Gratitude-Saying it Loud

Sunday our Pastor, Dustin Aagaard, spoke about prayers of thankfulness. You may remember the story of Jesus healing ten lepers and only one returned to give thanks to Jesus for his healing. It is a well known story to me, but something Dustin said brought out some new thinking on the situation.

"Gratitude not expressed comes across as ingratitude." As I pondered this story in the light of that statement, I could understand that it was most likely that all ten of the lepers were grateful for being healed. I am sure they were happy and eager to return to their families and live lives free from the disease that separated them from others. Jesus did not seem to doubt that they could be grateful, but it looked like ingratitude because they did not say it out loud.

So, as I listened to The Holy Spirit inside me, I knew that there were times I kept silent for both big and small things for which I am grateful. It seemed to me that every day I miss some opportunity to tell someone thanks! I need to do better at saying Thank you out loud for the person, or God to hear!

At the end of this passage, Jesus told the grateful healed leper to rise up from his knees, go his way and then connected this man's gratitude to his faith in Jesus. some surmise that the other nine might have had their healing reversed, but I do not know Jesus as someone who would do that. I believe that the faith that healed the man who returned to Jesus was healed of his sins and he was found to be well from the pain of separation from God.

For me, and maybe for you as well, gratitude in every situation, both good and not so good, draws my heart closer to God. Jesus over and over demonstrated a life of thankfulness to the Father. I want to follow His example. Do you?