Letting Go of the Burden of Ingratitude

“Spiritual living and blessedness are the only evidences by which we can recognize true existence and feel the unspeakable peace which comes from an all-absorbing spiritual love.”(Science and Health, by Mary Baker Eddy, page 264) It wasn’t until I followed the precepts taught at the Plainfield Christian Science Church, Independent, that I began to understand what this statement truly meant. An article I recently read online titled “The Burden of Being Ungrateful” made me appreciate the practical teachings that have transformed my life. For many years, I dragged the burden of ingratitude around, sometimes hugging it tight.

I did not think of myself as ungrateful. The article describes forms of ingratitude, including complaining, bitterness, jealousy, and discontent. The author pointed out that you are basically saying, God blesses others more than me. These types of thinking I did entertain, which reinforced the lie that God isn’t taking care of me.

I am most grateful to my practitioner here, who made it clear that gratitude is an essential practice. No excuses. A daily, continual habit of focusing my thoughts on the many ways God has shown me His loving-kindness and faithfulness, and stop focusing on what I thought I lacked. By following this blessed living, I have been able to lay down the burden of ungratefulness and be truly thankful, and it is a primary reason I am experiencing a peace I have not had before. What great enduring examples we have in Christ Jesus, Mary Baker Eddy, this church, and many others who have faced great adversity and remain grateful to God.