I’d be willing to bet that just about everywhere you go these days you’re inundated with three ideas: 1. Election 2. Pumpkin Spice 3. Gratitude. Together they make up the trinity of this fall season. Advertisers know it, newscasters know it, product companies of all kinds know it, and they all have us hooked. So today, for this one little article, I want to flip to the opposite side of one of these coins. We’ll hear a lot about “being thankful” in the coming weeks, perhaps so much so that it becomes white noise in the mix of the other messages. So I got to thinking about the opposite of gratitude.

A simple internet search for the antonym of gratitude shed some very interesting results: the opposite of gratitude is condemnation. Simply put, you cannot live a life of gratitude if you live a life of condemnation; the two are diametrically opposed to one another. Now, to be clear, living a life of gratitude does not mean being thankful for all things. It means being thankful in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Similarly, moving away from condemnation does not mean accepting all things, it means working to redeem all things.

John 3:17 tells us that Jesus came to save the world, not condemn it. Imagine if the opposite were true. Condemnation leads to division, separation, distrust, and resentment. You’re surely not surprised that we’ve seen these things quite a lot over the past several weeks and months. Condemnation is far easier than redemption. It’s easier to shove aside, move past, and carry on than it is to lean into, care for, and cooperate. Time after time Jesus turns to his disciples and says, “You go do what I’ve been doing.” We have a part to play in the redemption of this crooked and broken creation. You and I have a role to play in the narrative of God’s Kingdom. You and I are called to be agents of unity and peace (Ephesians 4:3).

If you believe that your life as a follower of Jesus has meaning and impact, then you are called to work toward the redemption of the difficult situations that surround us. I’ve said it before, but it warrants repeating: Jesus never promised that this work would be easy. In fact, he guarantees the opposite: “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). If you want to kick your feet up, sit back, and forget about the troubles beyond your door, then go ahead and condemn those that you disagree with. But if you want to take part in the work that we pray each week, “Your will be done on earth…,” then get ready for things to get sticky. Condemnation is easy. Redemption is hard.

I pray that you have much to be thankful for in this season, and I pray that you live a life of gratitude. So here is my challenge to you: before you give thanks around your table, before you post #grateful, before you hang your Thanksgiving wreath on the front door, ask yourself, “Who have I condemned today – in thought, in word, or in action?” If we all work together toward redemption, we’ll all have a whole lot more to be thankful for.

I’d love to hear what struggles you fight against in this battle, and I’d love to learn about the things for which you’re thankful. As always, I’m honored to be in this work with all of you. I’d love to connect sometime soon.

Be well!

– Ed Sutter