Grounded in Gratitude: The Transforming Power of Thankfulness for an Entitled Generation

By Michaela McLean Wilkes

At the first Thanksgiving in 1621, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people gathered to celebrate a successful harvest after a brutal first winter of scarce food and widespread illness. Nealy half the Pilgrims perished, surviving only through aid from the Wampanoag, who taught them vital survival skills. This feast marked a public display of gratitude after a challenging first year for the Pilgrims, symbolizing their resilience and thankfulness to God amid overwhelming adversity.

Four hundred years later, millions of American families will gather on Thanksgiving for a meal that requires little more than stocking up at the grocery store. From sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce to the roast turkey itself, very few of us will have tilled the land to grow and harvest the vegetables or butchered the turkey and plucked its feathers.

We live in a nation of prosperity and abundance — enjoying privileges many can only dream of. Why then do our hearts remain restless, always chasing the next big thing, the next possession, the next milestone?

Generation Z, for example, is infamous for being the most self-aware yet self-focused generation, partly due to the engrossing influence of social media. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat foster an obsession with personal image, achievements, and validation. Our pervasive culture of entitlement makes individuals expect success and recognition without acknowledging the sacrifices and blessings that make such achievements possible. This mindset leads to discontentment and dissatisfaction, and gratitude is the first thing to get thrown out the window.

True, sincere gratitude seems to elude this new generation, but this season offers us a chance to refocus and retune our hearts to always remember and thank our God in both need and abundance. While we cannot control the time and place or generation into which we were born, we can decide to be grateful. The truth is, in times of prosperity and relative ease, and even in times of hardship and despair, gratefulness grounds us.

The Dangers of Forgetting God in Prosperity

Deuteronomy 6 presents a profound warning that transcends time. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Moses instructs Israel to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.” However, this entire chapter includes a warning: once Israel entered the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, their comfort and prosperity might tempt them to forget Him. In verses 10-12, Moses exhorts the Israelites:

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you — a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant — then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

Moses challenged Israel to maintain a heartfelt gratitude and dependence on God once they entered the Land of Promise and began enjoying the blessings they did not work for — blessings that were waiting for them on the other side of the River Jordan and put there by God.

Israel’s conundrum is America’s: When a generation arises that did not learn the lessons in the wilderness of Sinai (or, in America’s case, those of the Pilgrims in the brutal winter before the First Thanksgiving) — would they forget Him?

Would they take the blessings and miraculous abundance for granted and fall prey to pride — going so far as to attribute success to self while overlooking the Source?

The Grounding Power of Gratitude

When we credit God as the source of everything we have in this life, the next generation can break free from the cycle of self-obsession and entitlement. In fact, research even confirms the transformative effects of gratitude on mental health. A 2018 study found that gratitude reduces stress, enhances well-being, and fosters greater life satisfaction. Similarly, a 2021 study demonstrated that practicing gratitude lowers symptoms of anxiety and depression while promoting a positive outlook.

Life will always bring difficulties, and that’s why thanksgiving is not just a response, but a heart posture. Gratitude shifts our perspective from focusing solely on the gift to appreciating the heart and intention of the Giver, deepening our sense of connection and thankfulness.

Deuteronomy 6 is a clarion call to remember God amid abundance. Just as Israel was warned to remember their deliverance from Egypt, we too must remember the Giver of our freedoms and opportunities. In America, where countless sacrifices have secured the privileges we enjoy, gratitude is both a responsibility and a safeguard against pride and self-reliance.

Generation Z has the potential to lead a cultural shift, embracing gratitude as a cornerstone of mental well-being and acknowledging God as the Giver of all good gifts (James 1:17). By remembering the Source of our blessings, rejecting entitlement, and cultivating gratitude, we can rise above the challenges of discontentment and mental distress. Let us, like Moses urged, diligently teach this perspective, ensuring that future generations will not forget God amid abundance, but live lives grounded in gratitude.

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" — Psalm 107:1

For more from Michaela McLean Wilkes, click HERE.