Living With Ingratitude

Living With Ingratitude

He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.

Genesis 16:4

As a slave, Hagar owned nothing except the food and clothes that Sarai, out of kindness and generosity, had given her. Sarai was even the one who chose her to be the mother of Abram’s child. Yet Hagar began to be disrespectful to Sarai, Abram’s true wife. The Holy Spirit relates this story about the quarrel between Sarai and Hagar for our comfort. He wants us to understand what God’s people had to go through in their lifetimes. The entire family was affected by the fact that Hagar treated Sarai with disrespect.

On the surface, this story seems to be trivial and insignificant. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit considered it so worthwhile as to describe it in great detail. This was done so that believers would be comforted and learn the lesson that they should be patient as they wait to be delivered from similar problems.

Hagar owed everything she had, even life itself, to Sarai. Yet she was rude and disrespectful to the person who generously provided for her. So we should learn to do good to others but be prepared to put up with ingratitude. Many situations in our lives don’t turn out the way we expect. Our hopes for other people aren’t always fulfilled. After all, human nature is corrupt, and people are unpredictable. When life suddenly starts going well, it’s difficult for anyone to avoid the temptation of becoming rude and disrespectful to others.