Taken For Granted

by Chris Simmons

When we use the expression “taken for granted” regarding something, it means to expect something to always be available and forget that you are fortunate to have it. Regarding other people, it means to show a lack of gratitude for someone who has helped you or blessed you in some way, perhaps due to the fact that they have helped you or been with you so often or for so long. What we need to ask ourselves is, have we taken God and His bountiful blessings for granted?

Have we grown to take God’s word for granted? There have been times and places when men have been forbidden access to God’s word and men would risk their lives to be able to read God’s word. “For 600 years the Roman Catholic Church attempted to keep translations of the Bible out of the hands of the people. Bible-believing people were mercilessly persecuted and their Scriptures were destroyed. Those who possessed Bibles without a license were commanded to deliver them up to the Catholic authorities under threat of inquisition terrors … Huge quantities of Scriptures in English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, and in other languages, were confiscated and destroyed throughout the 13th to the 19th centuries. Bible translators and distributors were imprisoned and burned.” - ROME AND THE BIBLE: TRACING THE HISTORY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND ITS PERSECUTION OF THE BIBLE AND OF BIBLE BELIEVERS, by David W. Cloud. Today, in this country, access to the Bible has never been easier and yet interest and devotion to God’s word wanes, taking its availability for granted.

Access to the Bible is no longer the issue: today the issue is simply a lack of interest in truth and a preoccupation with the things of this world. We can read God’s word anywhere, anytime – but do we? Do we still feel fortunate to have such ready access to the “mind of God” (cf. I Corinthians 2:10-16)? Will we exercise the diligence to devote the time that is necessary to be a “workman who does not need to be ashamed” who is “handling accurately the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15)? We can establish the daily practice of reading and studying God’s word, but we will only do so if we don’t take lightly our access to His revealed will. If we don’t, can we honestly say that we aren’t taking the Bible for granted?

As members of the Fifth Street East Church of Christ, we are blessed with many opportunities to study God’s word and hear it proclaimed in truth. Yet do we take these opportunities for granted? Is our attitude that I can miss this assembly, this Bible class, this gospel meeting – because it’s not that important and because there will always be another chance? Do we take our Bible classes for granted? Do we think lightly of the opportunities we have to hear sound gospel preaching and teaching on a regular basis? Inconsistent attendance would suggest we might just be taking it for granted. Our faithful attendance will show how valuable and special we understand sound gospel preaching and teaching to be. We are blessed to have the means to travel about freely in this country and in many parts of the world and be free to worship, study, and assemble with brethren in so many different locations. But do we? Do we take lightly the obligation and responsibility to worship with the saints whether at home or abroad?

Paul, when he wrote to the Romans, warned about taking our spiritual blessings for granted. He said in Romans 2:4, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience (longsuffering, ASV), not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” To “Think lightly” means to “despise, disdain, think little or nothing of” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). “To think slightly of, to despise something” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words). It means to take for granted. He specifically noted three things we need to be careful we don’t take for granted or “think lightly of.” They include:

“The riches of His kindness (goodness, ASV).” The word “riches” is a favorite word of Paul used to describe the quality of God’s divine attributes and gifts (see Ephesians 1:7, 18; 2:7; 3:8; Philippians 4:19). “His kindness” refers to “not merely goodness as a quality, rather it is goodness in action, goodness expressing itself in deeds” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words). It’s all the spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3) God has bestowed upon us and promised to us. Do we think so lightly of and consider them of such little value (i.e., take for granted) that we feel imposed upon to take the time to study, worship, and assemble with the saints?

“His … forbearance.” This speaks of God’s restraint in executing judgment against the sins of man. Vine speaks of a “delay of judgment” or a “holding back” of what someone deserves in punishment. It needs to be understood that God’s forbearance is temporary. God has never tolerated sin in that He is accepting of it. It’s simply a matter of when God will hold man accountable – not if! Do we appreciate the time He gives us to make things right with Him? Peter records in II Peter 3:14-15, “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.” Satan will continue to tempt us to take God’s forbearance for granted and put off making the changes in our life that we need to.

“His … patience (longsuffering).” “It is a patient holding out under trial; a long-protracted restraint of the soul from yielding to passion, especially the passion of ‘anger’” (Vincent’s Word Studies). Do we take for granted the fact that God continually restrains the exercising of His anger towards man for the sin we commit? In I Peter 3:20 we read how God suffered long for one hundred and twenty years before exercising His anger towards the sinful world. Notice David’s perspective of God’s anger in relation to his sin: Psalms 38:1-4, “O Lord, rebuke me not in Thy wrath; and chasten me not in Thy burning anger. For Thine arrows have sunk deep into me, and Thy hand has pressed down on me. There is no soundness in my flesh because of Thine indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities are gone over my head; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.” David never took God’s patience lightly and understood the need to deal with his sin with a humble and penitent heart. Are we taking for granted God’s patience, His restraint from yielding to His anger over our sin?

As we approach our nation’s Thanksgiving holiday, may we always remember that we ought always to give thanks. “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18). And, in our giving of thanks for everything, may our actions illustrate that we are not taking for granted God, His word, His blessings, and His forbearance and longsuffering.