Dear Blake,
According to my close friends and family members, I’m an ingrate. They say I am extremely unappreciative, and this is the basis for many of them not to have any desire to do me any favors when I request them. I have no idea how to react to this criticism I have been receiving most of my life. Do you have any advice for me?
Signed, Brad
From Tulsa, Oklahoma
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Dear Brad,
If people that have never met each other are saying the same thing about you, that can confirm that their analysis is correct. It can also mean that they are jealous of your ability to be very disciplined in not showing how thankful you are, because it might overinflate their egos. Have you ever done anything similar to these examples? If a perfect stranger changes your flat for you on the highway, do you tell him that if that’s all he knows about cars, at best he’s a worthless mechanic? If a cop gives a verbal warning instead of a speeding ticket that you deserve, has your response ever been that he should’ve never stopped you, instead of wasting your time explaining the importance of safe driving? If someone were to save your life by using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, would you ever tell the good Samaritan that they should start using breath mints? I’m guessing that if God ever directs you to an exit that gets you out of a burning building, you would tell the Almighty that there were shorter routes that He should’ve sent you to. Which would suggest to me, that God wanted you to be near fire as long as possible, so you’ll have a general idea because of your attitude, where your eventual home will be. I hope this helps.
Blake