BOXED IN - 21 Day Journey To Easter Through The Book Of LukeSample

Boxed in by Ingratitude

When you give your best, go the extra mile, or do something extraordinary for someone else, a little recognition is appreciated. But, if after a while, all your effort goes unnoticed, it’s a little discouraging and you feel like someone’s taking you for granted. Most of us appreciate being appreciated.  

On one particular journey, Jesus encountered ten men with leprosy begging for help. Leprosy is a disease that attacks the nervous system, causing disfigurement to skin and bones, even sometimes curling the fingers like a claw. Because it was spread by human contact, lepers were cast out of the community. It was devastating. That’s why they begged for help. And that’s why Jesus' miraculous healing is so extraordinary. And yet, only one out of ten came back to give thanks. 

God has done more than just go the extra mile for us. He has done extraordinary things for us in Jesus. But how often do we forget to be grateful for the many blessings we’ve received from Him or others? Before long, if we forget to give thanks and express our appreciation, we get boxed in by ingratitude, and our hearts grow cold to the goodness of God and others. It’s not just about saying “thank you” so much as it is to notice how lavishly He loves and cares for us and, in turn, respond by living a life of gratitude towards all. 

Question: What do you want to thank God for today? Who else needs to hear how much they are appreciated?