Gratitude: Fullness of Life

Gratitude is the practice of actively remembering and expressing the grace (benefits we do not deserve) and goodness bestowed in our lives.

The [late evangelist] Cleon Lyles, told of an experience that happened many years ago when he was holding a gospel meeting in a south Arkansas community. He drove out in the country to visit an elderly man. He found the man’s tin-roofed shack. In the porch he could see through the window that the man was just finishing his meager meal of beans and salt pork. At that point the man bowed his head and prayed, “I thank Thee, Lawd, I have dined sufficient.” A couple of powerful lessons jump out of this story. First, that man was happy. Though I never met the gentleman, I am certain, based on his prayer, that his life was one of joy and peace. Thankfulness produces joy as surely as day follows night. It’s been my observation that grateful people are giving people and giving people are happy people. Gratitude is a powerful attitude that beautifully colors all of life. Secondly, gratitude is not based on the quantity of one’s wealth. With a heart of gratitude a meal of beans and salt pork can become a royal feast. Blessings often follow gratitude rather than the reverse order. A person who is not thankful for his or her one hundred dollars most likely would not be thankful for ten million dollars. For the attitude of gratitude is a condition of heart.—Jim Howard

AMG Bible Illustrations, Bible Illustrations Series (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2000).

You know the scriptures tell us this very same truth.

Today we will compare to passages of scripture. One that confirms this message of thankfulness leads to a full and happy life and one that shows us the opposite is also true.

Thanklessness leads to ruin.

Luke 17:11–19 CSB

While traveling to Jerusalem, he passed between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And while they were going, they were cleansed. But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. He fell facedown at his feet, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And he told him, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.”

In Luke's Gospel it is recorded for us this account of ten lepers. There was hardly a disease in that day more feared or loathed. Leprosy was a diagnosis to a slow and agonizing death isolated from those you loved and society as a whole. You would die an outcast.

So These ten lepers cry out to Jesus for healing. Jesus having compassion on them decides to heal them.

All but one the lepers goes his own way.

But I want you to notice something in verses 15-19.

Luke 17:15–19 CSB

But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. He fell facedown at his feet, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And he told him, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.”

Notice with me that gratitude lead him to the savior.

Gratitude Leads us to the Savior

When Jesus told Him “Your faith has saved you. He wasn’t talking about being saved from leprosy because the other ones were healed and didn’t return to give God glory.

Yet this man’s gratitude lead him back to Jesus. It caused the man to acknowledge God and put his trust in Him.

True gratitude always leads you to the savior.

As a Christian, gratitude causes us to love God and desire to follow Him.

Romans 1:20–21 CSB

For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

So we just saw how a Samaritan Man saw, acknowledged Jesus as God, glorified him and was thankful.

This gratitude lead him to Jesus as savior. The sense here is that one cannot bring glory to God without first being grateful to Him for what he has done.

Here we have an account of an outcast, according to the law, he could not be touched. He was considered as good as dead without hope. Yet the savior stepped in and offered healing.

But let’s keep on reading. Because this passage shows us the corruption that happens to those who are not grateful

Romans 1:21–32 CSB

For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen. For this reason God delivered them over to disgraceful passions. Their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. The men in the same way also left natural relations with women and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error. And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.

So we can see very clearly from this passage that true gratitude leads us to God and even more gratitude.

Ungratefulness leads us away from God and to rebellion.

It is interesting that that Roman Stateman and Philosopher recognized this truth even though he himself was not a believer.

Listen to this quote.

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of the others.

—Cicero

M. Tullius Cicero

In fact, he later went on to say the ungrateful were worse than thieves and murders. He realized by cultural observation what the scriptures already make clear.

Thanklessness will lead a nation and a culture to rebellion and despair.

In fact gratitude is an essential ingredient to living a full Godly life.

Gratitude is an essential Ingredient to living a full Godly Life

Acknowledging God and being thankful to him is the key to living a successful Christian life.

When we become ungrateful we become weak and susceptible to all sorts of sin.

Why? because we will seek out almost anything to fill the vacuum left in our hearts from losing the Joy of the Lord.

A Christian that is ungrateful will struggle with depression

He/she will seek joy in possessions and activities that will only eventually deepen the despair.

When the excitement wears off the emptiness returns.

But those who put their hope in Christ the will find joy.

So how do remain thankful when things don’t go our way?

How to remain thankful in all things

Romans 12:1 CSB

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.

1. We remember the state in which Christ first found us in.

The Leper remembered his death sentence and recognized the rescue and love he had been given. This drove him to gratitude. This drove Him to Christ.

We remember the death that we were rescued from. we remember our helpless estate and how Christ rescued us.

2. Gratitude demands we recognize the value of our life in Christ and are generous with that life.

In one of my favorite fictional series “The Song of Albion Trilogy”, The main character is fearful of joining in the war for the kingdom in the advent he may lose his life. He questions how these men can fight for glory without fear. The leader of the army says this to Him

“It is the poor man who clenches so tightly to the gold he is given—for fear of losing it. The man of wealth spends his gold freely to accomplish his will in the world. It is the same with life.” ― Stephen R. Lawhead, The Song of Albion Collection

When you realize the riches you have been given in Christ. You do not hold onto your life like a poor man holds onto his gold afraid to use or to lose what he has.

You spend your life to accomplish the will of God. In this your life becomes valuable. What good is gold to a poor man who will not use it? What Good is your life if you hold onto it so tightly that you fail to use it.

Gratitude gives value to the life you have been given and you see yourself differently.

It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

3. Be amazed that God uses you.

1 Corinthians 1:26–29 CSB

Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence.

Look all of us know deep down inside that we are weak and feeble. Yet God chooses to use us. It is His joy to use that which is weak for his purposes.

That includes using you! Doesn’t that alone make you grateful?

4. Remember the value of gratitude.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 CSB

give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer