Word of God, we see evidence of a lack of gratitude.
Let’s take a look at the children of Israel, for instance. Once God freed them from their bondage in Egypt, the children of Israel complained and murmured against Moses and Aaron. After witnessing God’s Mighty hand in Egypt and the division of the Red Sea, they still murmured. God even sent manna to provide their daily needs.
In Exodus we read, “And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Ex.16:2-3 – KJV).
It’s hard to wrap our minds around the concept that, after all the miracles that the children of Israel witnessed, they would still complain. However, are we that much different? Do we ever complain? Do we ever ask God, “How could this happen to me?” Or do we go before God in prayer and ask Him for many things without thanking Him for what we already have? I’m not saying that asking Jesus or God for things in prayer is wrong. I’m saying we should spend time in prayer thanking God for the many blessings we have already been given.
Let’s look at the example of the ten lepers mentioned in Luke.
Luke reported, “And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole” (Luke 17:12-19).
All ten lepers were cleansed and healed, but only one turned back to glorify God. Only one expressed gratitude and thanksgiving to Jesus for his healing. Are we at times like the other nine? It’s something to consider.
I do believe, however, that gratitude is fading in our modern-day society. Many people today are more concerned about their own self-interest or self-gain. Entitlement has reared its ugly head throughout all our communities, as many have come to expect convenience and comfort. Our Nation goes deeper into darkness, and our Nation goes deeper into moral and spiritual decay; gratitude seems to fade. Gratitude leads to contentment, but our world is driven by selfish pride, power, ego, and money. Men and women claim to follow God, yet their hearts are far from Him. I think Paul said it best. Notice, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:21 – KJV)
Paul tells Timothy, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy”
(2 Timothy 3:2 – KJV).
Our society is consumed by independence, self-sufficiency, and freedoms. People believe that they build their own success, leading to a feeling of, “I did this on my own.” This type of society believes gratitude to our Creator is unnecessary. I have known individuals in my life who have said they have done just fine on their own without God. To me, that’s a very frightening and sad way of thinking.
As Thanksgiving approaches, let’s be thankful for the many blessings we’ve been given. We have been blessed, and our cup truly runneth over. In all things, give thanks. This Thanksgiving, enjoy the time with your family, friends, and brethren.
Remember, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 – KJV).
Don’t underestimate the impact of your gratitude and thanksgiving; it may just help someone else understand the importance of showing gratitude. Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!