Barrier #5: Anger and disappointment. Some people are angry with God because they are disappointed in how their lives have turned. They are unhappy in their circumstances. They had higher expectations. They thought things would turn out different. Now they are angry. They feel God has given them the shaft. Well what do we deserve? Nothing. God owes us nothing. He gives us everything out of a heart of divine mercy. To be angry or disappointed with God’s gifts is to presume upon His grace and feel that He owes us something.
Barrier #6: Self-centeredness. This is similar to pride. It is the obvious mark of immaturity. Self-centeredness says, “I deserve this” or “I deserve more than this.” The self-centered person always speaks of I, I, I, and me, me, me. If you are not grateful for what you have, why should God give you more?
Barrier #7: Pursuit of pleasure. The world is rabid in its pursuit of pleasure and many Christians are caught up in the flow. We have so much but we want more. Enough is never enough.
We want newer cars, bigger houses, and better toys when our lives are already full of gadgets that don’t satisfy us. It has often been said, “We spend money we don’t have, to buy stuff we don’t need, to impress people, we don’t like.” We don’t stop to thank God for what we have because we are too busy lusting after something more.
These barriers directly hinder our ability to give God glory and thanksgiving in all that we do. This is a sobering question: do I do all for the glory of God?