03/06/2026
THE TRAGEDY OF INGRATITUDE
Presidents of many African nations have testified that during the struggle against apartheid, Nelson Mandela and the South African liberation movement received support from across Africa. Many nations that were themselves struggling economically still chose to contribute resources, not because they had excess, but because they believed freedom should not belong to only a few.
Their mindset was simple: If I have freedom, let me help my brother obtain freedom too. If I have a house, let me help him build a house. If I have a family in stability, let me help and stand with him to also have a stable family , If I have a car, let me stand with him to also get a car, have If I have bread, let me share it with the one who is hungry.
That is the spirit of true brotherhood. True love does not hoard blessings; it seeks to multiply them in the lives of others.
Today, social media has made it easier for people to rewrite narratives. People can cast insinuations, question the integrity of their benefactors, and create stories that paint helpers as villains. Some even quote scriptures to justify their actions, using sacred words to cover attitudes of ingratitude, resentment, and bitterness. INFACT the more anyone tries to remind them - the more they use social media to denigrade their benefactors.
Yet true gratitude understands that not every act of kindness was performed for public applause. When many African nations supported the struggle against apartheid, they did not stand before cameras or announce every sacrifice they made. They helped because they believed that the freedom of one African nation would ultimately benefit the entire continent.
Their attitude could be summed up this way:
Your victory is our victory. Your freedom is our freedom. Your rise is our rise.
They understood that if one nation shone, the light would reflect across Africa. Therefore, they gave quietly, sacrificed willingly, and supported generously without demanding PUBLIC recognition.
Sadly, one of the greatest tragedies of humanity is forgetfulness. People often forget the hands that lifted them, the shoulders they stood on, and the sacrifices others made so they could enjoy the opportunities they have today. Gratitude fades, entitlement grows, and kindness is sometimes repaid with hostility.
One painful lesson from xenophobic attacks is that people can forget sacrifices once made on their behalf. History may remember the support, but individuals can choose to ignore it. One South African laughed at the roads in Ghana- forgetting that if Ghanaians had used their donation on themselves perhaps their roads would be in a better condition than it is now!
When hearts become filled with hatred, prejudice, and resentment, reminders of past kindness are often ignored. You cannot force gratitude into a bitter heart or reason with a mind fixed on hostility. At that point, wisdom is found not in forcing acceptance but in seeking safety and preserving life.
That is why President Mahama evacuated Ghanaian citizens during the initial period of unrest and violence in South Africa. Because the mind of a resentful person is often not looking for negotiation. It is difficult to reason with someone who has already decided to hate.
There are seasons when separation becomes necessary, not because you hate others, but because you value the life God has given you. When violence and hostility become the order of the day, wisdom may require you to step away rather than remaining to prove a point. No one should risk their life trying to gain acceptance from people determined to reject them.
This lesson extends beyond nations. It applies to families, friendships, workplaces, and personal relationships.
You may spend years sacrificing for people, supporting them, praying for them, defending them, and helping them rise, only for them to later on speak as though they achieved everything alone—or even turn against you. The videos of the beating of foreign nationals circulating are unimaginable!
One of the saddest realities of human nature is that people often hide the help they received while publicly magnifying the faults of those who helped them. Burning shops of foreigners- beating them mercilessly , when some of their taxes were sent in secret to help them achieve their freedom!
The tragedy of ingratitude is that it forgets what was done in secret while focusing only on what can be criticized in public. The hands that lifted are forgotten, and the sacrifices that opened doors are overlooked.
Many people conceal the kindness they received privately because acknowledging it would require humility. Instead, they rewrite history, presenting themselves as self-made while casting suspicion on those who once stood beside them.
Wisdom teaches us not to measure our acts of kindness by the gratitude we receive.
If people appreciate it, thank God.
If they forget it, thank God.
If they misrepresent it, thank God.
The value of your sacrifice is not determined by the memory of men but by the record of God.
Those who helped in silence do not need to defend themselves against every accusation. History has a way of revealing what truly happened. Time exposes both sacrifice and ingratitude, and God vindicates those who gave from sincere hearts.
And when necessary, allow God to lead you into a place of safety, purpose, and rest.
📖 “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” — Proverbs 22:3 (KJV)
📖 “When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another.” — Matthew 10:23 (KJV)
