August 2006
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The Attitude of Gratitude
Mark Roberts
“Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’” (Luke 17:11-13).
Many readers will recognize the beginning of the famous “Where are the Nine” story. Jesus did have mercy on those leprous men, all condemned to a terrible death. He healed them in a marvelous display of both compassion and power. Unfortunately, only one of the lepers returned to thank Jesus for the priceless gift He had given the lepers. So it is easy to imagine Jesus sighing deeply as He asked quietly “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17).
The Consequence of Ingratitude
Jacob Hudgins
Few traits are as distasteful to us as ingratitude. All of us have felt a twinge of anger when our hard work or generous gesture went unappreciated by someone. But more than just socially unacceptable, ungratefulness has terrible effects on our spiritual lives and is deplored by our God. Before dismissing it as a trivial consideration, we must examine what God tells us about ingratitude and its consequences.
Gratitude for Others
Ed Whittlesey
A recent Maritz Poll found that a simple “thank you” can be hard to come by in the workplace. The poll surveyed 1,002 adults nationwide and found that twenty-six percent of employees are thanked seldom or never by their supervisor for a job well done. An additional twenty-nine percent hear an occasional thanks. Only about a third (thirty-five percent) are thanked frequently. While those numbers might be surprising, it doesn’t take much to figure out there is definite room for improvement. Though this poll wasn’t focused on Christianity and conducted strictly amongst Christians, its outcome is worth our consideration. We are presented with many opportunities to express gratitude and appreciation for others’ efforts in serving the Lord. Expressions of gratitude and appreciation result in the encouragement and motivation of others. It tells others that what they are doing is important and meaningful. One of Maritz’ VP’s was quoted as saying, “It’s amazing how much two simple words can mean to an employee.” Again, the same is true from a spiritual standpoint. Christians can always use encouragement. In efforts to do good, we can become disheartened by those who oppose us. In striving to live righteously, Satan lurks around and attempts to derail us. In such circumstances, the voice of a friend and fellow Christian is quite comforting. The support we receive from those who have overcome similar experiences is reassuring and uplifting.