The Slippery Slope

This week we've been besieged by busyness. Three days gone in the blink of an eye. So much noise today--telephone ringing, kids playing, kids fighting, whir of washing machine, and rumble of dryer. But now . . . sweet silence. Deep breath. Even in the frenzy, a stray thought still lingering from Sunday, fights its way through the noise. It is a simple thought. I've been waiting for a still moment to share, but I'm hesitant--scared you'll realize just how much I don't know. It wasn't my thought; it was that Sunday School teacher again.

Our survey of the New Testament has taken us to Romans. We lack the time in class to dig deeply into these books--a new book every week. How do you sum up Romans in an hour, right? And he didn't. In fact, he didn't even get past the first chapter, but he did plant a thought in my mind that has had me in a pensive mood since Sunday. If a thought can last in the hostile environment of my brain for more than 24 hours, it merits some attention.

The thought, based on Romans 1:18-32 and primarily 1:21, is this: The beginning of turning away from God is ingratitude.

You might say, as I did, "What? How?" Verse 21 gives a description of those who "although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him . . . ." From there on, we see the consequences of an ungrateful and proud heart (ingratitude stems from pride) as their thinking becomes "futile," they "exchange the truth of God for a lie," and finally, they are "filled with all manner of unrighteousness." Paul gives quite a list of the kinds of things they were doing. And I think, "Really? All this from not being thankful? Come now."

Why am I so surprised? Most of us don't jump head-first into the kinds of sin listed near the end of the chapter. Let's see, today I think I'll invent some evil or maybe murder someone. Perhaps I'll follow that up with some good old-fashioned malice. So how do we end up there? I keep coming back to "ingratitude." Because isn't gratefulness a part of putting ourselves in right relationship with God--a part of remembering who He is and who we are? And it's shocking and a little bit scary because I may be closer to the "foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless" than I think. If I'm honest, I take another look at that list and start checking off the ones I do commit, and realize I'm halfway there already.

I may be able to avoid committing murder for a day, but how many days pass without truly acknowledging God's rightful place in my life--without a "thank you" or a "woe is me." Days like these past three where I push thoughts of Him away, demanding that He wait upon my convenience. Days when I could have embraced the glory of the immortal God, but focused my foolish heart on futile things. And I wonder, how long will He wait?