Don’t forget to give thanks

I was reading the story in the bible about the ten lepers who Jesus healed. The story can be found in Luke 17:11-19. The ten men cried out to Jesus asking him for his mercy. And Just like that, Jesus healed all ten of the men. But out of the ten, only one returned to Jesus, fell to his face at his feet, and gave thanks. Only one out of the ten. And then Jesus being Jesus, goes on to say: “ Were there not ten men cleansed? Where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And then he proceeded to say “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” That speaks volumes. So much to take from this passage. First things first, how merciful is our LORD and Savior who already knew before he healed these men that they would go and leave without saying thank you and never going out to witness what Jesus did for them? Now true enough, the passage does not say anything about them not being witnesses once they leave but it's safe to assume that if someone can't tell the person who healed them "thank you" then surely this person wouldn't bother mentioning them after the fact. Jesus knew it to begin with but healed them anyway. Why? Because he loves them. So he heals them all but who is the one who received the true blessing of salvation? The scripture tells us it is the man who was thoughtful enough to return and acknowledge the one who healed him. The other men missed out on the best part. Yes, the healing is good but to receive the gift of salvation from the son of GOD? Priceless. 

This and many other stories in the Bible reveal the hearts of people to themselves. People who play the victim and cry out for help and mercy but once they get what they want, how quickly they forget. They don’t bother giving what was given to them back. A simple thank you would have been decent but to give thanks would have done them well. How many people are like the nine lepers who cried for mercy and then forgot about his mercy the moment they received it? It’s not like Jesus took back the healing from these men, I’m sure they went on with their lives healed for the rest of their days but they could have been so much more than a recipients of a miracle, they could have become a miracle through their salvation. That is what people are missing today. They receive the goodness of God every day. I hear people's life stories and think, WOW, God surely was with them. How they were saved, spared, and covered when they don’t even bother acknowledging God for who he truly is. Instead, they spend their days doubting him instead of getting to know him. God wants us to have a heart posture to always give thanks. Don’t forget about him and God will use people to help you and those people are often forgotten about too. Remember the book of Genesis when Joseph was imprisoned and he interpreted a man's dreams and vowed to tell the pharaoh about it but once he was released, he forgot about Joesph. He could have been so blessed doing the right thing because he would have done so for God without even realizing it. But the ugly truth is, we do what is truly in our hearts. They don’t literally lose the memory of what has been done for them. When someone forgets about you, it’s because they are too busy thinking about themselves. They don't consider you. And That is not the way we are called to love each other at all. When the ten men “forgot” to say thank you to Jesus, they revealed they never cared about him to begin with. And if they cared, there was still some serious disconnection and lack of love. 

So this lesson is applied to my own personal life, first realizing it takes humility to be truly grateful. So it’s hard to give thanks when pride is always wanting more. Nothing is ever enough. But do not take offense when someone takes you for granted because they did it to Jesus first. Just remember that even though other people may forget about you after you’ve done something God put in you to do for them, let them forget, and don’t be bitter just pray for them and let them go their way. And let me remind you that even if no one remembers you, God remembers you, and may his face shine upon all the forgotten ones who continue to remember the goodness of Christ Jesus.  

© trulysincerelyy