Be Grateful!
If
it
is
true,
as
Paul
says
here,
that
the
basic
facts
about
God
are
so
“evident”
and
“clearly
seen”
in
the
world
He
created,
so
that
denying
Him
is
“without
excuse,”
then
why
is
it
that
there
are
so
many
unbelieving, but otherwise intelligent, people in the world?
The
answer
to
this
question
may
lie
no
deeper
than
the
fact
that
the
human
mind
adjusts
to
what
it
knows.
This
is
just
another
way
of
saying
that
we
take
our
world,
and
what
it
implies
about
God,
for
granted. In essence, we become ungrateful.
Suppose
that
someone
were
to
give
you
a
nice,
new
car
as
a
gift.
Would
you
remain
as
happy
and
excited
about
that
new
car
a
day,
a
week,
a
month,
or
a
year
afterward
as
you
did
the
first
day
you
got
it?
How
about
after
several
years
of
ownership
and
the
service
and
maintenance
bills
start
to
come
in?
Do
you
even
continue
to
feel
toward
the
giver
the
same
level
of
gratitude,
love,
and
respect
as
you
did
the
day
he
gave
you
the
car?
What
if
he
later
did
what
seemed
contrary
to
the
kindness
which
you
thought prompted him to give you that gift?
This
illustrates
the
nature
of
the
human
mind:
it
eventually,
perhaps
quickly,
accommodates
itself
to
day-to-day
experience;
excitement
wears
off
and
it
returns
to
a
“normal”
mood.
This
is
why
millionaires
are
not
exponentially
happier
than
those
who
live
on
far
less
income.
The
same
thing
happens
in
our
concept
of
God
and
our
world
---
after
a
while,
we
not
only
take
it
for
granted,
but
when
it
does
not
always
work
as
well
as
we
would
like
it
to,
we
might
even
start
to
doubt
the
One
who
created
it for us.
Taking
God’s
world
for
granted
sets
the
stage
for
unbelief.
Once
we
accept
the
world
as
if
it
is
nothing
to
be
excited
about,
we
might
even
prefer
not
to
believe
in
God,
especially
if
we
do
not
like
the
way
He
treats
us
or
what
He
makes
us
do
or
not
do.
The
step
from
ingratitude
to
unbelief
is
an
easy
one.
The
next
verse
of
Romans
chapter
one
says,
“For
even
though
they
knew
God,
they
did
not
honor
Him as God, or give thanks ….”
Furthermore,
the
very
next
part
of
that
verse
says,
“…
But
they
became
futile
in
their
speculations,
and
their
foolish
heart
was
darkened.”
Of
course,
once
God
becomes
negligible
and
unnecessary,
or
even
despised,
another
explanation
for
the
world
must
be
sought,
and,
by
this
time,
the
mind
which
has
become
inured
to
the
evidence
of
God’s
existence
and
nature
in
it
is
capable
of
finding
any
explanation,
whether
evolution
or
space
aliens,
preferable
to
God.
Nothing
is
too
foolish
when
the
facts
no
longer
matter.
Yes,
unbelief
begins
with
ingratitude.
So,
if
you
do
not
want
to
descend
into
a
futile
and
foolish
life
of
unbelief,
take
a
moment
to
thank
God
for
the
world
we
live
in,
especially
for
the
gift
of
the
undeniable
evidences it gives of Him.
For
the
wrath
of
God
is
revealed
from
heaven
against
all
ungodliness
and
unrighteousness
of
men,
who
suppress
the
truth
in
unrighteousness,
because
that
which
is
known
about
God
is
evident
within
them;
for
God
made
it
evident
to
them.
For
since
the
creation
of
the
world
His
invisible
attributes,
His
eternal
power
and
divine
nature,
have
been
clearly
seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:18-20).
Be Grateful!
If
it
is
true,
as
Paul
says
here,
that
the
basic
facts
about
God
are
so
“evident”
and
“clearly
seen”
in
the
world
He
created,
so
that
denying
Him
is
“without
excuse,”
then
why
is
it
that
there
are
so
many
unbelieving,
but
otherwise intelligent, people in the world?
The
answer
to
this
question
may
lie
no
deeper
than
the
fact
that
the
human
mind
adjusts
to
what
it
knows.
This
is
just
another
way
of
saying
that
we
take
our
world,
and
what
it
implies
about
God,
for
granted.
In
essence, we become ungrateful.
Suppose
that
someone
were
to
give
you
a
nice,
new
car
as
a
gift.
Would
you
remain
as
happy
and
excited
about
that
new
car
a
day,
a
week,
a
month,
or
a
year
afterward
as
you
did
the
first
day
you
got
it?
How
about
after
several
years
of
ownership
and
the
service
and
maintenance
bills
start
to
come
in?
Do
you
even
continue
to
feel
toward
the
giver
the
same
level
of
gratitude,
love,
and
respect
as
you
did
the
day
he
gave
you
the
car?
What
if
he
later
did
what
seemed
contrary
to
the
kindness
which
you
thought
prompted him to give you that gift?
This
illustrates
the
nature
of
the
human
mind:
it
eventually,
perhaps
quickly,
accommodates
itself
to
day-to-day
experience;
excitement
wears
off
and
it
returns
to
a
“normal”
mood.
This
is
why
millionaires
are
not
exponentially
happier
than
those
who
live
on
far
less
income.
The
same
thing
happens
in
our
concept
of
God
and
our
world
---
after
a
while,
we
not
only
take
it
for
granted,
but
when
it
does
not
always
work
as
well
as
we
would like it to, we might even start to doubt the One who created it for us.
Taking
God’s
world
for
granted
sets
the
stage
for
unbelief.
Once
we
accept
the
world
as
if
it
is
nothing
to
be
excited
about,
we
might
even
prefer
not
to
believe
in
God,
especially
if
we
do
not
like
the
way
He
treats
us
or
what
He
makes
us
do
or
not
do.
The
step
from
ingratitude
to
unbelief
is
an
easy
one.
The
next
verse
of
Romans
chapter
one
says,
“For
even
though
they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks ….”
Furthermore,
the
very
next
part
of
that
verse
says,
“…
But
they
became
futile
in
their
speculations,
and
their
foolish
heart
was
darkened.”
Of
course,
once
God
becomes
negligible
and
unnecessary,
or
even
despised,
another
explanation
for
the
world
must
be
sought,
and,
by
this
time,
the
mind
which
has
become
inured
to
the
evidence
of
God’s
existence
and
nature
in
it
is
capable
of
finding
any
explanation,
whether
evolution
or
space
aliens,
preferable
to
God.
Nothing
is
too
foolish
when
the
facts
no
longer matter.
Yes,
unbelief
begins
with
ingratitude.
So,
if
you
do
not
want
to
descend
into
a
futile
and
foolish
life
of
unbelief,
take
a
moment
to
thank
God
for
the
world
we
live
in,
especially
for
the
gift
of
the
undeniable
evidences it gives of Him.
For
the
wrath
of
God
is
revealed
from
heaven
against
all
ungodliness
and
unrighteousness
of
men,
who
suppress
the
truth
in
unrighteousness,
because
that
which
is
known
about
God
is
evident
within
them;
for
God
made
it
evident
to
them.
For
since
the
creation
of
the
world
His
invisible
attributes,
His
eternal
power
and
divine
nature,
have
been
clearly
seen,
being
understood
through
what
has
been
made,
so
that they are without excuse (Romans 1:18-20).
