A Simple Thank You would Suffice

Luke 17:11-19

 

Have you ever done something nice for another person and rather than them saying thank you or having any sense of gratitude, they don’t even slightly acknowledge what you have done for them?  We live in a world of expectations.  Where everyone seems to think they deserve all good things.  I am always annoyed when I hear of a commercial saying that you deserve their product.  Why do we deserve it?  Do you know who we are and what we have done?  The Bible says something about our good deeds,

But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; (Isaiah 64:6a) NKJV

In our title verses for today, we find Jesus healing the ten lepers.  As he walks by them they all cry out for mercy and so Jesus does what he often did and healed all ten of them.  What was their response?  Nine of the ten leave and never return.  Only one comes back to say thank you.  When I read this, I am struck by the similarity of then and now.  Our world has a hard time with gratitude.  We live in a world of instant gratification and partly because of this we neglect the simplest of words like “thanks”.  

Maybe you weren’t raised in a home that showed gratitude, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t be the one to change the cycle.  Never assume people know how grateful you are.  Trust me they don’t!  If we cannot bring ourselves to outwardly show our appreciation for what others have done for us, then we are not following God’s ways!  Look at Jesus’ response to only one returning:

Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

For many of us this will take some intention.  We just assume people know or worse we expect them to do nice things for us.  For others saying thank you and showing gratitude comes naturally or at least you think it does.  No matter your situation, let’s you and I make it a priority in our lives to really be intentional about our gratitude.

Let’s take this one step further to really drive home the point that I am trying to make this morning.  Have you ever noticed how much you like to be around those that freely offer gratitude?  Do you find yourself lonely in today’s state?  Could it be that you aren’t showing enough appreciation.  You see just like we like to be around people that show gratitude, they also will gravitate to us when we do the same.  Having gratitude for what someone else has done is not an option.  Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6 with our prayers there needs to be a vital component.  What is that?  A heart of thanksgiving.  Not even God wants to be our unending vending machine of requests and expectations without a thankful heart for what He has already done.

As this week goes by, be intentional with your gratitude.  Be thankful for what others do for you and outwardly express it.  Begin to create a heart full of praise and be amazed at the transformation in your life and in your relationships.