How to Be Thankful

How to Be Thankful
Luke 17:11-19
It’s not Thanksgiving yet, but the story referenced here is about one man who said “Thank you.” According to the story, there were ten lepers who encountered Jesus. All of them were cleansed of leprosy while walking away, but only one of them returned to Jesus to thank him. One out of ten- that is not a very good percentage. The story may serve as a reminder to us that people (including us) may not be very good at saying “Thank you.” That may include saying thanks both to each other, and to God. Given the thanksgiving theme of the story, we might want to try and answer the question “What does it mean to live a thankful life?”

We might notice that a thankful person has a positive attitude. That probably includes a hopeful outlook. There are a couple of phrases that express this attitude. Every dark cloud has a silver lining is one phrase. Another is when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. There is also the word Pollyanna, which means that someone has endless optimism, and finds something positive in everything. Of course, a positive attitude can be taken too far, so that one can lose touch with reality. But generally speaking, we can all use a dose of a positive outlook. It will help us to see things in a more positive light, and be thankful for what we have, rather than complaining about what we don’t have.

We can also say that a thankful person is humble. That means a person has an accurate view of themselves. They don’t think more highly of themselves than they ought, and they don’t think less of themselves than they should. A humble person realizes that they do not live isolation, but they are connected to other people. That connection involves giving and receiving in relationships. A humble person also realizes that the world does not owe them a living. No one deserves most of the blessings that they enjoy. They are a gift that is unearned, undeserved, and a reason to give thanks.

We might also note that a thankful person is flexible. It involves being able to live with changes. The changes may involve schedules or routines. A flexible person is adaptable, goes with the flow, and rolls with the punches. Flexibility can also mean that one can be spontaneous, and free to enjoy life’s surprises. It can also mean that one take time to celebrate, which goes hand in hand with being thankful.

A thankful person also has inner strength and courage. That means that someone doesn’t just follow the crowd, or the latest trends or fads to be able to fit in, or to be liked. A thankful person can be able to think for themselves, and doesn’t do something just because everybody else does.

Finally, a thankful person takes time to be thankful, and to worship God. It means that one realizes that God has blessed everyone in very many ways. It means realizing that God has the power to heal, cleanse, and give a fresh start. At one time or another, each of us has felt trapped by our circumstances, a job, family situations, health concerns, and successes and failures. And eventually, in one way or another, we manage to find our way out of difficult and uncomfortable circumstances. For that we can be thankful and give thanks to God.

How can we be thankful? We can keep a positive attitude, be humble and flexible. We can cultivate our inner strengths, and take time to give thanks to God for all the blessings that we enjoy. The words that Jesus said to the one leper who returned and said “Thank you.”, may be the same words that God has for us: “Get up and go. Your faith has made you well.” If we are thankful, it can make us whole.
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