Biblical gratitude is foreign to us.
Reading through Luke 17, you find the story of the 10 Lepers. Only one of these men ever said, "Thank you" to Jesus for the healing he received.
Our gratitude should be obvious! Not mumbled, but spoken loudly and deliberately!
Gratitude is always humble! It is a falling down at His feet. Humility is not something that you carry...it is something you are clothed with, decorated with, held up with...
What is behind the "just right look"?
Gratitude is God glorifying! God gave us people to practice on. Do the people in your world know how much you love them? That you are thankful for them?
1.Gratitude is a door of access to the Father. "Enter into His courts..."
2.Gratitude is not natural. It is an obvious deviation from your path. "We are always on our way to somewhere..." Stop...take time to express your gratitude! Do it right now...on purpose! A deliberate interruption of your plans...agenda!
Gratitude doesn't happen automatically. We usually overlook the opportunities we have or push them aside...until it is too late.
3.Gratitude should not be the exception...it is the expectation! Do you lead others to show gratitude? What kind of leader are you?
Tell others your are grateful! Lead by example.
4.Ingratitude should never be accepted! Have you ever thanked Him for the privilege to struggle? Put a parantheses around the crummy day and thank Him for what He has done!
Our attitude...Fix it now! His attitude..."Be ye thankful!" The negative circumstances are created to bring you to a point where you will thank Him for what He has done.
5.Gratitude is a completion of each step of faith. We are often made whole...but we are not complete. "Like precious faith..." This is more than the saving faith we talk about. Now we are to go on and learn some more! How fast can you learn it? Each phase in this life of faith is finished in the mind of God...when we can say thank you...and we are at His feet! A mess or a pain for me...seen in light of the cross..."Thank You, Jesus!"
The ten lepers experienced the worst possible circumstances. Their physical being was affected by a terrible disease. They were removed from their family and friends. They lived on the outskirts of town with other lepers in poor conditions.
Have you considered the enormity of what they were healed from?
"Thy faith has made thee whole."
Only one...truly understood the change that took place. The change affected his heart...not just his physical comfort.
What a thought! What a challenge! I thought I was a grateful person...but it turns out...I still have some things to learn.
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