Thank God & Thank Others Often

 

Part two of a three-part series on “Changing Your Attitudes”

Introduction

One day Jesus entered a village and came across ten men who had leprosy. When they saw him, they called out, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us” (Luke 17:11-13). Jesus responded by telling them to show themselves to the priests. When they followed his instructions, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

One of these men was a Samaritan, someone considered a second-class citizen or “foreigner” by the Jews. Although all ten were cleansed, he was the only one who came back and said “thank you” to Jesus.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:15-18)

Make it personal

1. Why do you think nine of the men didn’t come back to thank Jesus?

2. Do you sometimes neglect thanking God for the things he has done? Why or why not?

Say “thank you” to God

It’s easy to condemn the nine men who didn’t thank Jesus and to think poorly of them. However, most of us have found ourselves in the same situation, forgetting to thank God for the many ways he has blessed us.

Don’t take God for granted. Instead, train yourself to be grateful, “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. (Psalm 105:1)

Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (Psalm 103:2)

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

Thank God for giving you life.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

… he who forms the hearts of all … (Psalm 33:15)

Thank God for your salvation.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Thank God for his love.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Psalm 106:1)

Related: God’s love for you, God’s love for me

Thank God for the Bible.

I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. (Psalm 119:16)

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8)

Related: Why should I read the Bible?

Thank God for the beauty of his creation.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Psalm 19:1)

You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. (Nehemiah 9:6)

Thank God for food and clothing.

Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. (Psalm 107:8-9)

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. (1 Timothy 6:8)

Thank God for helping you in your hard times.

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. (Psalm 68:19)

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Thank God for giving you the ability to make a living.

You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is to-day. (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)

For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? (1 Corinthians 4:7)

Related: Are you a generous person?

Thank God for eternal life.

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:16)

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:11)

Make it personal

3. What are three things God has done for which you are thankful?

4. Take a few minutes now to thank God for these three things—and for anything else that comes to your mind.

5. Would you like to make thanking God part of your morning prayer time? Explain your answer.

6. How can you remind yourself to express thanks to God every day?

Say “thank you” to others

Just as it’s easy to take God for granted, it’s also easy to take the positive things other people do for granted. It can be much easier to recognize negative things people do than positive things. For example:

• People may rarely thank their friends.
• Parents may rarely thank their children.
• Married people may rarely thank their spouse.
• Church members may rarely thank their pastor.
• The pastor may rarely thank church members.
• Bosses may rarely thank their employees.
• Employees may rarely thank their bosses.

Saying “thank you” can encourage and bless others. It can also be good for you personally, since saying “thank you” can help you stay focused on the positive—something God wants you to do.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

Make it personal

7. When was the last time you said “thank you” to someone?

8. What do you usually thank people for?

Look for things you appreciate.

Make it a project to identify things for which you can say “thank you.”

Let’s look at marriage for an example of how to put this into practice. Many married people constantly criticize their spouse.

Instead, they could say “thank you” to their spouse for earning money, caring for the kids, cooking, cleaning the house, doing yard work or other home projects, washing the car, going to a movie you want to see, putting gas in the car, cleaning up spilled milk, changing the baby’s diapers, stopping at the store to buy something, offering you a drink of water, opening the door, or being quiet so you can sleep.

If you are creative, the list of things for which you say “thank you” could be endless.

Make it personal

9. Make a plan to say “thank you” to four people over the next two days. Who will you thank? What will you thank them for?

10. How can you remind yourself to thank people more and criticize them less?

Memory verse

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)

Personal application

1. Is it important to say “thank you” to God? Why or why not?

2. How often do you say “thank you” to God? What do you thank him for?

3. Write a prayer asking God to help you remember to thank him for something at least one time a day.

4. Write a list of things for which you thank God, then pray, thanking God for everything on the list.

5. How often do you say “thank you” to others?

6. List the people you normally thank. Add what you usually thank each one for.

7. Name one person you should thank more often.

8. Make a plan to thank him or her for something.

9. What are the benefits to others when you say “thank you”?

10. What are the benefits to you when you say “thank you”?