An Attitude of Gratitude

By Reverend Michael Farias

I began to think about all the things I have to be thankful for, and I had to stop.

I have so much to be thankful for that it’s impossible to recall everything, or to list it all.  I also realized that there are so many people in my life, past and present, that I am thankful for, that if I began to list them, I would not remember all of them. I would certainly leave some deserving people off the list.

Just yesterday alone, I had a series of victories that I am extremely thankful for. Really, I would find it difficult to enumerate and articulate my gratitude for just one day in this life. 

Again, I had a realization.  I realized that being thankful, or grateful, is not because of a to-do list that has been completed successfully, although I am glad about those accomplishments, or because of kindness that somebody showed me, although that is very rewarding, or for any other tangible reason.  Gratitude is an attitude.  It’s not the fulfillment of anything.

Now it happened as Jesus went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”  Luke 17:11

I haven’t always been a minister.  I haven’t even always been a Christian.  I once was like the leprous men, and I stood afar off from Jesus.  It’s likely that you once stood afar off too.  Luckily, everything changed for the lepers, and for you and I, when Jesus met us while we were standing afar off.

Jesus responded to their ask for mercy.  He always responds to our ask for mercy.

14 So when Jesus saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

It so happened that this miracle was not instantaneous, but it happened as they went.  It was a process, it was gradual, it was an act of obedience, it was transformational, it was a new beginning.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.

All ten lepers received the same mercy and cleansing, but only one of them chose to be different.  Only one of them chose to return and give God glory and give Jesus thanks.  And he only did it when he realized that he was healed.  The realization invoked in him an attitude of gratitude.

This leper’s act of thanksgiving was not a token appreciation, but genuine heartfelt gratitude.  It was vocally loud and physically demonstrative.  He fell face down at the feet of Jesus.  This was the real deal, and Jesus took notice.

17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

Maybe, just maybe, what Jesus really noticed here was not so much the one who returned with gratitude, but the nine who did not.

My faith has made me well, and I go on my way, cleansed because Jesus came to me when I stood afar off.  I want to return to Him, without ceasing, and with heartfelt gratitude. My gratitude is not in my completed punch list, or the wins I got today, or even because of the amazing people God has brought into my life, but because He has made me well and whole, and He gave me a new beginning.

Have a Greater Than Gold day, because every day with Jesus is a Greater Than Gold Day.