The quoted experts say, "...At the cornerstone of gratitude is the notion of undeserved merit." That struck me. Is that true? What is actually meant by "undeserved"? I think that a sense that good things don't come exclusively through our efforts is intrinsic. I think I can have a sense of gratitude for my successes in life without thinking that I did nothing to create them. I think it's unhealthy to believe I'm unworthy of them. We often equate "undeserved" with "unworthy." We have all been told we are miserable sinners who don't deserve salvation, that we are so flawed when we are born that we only deserve eternal torture in a lake of fire, and that we are saved only by grace and not because of anything we do ourselves.
I think it is possible to have a sense of gratitude for good things in our life while believing that we had some role in them happening. "God helps those who help themselves. Pray to God, but row away from the rocks."
On Jun 7, 2014 Stan wrote:
The quoted experts say, "...At the cornerstone of gratitude is the notion of undeserved merit." That struck me. Is that true? What is actually meant by "undeserved"? I think that a sense that good things don't come exclusively through our efforts is intrinsic. I think I can have a sense of gratitude for my successes in life without thinking that I did nothing to create them. I think it's unhealthy to believe I'm unworthy of them. We often equate "undeserved" with "unworthy." We have all been told we are miserable sinners who don't deserve salvation, that we are so flawed when we are born that we only deserve eternal torture in a lake of fire, and that we are saved only by grace and not because of anything we do ourselves.
I think it is possible to have a sense of gratitude for good things in our life while believing that we had some role in them happening. "God helps those who help themselves. Pray to God, but row away from the rocks."