You know what has been on my mind the last couple of days? Gratitude.
I am not sure how many of you remember the first couple of times you heard the Bible story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19. For me, the times I remember hearing it when I was a lot younger, I really looked down on the nine who did not come back to Jesus to say thank you. I am not sure if you can relate. I’ll be nice enough to give you a second; just think about it. See!
One thing that I often do is try to put myself in the shoes of someone and think of whether I would do what they did or make the same decision they did. Just to go off track a little, this started some time back when someone asked me to imagine if I was born during the years Jesus walked on this earth and think about whether I would have actually been among those who believed in him or wanted him crucified. And when I thought of that it opened my mind and soon became a thing that I adopted; learning to walk in others shoes.
Okay, back to the track. When I heard about the ten lepers and the one who came back saying thank you, I definitely felt confident that if I was one of the lepers I would definitely not be among the ungrateful nine. But let me tell you something, it has been a number of years and I cannot count how many times I have done as the nine did.
You know how life on earth gets, there’s almost always something I believe I am lacking and desperately need God to come through and intervene. Some needs are so important, a matter of life and death, so much is at stake. Much like the ten lepers. Their lives were on the line. I am not sure how much y’all know about leprosy but from my research it is really bad. Fingers falling, skin looking cray and you are deprived of living a normal life. Imagine being healed from such a dreadful disease. Amazing.
How many times do we face situations where we desperately need a miracle? When the miracle comes through do we actually return to the God who we so desperately pleaded with. Or do we sometimes get carried away with the gift that we immediately forget the giver.
Remember that terrible final semester that you didn’t think you would pull through and thought you would not graduate? Or is it that season of heartbreak during which you thought your heart would never smile again? Was it the time when you lacked the finances for something important? Maybe it was even your health or that of a loved one. It could even be the small things like asking him to protect you during a short trip and not saying thank you for the safe arrival, praying that a test goes well or asking for a good day ahead. Sometimes it is the things or relationships we pray for and God mercifully blesses us, and we quickly kick him off the throne and place that idol above him- loving the gift more than the giver.
I don’t know about you, but I am terribly guilty of many of these examples. Judging the ungrateful nine lepers when I am a 21stcentury version of them. I have been convicted of the fact that I mirror the very same behaviour more often than not.
However, as always, despite my flaws, God’s grace and unmerited favour and mercy is new each and every morning. I am glad he has opened my mind to this realisation that I MUST remember to go back to him, my father, with praise and gratitude for his continued undeserved goodness in my life. I hope this encourages you to do the same.
Here’s to being the grateful one!
Image: versiondaily.com
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