The Value of Gratitude

November 18, 2016

As He [Jesus] entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. Luke 17:12-16a

1. THANK GOD FOR WHAT HE’S DONE. Ten men were healed, but only one turned back to give thanks while the others were so excited they took off to re-enter society. We don’t want to be part of the group that forgets to be thankful. Thanksgiving week is a moment for us to pause, shake off an ungrateful heart, and start to celebrate and count our blessings.

2. DEVELOP THE HABIT OF THANKSGIVING. Complaining is contagious, but so is thankfulness. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4a). Thank God going into your prayer, thank God in the middle of it, and thank God at the end. Get in the habit of praising and thanking God.

3. GRATITUDE TRANSFORMS US. When we’re thankful, we push aside indifference and deepen our appreciation for what we have instead of being constantly aware of what we lack. Start to thank God for what He has done in your life. Say it out loud, even if you can barely get the words out. As we begin to praise and thank the Lord, we are transformed from murmurers to praisers, from being self-absorbed to being reflective of who God is and how capable He is to take care of our every need. Self-pity is ugly. Gratitude is beautifying.

Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright. Psalm 33:1

Thank You, Jesus!
Pastor Jeff

DAILY CONFESSION based on Psalm 118
I give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting. The Lord is for me; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. I will not die, but live, and tell of the works of the Lord. This is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it. You are my God and I give thanks to You!

thank·ful, adj
Conscious of benefit received. Expressive of thanks.

Copyright © 2016 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. “Thankful.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. 08 August 2016.