Taking things and people for granted is one of the chronic human character flaws. Many lives, health ministries, relationships and things have been lost, damaged and severely attacked because of this common character issue.
The easiest way to depress others around you is to take them for granted. Whatever good thing or people that God and life has bestowed upon you that you take for granted you are deliberately handing over to Satan’s hand. Whatever it is that you have today and you will need tomorrow, must never be taken for granted. The bible is full of warnings about carelessness, taking heed, remembering, watchfulness and sobriety, unawareness, wastefulness and taking things to heart.
Mal. 2:1-2 talks about the possibility of losing the blessing, if the priest will not take it to heart to give glory to God.
And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Mal. 2:1-2
Wow! How a simple thing like not taking things to heart can cost one his blessing! 1Cor. 10:12 talks of the possibility of falling if you do not take heed. While Heb. 2:1 warns of the possibility of losing the word if you do not take heed to keep it.
For the believers who will not watch and pray, they will fall carelessly into temptations. We are not only commanded to pray, we are also commanded to be watchful. The second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will come as a thief in the night to the believers who are unaware, careless and asleep.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Rev. 3:3
(See also 1Pet. 4:7 and 1Thes. 5:6)
No wonder the apostle Paul specifically encouraged Timothy to be a ‘good minister’ by putting the brethren in remembrance, that absolutely nothing or people should be taken for granted. Because of this character flaw, many have gone from good to bad, and from testimonies to pain.
If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ……… 1Tim.4:6
What does it really mean to take things and people for granted? It means an attitude of carelessness, forgetfulness, wastefulness, lack of soberness and a state of being unaware.
There are many reasons why so many of us bear these flaws.
1. Genetic: Some of us are born with it; a genetic carryover from our parent and cultures. ‘Like father like son’, is a phrase often used to describe character flaws.
2. Poor parenting and societal malaise: The bible says it is the responsibility of the parents to train up the child in the way they should go. However many of us grew up without training. If a child grows up without understanding schedule, management and care, they will develop a poor sense of value or bad value system. The resultant effect is the way we treat ourselves, things and other people. Generally in life the value you place on certain things emanate from the culture, tradition, religion and society from where you are groomed. Wherever value is misplaced abuse is inevitable. Disregard, dishonour, disrespect and poor treatment of other people and things can be a direct result of poor and bad parenting. Carelessness and mismanagement is a cumulative effect of poor development. Beloved, you cannot invest enough in the development of your children if you want to avoid this costly character flaw.
3. Ingratitude: Complaining and murmuring are the number one symbol of a bad heart. Ingratitude stem from selfishness and self centeredness which is the bane of the sinful human heart. But thanks be to God that you and I have a new heart in Christ, and the evidence of it is gratefulness. We sleep and wake up with thankfulness. We are bound to give thanks always. (2Thes. 1:3). We are just filled with gratitude. It’s a new heart, it’s a new life where murmuring and complaining has been done away with. Beloved is ingratitude attacking your new heart? Thanks be to God, for within you is the power to purge it out. Refuse to grumble; refuse to complain. See and do everything with an attitude of gratefulness.
Refuse to move from appreciation to expectation. It is natural to expect people to do things for us because we think they should or that they owe us. What your fiancé will get appreciation for may suddenly become what you don’t take notice of after marriage, because that is what we expect of them in marriage. How discouraging can it get when what you used to get as your appreciation gifts before marriage, don’t come any more because of marriage.
3. Pride: This is equally a problem of the heart. Pride makes you look down on others or things. It makes you set impossible standards for others, while putting them under the scope of your judgmental eyes. Pride is the reason many take their enemies for granted, or fall cheaply into their hands.
5. Foolishness/Sinful heart: The word fools is usually associated with sinners in the bible. Sin makes the heart to wax gross and this is the symptom of folly. (Matt. 13:15 and Acts 28:27) Other translations say their heart has grown fat, hard and calloused. (AMP and NIV) The bible says it is a sport for sinners to commit sin. It is as sport to a fool to do mischief:…… Prov. 10:23 The bible says if a fool is brayed in a mortar, his foolishness will not depart from him. The Amplified puts it this way, “Even though like grain you should pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.” Prov. 27:22 (AMP) Foolishness is the reason why people make mockery of the judgment of sin.
