I appreciate this time of the year in which our country stops to express thanksgiving for the many blessings we have received from God. My family will also pause and gave thanks to God on Thanksgiving Day. But to the Christian every day should be celebrated as a day of thanksgiving. Why? Because every day is a day that the Lord has given us and we should rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24). The apostle Paul wrote that it is God’s will that we always give him thanks (1 Thess. 5:18).
But so many people today are ungrateful. The majority of people live self-centered lives. They act as though they deserve everything that they receive and they have an insatiable appetite for more. Those people are like the children on Christmas morning who ask, “Is that all?”
Ingratitude. This word has broken more hearts, destroyed more homes, caused more tears to be shed, and created more hatred than any other. Some may be thinking, “There is too much pain in my life to be thankful for anything.” To these people I ask: Have you lost a loved one? Be thankful for the amount of time you shared even if it was short. Do you have physical ailments? Be thankful for whatever degree of health you have. Do you live in a house, apartment or tent? Be thankful for your shelter! Do you own a car, truck or jalopy? Do you have money to ride the bus or do you have two healthy legs to travel upon? Do you have friends who drive? Be thankful!
In Luke chapter seventeen we read of ten men who had leprosy. There was no known cure for this disease and those who were infected were doomed to die a slow, painful death. The infected men approached Jesus with the desire to be healed. The Lord instructed them to go and show themselves to the high priest. As they were traveling it was suddenly realized that all ten were healed of their illness. Imagine the joy they must have felt to know that their “death sentence” had been pardoned.
However, only one man out of the ten felt the need to return to Jesus and thank him for saving his life. Upon seeing the return of only the one Jesus asked, “Were there not ten that were healed? Where are the others?” Jesus had not commanded that the lepers return and express gratitude to him. Yet he makes it clear that, had their hearts been right, they would have wanted to thank him.
When is the last time you expressed your gratitude to God? Let us remember to make every day a day of thanksgiving to our creator since he is the provider of every good gift (James 1:17).