Proverbs 17:13 – “Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.”
Evangelist and founder of Bob Jones University, Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. often said, “When gratitude dies on the altar of a man’s heart, that man is well-nigh hopeless.”
Gratitude, loyalty, trust and faithfulness are casualties in a nation preoccupied with self. Ingratitude has become a dominant attitude in our society and is rooted in a spirit of entitlement. Parents teaching children the simple act of saying “thank you” has been lost on this generation and we find ourselves living in the midst of a people who feel they are owed much while contributing little.
Proverbs 17:13 paints a portrait of an ingrate who has enjoyed the grace and kindness of another, but returns that gift with an act wickedness and betrayal.
Proverbs 17:13 – “Whoso rewardeth [return; recompense] evil [destructive hurt] for good [pleasant; delightful], evil shall not depart [remove; taken back] from his house [family; household].”
Let’s take a moment and make this personal: When was the last time you sincerely thanked someone for an act of grace, kindness and loyalty? Can you remember the last time you expressed gratitude to an employer for your job? Or the last time you as an employer thanked an employee for a job well done? When have you expressed to your parents your gratitude for faithfully providing for your needs?
Too often we express in our actions and attitudes a spirit that is contrary to gratitude. Employees betray their employer’s trust; children reward their parent’s sacrifices with rebellion and a spirit of entitlement trumps thanksgiving. Solomon warned, calamity will haunt the home and family of those who return evil for acts of grace and kindness.
Someone reading today’s proverb is putting himself and his loved ones at risk of God’s justice by acts of betrayal, slander and lies. Solomon warns, “evil shall not depart from his house” (17:13).
My friend, I beg you to confess your sin of ingratitude and unfaithfulness and seek forgiveness, before you witness God’s chastisement on your home and family.
Matthew 5:23-24 – “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
Copyright 2014 – Travis D. Smith
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