Be One Of The 10 Percent

“Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?” Luke 17:17 NLT

One day Jesus healed ten men of leprosy, which at the time was a death sentence because there was no known cure for it. Amazingly, only one of them remembered to come back and thank Him. What’s the story with the other nine? Were they too busy to be thankful? Surely they felt grateful, yet they didn’t take time express it. Did they just get caught up in other things and forget? Were they too cautious to be thankful? Maybe they thought their healing wouldn’t last, so they wanted to give it time before announcing it. Or maybe they were concerned that Jesus wanted something in return that they were either unwilling or unable to give. Were they too self-centred to be thankful? In some ways, the sick life was a simpler life. Now they had to get a job, take responsibility, and play a role in society. Were they too arrogant to be thankful? Maybe they thought that given enough time, they would have recovered by themselves. Plus, to be grateful is to admit to being needy. Who wants to show weakness when you have an image to protect? If this story is any indication, nine out of ten of us have a problem with gratitude—at least when it comes to expressing it. Don’t be like that. Be one of the 10 percent! In three back-to-back psalms—105, 106, and 107—David repeats similar words: “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Don’t let a day pass without remembering God’s goodness to you and thanking Him for it.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 40-42 and Titus 1