Thanksgiving: Key To Your Future

ENDANGERED

The Twenty-First Century’s Top Ten list of endangered species must include, “a sincere thank-you.” True thanksgiving is becoming increasingly rare in our society. Sadly this isn’t just among those who claim no relationship with God but the Church too seems to often lack the attitude of gratitude.

But thankfulness is a big deal with God. An act of thanksgiving, no matter how small, is key to the preferred future God has for each of us. A simple and sincere, “Thank You!”, is a small hinge upon which large doors swing. The Psalmist understood this when he wrote, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” [Psalm 100:4] Gratitude causes the gates to swing wide into our destiny!

DESTINY OPENS

In the Gospel bearing his name, Dr. Luke records a fascinating story. It is the account of ten men who were among those considered the living dead of their generation: lepers. The thief called leprosy stole their families, fortune, and future. But Jesus passed their way and everything changed.

They grabbed His attention with their raspy voices crying for mercy! Jesus stopped, looked their way and spoke just one sentence to them. He didn’t move toward them or ask for their story. Nor did He touch them, as He had touched other lepers before. He merely said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” [Luke 17:14] Many would be turned off by what appears to be such a cold approach to these hurting men, but they simply obeyed.

The record says, “As they went…” [Luke 17:14] Somewhere along the way, they all received cleansing and cure by obedience to His word. All ten were healed.  Yet only one of them took the time to turn back and say, “Thank you!” Ironically, the one who took the time for thanksgiving had the longest journey home. But, for him, the goodness of God demanded the giving of thanks.  He decided to spare another thirty minutes to give thanks for the lifetime extended to him. Surely, he ran! How could he not? Turning the last corner, He began yelling the praises of God at the top of his lungs. And when he got to Jesus, he fell at His feet giving thanks.

THE POWER OF THANKSGIVING

His gratefulness poured out of him like a geyser. Jesus looked around and pointed out to the crowd that only one of the ten returned to say thanks. And he pointed out this man was a Samaritan. The nine were Israelites. The one gushing with gratitude was not.

Perhaps, Jesus highlights this detail because it is at the root of the ingratitude found in the nine. Did they feel entitled to the healing? After all, they were descendants of Abraham. They knew God revealed Himself to Moses and their fore-parents as Jehovah Raphah, their Healer. So they rejoiced in the freeing miracle but rushed to the priests and then into the arms of their loved ones, giving little thought to saying thank you to Jesus. After all, healing belonged to them by inheritance. Why go out of your way to say thank you for what is rightfully yours by birth? Although, they didn’t realize it their entitlement mentality robbed them of their preferred future.

The Samaritan, on the other hand, knew that this gift did not come because He deserved it. It was a direct answer to his specific request for mercy. He understood this miracle wasn’t His because it belonged to him.  He knew this touch of power was mercy in action!  And so, He gave thanks.

HUMILITY

The heart of gratitude is humility. It is the recognition that we need help beyond our ability. It is the acknowledgment that we are not self-sufficient nor self-made. We are not owed anything. Certainly, God does not owe us.  His gift of love makes us righteous, victorious and His child. With this family status comes a beautiful, mind-boggling inheritance. Blessing abounds on every hand. We receive the right to become the children of God, and we can boldly lay claim to every promise given.  But we dare not forget that it is only His mercy and grace that positions us to receive the promises.

The heart of gratitude is humility. Click To Tweet

A sincere, “Thank you” to God or a fellow human not only reminds us of our limitations and our need for others in our lives, but it also opens doors of opportunity that otherwise remain closed. Far too many miss God’s preferred future because of the attitude of entitlement.  Let’s you and I make a lifetime decision to choose humility and gratitude over the prideful entitlement mentality so prevalent in modern culture.

Choose humility and gratitude over pride and an entitlement mentality. Click To Tweet

WHOLENESS

Look at what happened to the one who chose gratitude: Luke 17:19 records Jesus’ words, “Rise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” The word translated “well” is also translated “whole” in many places. Jesus tells this man, now healed of leprosy, to move forward in wholeness as a result of his faith. I believe that this one out of the ten walked into a level of the miraculous the others did not. I think His thankful attitude released a dimension of healing that restored the outer extremities taken by the disease. Imagine it.  It’s possible that his fingers, toes, ears or nose were destroyed by leprosy. But as a result of his thankful faith, they are restored by the power of God.

All ten received healing but only one left whole. Why?  He utilized the key of thanksgiving and opened a higher dimension of glory. I wonder what will open for you and I, as we intentionally and consistently choose the attitude of gratitude? I pray this season will be a fresh beginning of the gates of glory opening in your life as you give thanks!