Whenever the heart waxes gross by sin, it doesn’t take heed to warnings. Warnings to a fool sometimes can mean absolutely nothing. His father or brother may have died of cancer caused by smoking, but a fool will still smoke anyway. It may not matter how many times you talk about hell, even if God appears to show them hell, a fool will still not see. Foolishness or a heart waxed gross with sin takes no heed of any warning. The bible says he rages on confidently. (Prov. 14:16) Several women have been taken down, despite several warnings and abusive signals emanating from the man they chose to love. You sometimes wonder how much more can one pay for folly. A fool takes warning signs for granted.
Some things you just cannot take for granted
Losses and sudden attack are very painful consequences of taking things and people for granted. Whatever you do not appreciate, you will eventually lose. The enemy attacks anything without a covering. Some things of value must be preserved, they just cannot be placed anywhere.
You can’t put your gold jewellery on the streets and expect to find it there tomorrow. Without a covering and proper attention, the enemy attacks ferociously. The bible says he is like a roaring lion seeking whom to devour. (1Pet. 5:8) Some things are just so vital to your life that you just cannot take them for granted.
1. Your life, money and time: The bible says redeeming the time for the days are evil. (Eph. 5:16) And Jesus said sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. (Matt. 6:34) Whatever you have today, or is bestowed upon you by life today, you must never take for granted. Are you endowed with some free time or money today? Invest them in good stuff because tomorrow they may not be there. Life is a gift in itself. What you make out of it is the value you place on it.
2. Your body: Your body is your house. It is your container; it is a building; it contains stuff that you need. It cannot be leaked, damaged or deformed, or else what you have within will be destroyed. Dishonouring, disrespecting your body through sin, especially sexual immorality, drug abuse, lack of sleep, stress, over working, can put a toll on you heavily in life. Your old age is usually a reward system on how you used your body. Beloved never take your body for granted. It has its own time and functions.
3. Your career: Your skills and talents must be developed through proper education and training, for you to be fed properly in life. Your skills talents are your income generators; never take them for granted. Every time you invest in your career and educational development will be worth it in the end.
4. Your spiritual life: Your heart and your mind are the engine of your life. The bible says guard your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. (Prov. 4:23). In this evil world of darkness you cannot be careless with what you see, hear and say, and expect your heart and mind to be intact. Pornography not only messes up your mind, it will damage your heart. Your meditation, study and prayer life cannot be a thing of joke if you want to build a strong spirit. There are some things you just cannot afford to take for granted.
5. Your relationships: The most important relationship you have in your life is the one with your God through Jesus Christ, from where other relationships like marital, partnership, friendship, business are built. Every relationship grows by your input. Relationships are a source of wealth, support and strength. And through relationships some basic needs of life are met. You just cannot afford to not invest in relationships.
6. Spiritual benefits: Things like grace can be lost. Heb. 12:15 says, Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;…. Rom. 6:1 also says, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid!
The bible further says work out your salvation with fear and trembling. (Phil.2:12) Paul says in 1Cor. 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. Your callings, spiritual gifts, and ministry and life positions, should never be taken for granted. Are you an usher in the church? Give it your best, for that may be your stepping stone to your promotion and ministry in life. You just cannot take things for granted.
How to overcome
1. Thank God for your new heart, it’s a grateful heart. Confess that you are grateful and thankful.
2. If there is any dishonour, complaining, disrespect arising from your mind, refuse it in your heart, purge it out by the blood of Jesus and pray in tongues 2Cor. 7:1
3. Learn the act of giving thanks and remembering. It takes a conscious effort to remember. Take it. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of important dates and things about others and He will.
4. Discover and develop a value and care system by asking the Holy Ghost to teach you. What is important to others may not really be important to you. You have to learn to place value on what is important to others, if you want to keep enjoying having them around you or useful for you.
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