Learn from Ham

21 He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him.

[Genesis 9:21-24]

Being cursed for seeing his father’s nakedness seems like an overreaction, but instead of looking at what is implied or not implied in the narrative, let us take Ham’s story and use it to improve our faiths. We can infer three things and use them to enhance our lives.

One. Be grateful.

We can never be truly happy without being thankful. All happiness springs from gratefulness. If you are not thankful for the things God gives you in life, you can never be happy. Be thankful! Ham had a lot for which to be grateful. He survived the flood. He was only one of eight survivors. We cannot choose our parents, but his father happened to be Noah, the man who built the ark and was chosen by God. We must never take for granted the blessings God gives us. It’s easy to forget about what you have and complain about what you don’t have. Being ungrateful leads us down a dark road. We become unhappy. Since we’re unhappy, we become enraged. Once we’re full of venom, we become irrational and indifferent.

Two. Remember those who shed grace.

We must never forget those who shed grace on us. We must keep close to our hearts those who extend undeserved kindness, love, and mercy. For many of us, our parents stand as our pillars of grace. They gave birth to us, raised us, and love us unconditionally. We must never forget this line of grace because God is the origin of this grace. When Ham sees his father naked, he forgets all the grace Noah extended to him. When you forget people who show you grace, you become fearless in a bad way. You become foolhardy and reckless. And if you continue to grow in this way, you become oblivious to others and self-centered.

Three. Cherish your progenitors of grace.

We must cherish, honor, and show mercy and love for those who serve as our line of grace. We must hurt when these givers ache or suffer misfortune. We must pray for their happiness and good fortune. When Ham sees his father drunk and naked in his tent, he is not heartbroken. He does not turn away, walk backward, and cover his nakedness. When we lose respect and forget our progenitors of grace, we live without any parameters. If we live without boundaries and a sense of place in the universe, we are on the fast-track to corruption and “running wild.” (“Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies.” Exodus 32:25)

In these difficult times, we must be grateful. We must be thankful for what God gives us. Focus on the kindness, love, and mercy others have shown you instead of focusing on what others haven’t done for you! Cherish those who have shown you grace! If we do these three things, God showers us with His infinite blessings.

Summary