We take a lot for granted: the roof over our heads, a healthy body, teachers and an education that trains us for our future. We go about our day forgetting to be grateful for these small things. And, we do the same for the big blessings in our lives. But, Jesus expects us to be thankful for all He provides us.
The Gospel of Luke tells a story about how Jesus healed ten men with leprosy (Luke 17: 11-19). While traveling to Samaria, the ten men hollered to Jesus, asking Him to have mercy on them. Jesus told them to present themselves to the priest because it was custom to not worship in the temple if you were unclean or unwell. As they went to the temple to show themselves to the priest, they were healed. One of the ten returned to thank Jesus for His healing. Jesus responded to this one by saying, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God?”
Jesus responds this way because He expects us to be thankful for all that God has given us. When we do something for another person, we want them to thank us and come to us with gratitude. If we expect it of others, why wouldn’t God expect it of us?
If we’re expected to be thankful for the big and small things that God makes happen in our lives, then we should respond as expected. We should recognize all that He has given us with a heart of gratitude. We should demonstrate our appreciation to Him and those He’s placed in our lives. We should practice thankfulness so often that it becomes a natural response to any gift we receive.
Living a Life of Gratitude
Living a life of gratefulness will help us live a happy, more productive and satisfying life. If we focus on the positive blessings of our life rather than dwell on the negativity, our character and countenance will reflect our positive nature. When we note the good things in our lives, we will be drawn to pursuing more goodness. Through this energy, we will become more creative and constructive which will lead to a feeling of being full and content. God expects us to be thankful because He knows that the benefits of thankfulness affect our whole lives and makes a significant impact on our hearts as well as the hearts of those around us. So, if God expects it, we better follow through and practice thankfulness daily.
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Luke 17:11-19
