It’s a simple phrase saying “thank you.” A phrase learned early in life from parents teaching manners and appreciation to a child, and the phrase is reinforced in school interactions. Saying thank you is thoughtful and it can have great effect on the recipient because saying thank you can be a gift.
In Luke 17, Jesus sees and responds to ten people who have the severe skin disease, leprosy. The Lord heals them by sending them to the priests to “show themselves” (v. 14). One of the ten lepers returns to Jesus in deep praise and appreciation for being healed. This healed person thanked the Lord for what he had done. Gratitude and awe propel the leper to return and say “thank you” to Jesus, and this faithfulness presents a life-changing gift for the former leper: a new life of wholeness. The simple “thank you” revealed to Jesus a transformation which led to spiritual wellness.
We don’t have to say thank you. That’s part of the gift of grace – God doesn’t require gratitude. We see in the story that God responds to being thanked, however. The physical and spiritual transformation in this healed leper reveals a wholeness that comes from knowing Jesus and leads to gratitude, joy, peace, love, etc. And, as the psalmist says, “Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100:4-5). The Lord is faithful, steadfast, and full of love for all of us. This steadfast love is to be praised and thanked because it is good, enduring, and brings light to the world.
The gift of saying thank you is walking in the light and living without reservation, full of life.
November Theme in Super Church: GRATITUDE
Gratitude: Letting others know you see how they’ve helped you
Weekly Bottom Lines: Celebrate what God has done; Adjust your attitude; Say thank you!; Always be grateful.
Memory Verse: “Give thanks no matter what happens. God wants you to thank him because you believe in Christ Jesus.” -1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIrV