The great theologian R.C. Sproul said if you had to summarize the Christian ethic and attitude toward life in one word it would be—gratitude. Having a heart that overflows with thanksgiving.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I have concluded that we have taken for granted the word “Thanksgiving.” We do not see it as an essential part of life. However, if we are not grateful people, we will by default be ungrateful.

Theologian Warren Wiersbe contends that an ungrateful heart is fertile soil for all types of evil. In fact, I would say a lack of gratitude or to be ungrateful puts us at great peril spiritually.

Almost twenty years ago, I looked up all the verses in the Bible that mention the words “ungrateful” and “ingratitude.” I was quite surprised at what I found.

In Luke 6:35 Jesus talks about forgiving your enemies. But then He says, “He (God) Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.” Notice how evil and ingratitude are included and linked together.

In II Timothy 3:1-5 we are given a description of evil men by the Apostle Paul. He says they are “unholy, without love, unforgiving, ungrateful.” Paul is telling us ingratitude is linked to godlessness and evil.

In Romans 1:20,21 the Apostle Paul speaks of unbelief and its consequences. He says that God’s presence in the world is clearly seen by all. The problem he reveals is they, “do not honor Him or give Him thanks. Consequently, their thinking becomes futile and their foolish hearts are darkened.”

The scholar Os Guiness says Paul’s words in Romans I are a reminder that rebellion against God, and falling away from God does not begin with the intent to abandon Him, but with the self-satisfied heart of the one for whom thank you is redundant. Over time, our relationship with God becomes routine and matter-of-fact. Generally, the process is well underway before it becomes apparent.

This is why the theme of remembering is inseparable from faith in the Bible. The man or woman of faith is the one who remembers, and the one who remembers is the one who consistently gives thanks.

Ingratitude is forgetting to remember and is the key to tragic failure of the people of God over the centuries.

Gratitude, on the other hand, changes everything. It is a major component of the exuberant joy of the Christian who lives his life with an overwhelming sense of God’s grace behind the whole of life. This is why I believe what the psalmist says in Psalm 79:13, “So we your people and the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever.”

William Law was a famous minister who lived back in the 1700’s. His words reveal the significance of having a grateful heart:

Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives most alms or is most eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it.

Richard E Simmons III is the founder and Executive Director of The Center for Executive Leadership and a best-selling author.