All month on Enjoying the Journey we have been studying the life of thankfulness. Around many tables today people will share a list of things for which they are grateful. On this Thanksgiving Day I am taking a few moments to reflect on one question: Am I truly a thankful person?
Are you?
You might be surprised to find that grateful people have always been in the minority. It is more natural to grumble and groan than to give thanks.
In the Old Testament the Lord sent twelve spies in to the land to spy out all that He had provided for them. He didn’t need their opinion or their idea. He just wanted them to see it and share with others the goodness of God. It was all His and He was about to give it to them!
When the twelve returned only two brought a good report (Numbers 13). The other ten spoke in unbelief and caused an entire generation to miss the blessings of the Lord. It dawned on me recently that their problem was that they weren’t thankful. If they had simply recognized how good God was being to them they would have returned praising God and encouraging the faith of others.
Sure, there were giants and obstacles. But God was greater than all that. Lester Roloff said, “Sometimes you can praise your way through things you can’t seem to pray your way through!”
Are you the two or the ten? Grateful people are always in the minority.
In the New Testament the Lord Jesus healed ten lepers. Completely whole! Perfectly restored! And only one man returned to say thank you. In the words of Christ, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger” (Luke 17:17-18).
We have all been blessed – materially, physically, spiritually, eternally. Where are the nine?
Are you the one or the nine? Grateful people are always in the minority.
Be the two, not the twelve. Be the one, not the nine. Be willing to live in the minority and give God thanks. Anyone can complain and most will. God’s people should live a life of gratitude today and every day.
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Love the post! Thankfulness is sooooo vitally important to the Christian walk! Repeatedly Peter brings up the topic of remembering (I Peter 1:12, 13, 15), which is sooooo important to being thankful and having gratitude! That is, IF one remembers…then one should have no trouble being thankful!
Interestingly, Paul writes in Romans 2:4, “…the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” If a Christian will constantly be aware of God’s (undeserved) goodness in his life…then that Christian should have no trouble continuing in his faithful walk of love and service to his God and Savior! That is: Remembering should result in thankfulness, which will result in a humble walk with his God!
Thanks for keeping up with our posts!
Might I add the following two comments?
Regarding the ten lepers, I am always amazed with the truth that EVEN GOD LIKES A THANK YOU!
Regarding the receiving of gifts from others and the giving of gifts to others, I recall words like: “Record the gifts and kindnesses of others toward you in stone; record the gifts and kindnesses of you toward others in sand.”
Somehow those two comments are interwoven. That is, although written in sand…like God, even we like a thank you!
Amen!
IF WE PAUSE TO THINK, WE HAVE CAUSE TO THANK
Great statement.