The cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal. Its acceleration is four times more than the quickest human sprinter. The feline bullet’s agility and lightning-fast speed—up to 70 mph—makes it one of a kind among creatures.

Yet the cheetah is also increasingly rare. Their population is in decline, with only an estimated 7,100 cheetahs left in the wild, and they have disappeared from approximately 90 percent of their territories in Africa. Compare this to the year 1900, when there were an estimated 100,000 (National Geographic).

Also threatened is the shy mountain gorilla, elusive amber monarch butterfly, and lumbering Pacific walrus.

Nature books and wildlife documentaries verify that Earth is home to diverse and abundant life. Biologists assert that there are 8.7 million plant and animal species alive today. As large as this number is, some experts believe there could be many more, as only 15 percent of this total have been observed and documented!

With such a gigantic number of animals and plants, is the loss of one really that important?

Studies have shown that the extinction of one species can have a tremendous and lasting impact on entire ecosystems. The animals they eat dangerously increase in population and those that depended on them for food must find alternatives to sustain life. All this is the result of losing just one life-form.

Today, it is estimated that 1 million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction. Since 1900, approximately 500 animal species have gone extinct—lost forever. Each time, the resultant impact on the environment has shown that every single animal and plant kind is priceless!

Yet extinction is not just a concern in nature. Simple human decency is also disappearing from the globe. Especially rare is gratitude.

Not long ago, this character trait was commonplace. Neighbors would return favors with freshly baked pies or thoughtful handwritten notes. Fathers regularly thanked God for their families’ blessings in mealtime prayers. Children were taught to say “please” and “thank you”—and mean it.

Even when families had few material possessions, they were deeply thankful for what they did have.

Sadly, gratitude has sharply decreased, which has led to a negative effect on the human “environment.” It is rarely seen in public places and is even uncommon within the confines of the family home.

You can protect this trait from becoming extinct!

Expanded Definition

Think back to nature. Why do animals become extinct in the first place? The case of the passenger pigeon reveals an underlying cause.

Encyclopaedia Britannica states that it was a “migratory bird hunted to extinction by man. Billions of these birds inhabited eastern North America in the early 1800s; migrating flocks darkened the skies for days. As settlers pressed westward, however, passenger pigeons were slaughtered by the million yearly and shipped by railway carloads for sale in city markets. From 1870 the decline of the species became [severe], and it became officially classified as extinct when the last known representative died on Sept. 1, 1914, in the Cincinnati (Ohio) Zoo.”

Britannica continues, “A monument to the passenger pigeon, in Wisconsin’s Wyalusing State Park, declares: ‘This species became extinct through the avarice and thoughtlessness of man.’”

Thoughtlessness is a classic characteristic of ingratitude. In contrast, gratitude simply means to be thankful. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines thankful as “expressive of thanks” and “conscious of benefit received.”

Most are not conscious—not even aware—of what God gives to mankind. Yet ALL of Creation has been gifted for food, clothing, health and shelter.

What God gives us does not stop there. Notice what the book of Job says about the Creator: “In whose hand is the [life] of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (12:10).

Each and every breath you take comes from God.

Realize what this means. If someone helps you in a seemingly small way—holding a door for you, offering a compliment, or sharing some of his or her dessert—it really comes from the Creator. If God was not giving the person breath, he or she would not be able to have helped you in the first place!

Everyone has experienced a time when they performed a kind act for someone and the other person seemed to not even notice. Imagine how God feels when He gives mankind everything—and very few acknowledge it.

Huge Impact

With animals, the loss of one species has a significant impact on the environment. Take the example of wild oysters. These shellfish have drastically decreased in numbers over the years. Their disappearance means pollution will rise because they are the ocean’s environmental vacuum cleaners.

Gratitude is similar. It can seem like the loss of people saying “thank you” to each other would have minimal impact on the world. Yet, as people increasingly do not consider those who have helped them, society suffers rippling effects with both short- and long-term consequences.

A massive problem created by ingratitude is that it fosters an inward, selfish focus. This pushes people to be inconsiderate of others, which leads to further brutish and rude behavior. Eventually, it creates a depressing environment of overall unhappiness.

How thankful a person is greatly affects his life. A 2012 study published by the American Psychological Association found that teenagers who regularly review blessings in their lives have increased optimism and life satisfaction, and are better at remaining positive when faced with difficult situations. Those who are grateful also have higher grade point averages, according to a 2015 report from Frontiers in Psychology. These studies also stated that being grateful means you are satisfied and content with what you have and not as susceptible to depression.

In addition, scientists have found that a habit of thankfulness greatly contributes to better relationships with family and friends.

Most important, however, is that gratitude has a strong bearing on your closeness to God.

Ancient Israel provides a cautionary tale regarding this. God blessed the Israelites abundantly. He delivered them from bondage and promised them a land “flowing with milk and honey” (Ex. 3:8). He helped them overcome many obstacles and fulfilled His promise to look after them and care for them.

The Israelites would initially exhibit an attitude of thankfulness, but it was short-lived. They soon focused on their own wants instead of what God commanded them. Selfishness eventually led them to mistreat each other, including their leaders (Num. 16:1-3). Their continual murmuring and discontentment caused the removal of blessings that came from living God’s Way, which led to further unhappiness.

The children of Israel are to be our examples (I Cor. 10:6). We must look to them to avoid falling into the same trap. If we are not careful, a similar unappreciative spirit can creep into our minds also.

Attitude of Gratitude

There are many ways to express thankfulness and combat the spread of ingratitude. For example, you can thank your parents for all they do for you. They provide you with food, clothing and shelter. Parents make tremendous sacrifices to ensure you have what you need. Their loving care should make you feel content and secure (I Tim. 6:8).

Show thankfulness by doing extra chores for your parents and others. For example, show your appreciation toward your father by offering to mow the lawn or shine his shoes. Surprise your mother by offering to help your little brother or sister with his or her homework or by cleaning up the kitchen on a different day other than the one to which you are assigned.

You can also show gratefulness to those outside your home. Using words such as “please” and “thank you” go a long way toward displaying an attitude of gratitude. Giving thanks to the clerk behind the counter at the convenience store or to the teacher who spends hours helping you succeed makes a real difference.

Interestingly, our face reveals a clue on how to give thanks. Guillaume-Benjamin Duchenne, a French doctor, extensively studied facial expressions and found that everyone has a normal and a genuine smile—called “smiling with your eyes.” The first can be faked; the second reflects true emotion. True gratitude starts with a feeling within and is then followed by the action of a genuine smile.

Another way to say this is that gratitude involves GIVING!

In the Bible, about 95 percent of the times that the word “thanks” appears it is alongside the word “give”—give thanks. Thankfulness must start as a feeling and then turn into an action. One cannot simply “have thanks”—it must be given through an appreciative action.

Make a List

A key to being grateful is realizing all of the blessings in your life. This can be accomplished by regularly making a list of them. When you do this for the first time, you will be amazed by how much you already have!

To effectively employ this technique, you need quiet time to meditate. This can be most beneficial while experiencing the outdoors. Walk down a nature trail, gaze at a violet sunset, or listen to a rushing brook. These all evoke appreciation for the beauty of Creation and can help you realize that gratefulness should permeate every aspect of life. Nature can also help you appreciate the five senses God has given mankind, such as hearing, seeing and smelling. Without them, you would be unable to take in God’s handiwork.

The following are some other helpful items to include on your list of blessings:

• You are sanctified and have free access to God through His Spirit working with you (I Cor. 7:14).
• You can call on God for help. Psalm 50 shows that if you regularly offer God thanksgiving, “And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (vs. 15). We can be confident to call on God for assistance if we live a life of gratitude.
• God’s Sabbath and an understanding of His Holy Days.
• The Bible: “O God, You have taught me from my youth: and so far have I declared Your wondrous works” (Psa. 71:17).
• God’s plan of salvation—the “Big Picture”—and your part in it.
• Daily physical needs such as food, clothing and shelter.
• Your youth: “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth; and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth…” (Ecc. 11:9).

Share your list with others who may help you add even more points. This will become a valuable resource for you to use during prayer and meditation. It will also help you stay focused on all the wonderful things God does for His people and the world in general.

Once you begin to make an attitude of gratitude a habit, you will be well on your way to spreading it to others and ensuring it does not go extinct.

Be a Light!

Wildlife conservation groups spend millions of dollars on advertising campaigns, political lobbying and hands-on work to preserve specific habitats. Despite some small successes, thousands of animal and plant species continue to face extinction.

As far as gratitude goes, you are also in a sort of conservation group—but one that is destined to succeed! Those who have God’s truth are to be lights to the world (Matt. 5:14). This means we play a major part in making sure thankfulness is here to stay.

The apostle Paul wrote that “in the last days” ingratitude would explode. He stated that people would be “unthankful” and “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (II Tim. 3:1-4).

Make no mistake—the world can negatively affect you. Selfishness in our lives can grow like a weed. If left unhindered, it will eventually choke out gratefulness.

Our examples of sincere expressed gratitude, at home and in public, however, can ensure that thankfulness continues to flourish. We must all encourage each other to remain positive and daily count our blessings.

Do not allow thankfulness to go extinct in your life. Instead strive to let a giving, pleasing attitude—gratitude—grow abundantly in you!