We call it intellectual property theft or plagiarism, and It’s a crime. And it is severely punished. It’s stealing and it’s not giving thanks. It’s taking something that is not ours and using it without recognising who made it.
I love listening to the ‘rant’ segment on 2BL with James Valentine, and a caller rang the other day, complaining that people don’t say please or thank you, and I reckon he had a point. It is so easy to do, and so nice, but we don’t do it nearly enough. We all appreciate having someone thank us, and we teach our children that ’please’ and ’thank you’ are magic words, but we don’t do it ourselves– me included. I was putting together the next megaroster for church this week and was reminded of how many people help our church happen every week, but I have failed to say thank you. I’ve also noticed that thanklessness is biggest in the home. Do you thank your mum and dad? Do you thank your wife or husband? The kids? the grandkids? Probably less than strangers. Saying thank you is a great habit to get into.
But the worst form of ingratitude is the cosmic type. And we are all guilty of cosmic unthankfulness. It is living in the illusion that we are self-sufficient; that we can call the shots; that we decide what is right or wrong; that we decide how to live.
We naturally hate the idea that we could be utterly dependent and therefore thankful to God… FOR EVERYTHING, … and yet we are.
God, if you choose to relate to him, requires you to relate to him on the absolute basis of grace – and we ought to be UTTERLY THANKFUL to him. We are justified by his grace, as a gift, through the Lord Jesus. How could we not be overflowing with gratitude? (Andrew)

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