The Life Changing Attitude of Thankfulness

The Life Changing Attitude of Thankfulness

Luke 17:11-19

November 23, 2025

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Why Nine Out of Ten Miss the Miracle

You've probably experienced it yourself—someone does something kind for you, and you genuinely mean to thank them. You really do. But life gets busy, the moment passes, and that gratitude you intended to express never quite makes it from your heart to your lips. We've all been there.

But what if I told you that the difference between saying "thank you" and not saying it could transform your entire relationship with God? Not just politely improve it—actually transform it.

In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus encounters ten desperate men whose lives are about to change forever. They're lepers—social outcasts living with a disease that has stolen not just their health but their families, their livelihoods, their dignity. When they see Jesus, they stand at a distance (as the law required) and cry out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

And Jesus does. He tells them to go show themselves to the priests, and as they're walking, their skin clears. Their disease vanishes. Their lives are handed back to them.

All ten are healed. All ten receive the same miraculous mercy.

But only one comes back.

Only one returns to Jesus, falling at His feet in grateful worship, praising God with a loud voice. And here's the detail that makes this story even more striking—the one who returns is a Samaritan, someone the Jewish community considered an outsider, someone who theoretically had less religious background than the other nine.

Jesus' response cuts straight to the heart: "Weren't ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Didn't any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?"

This isn't just a story about manners. It's about the attitude that changes everything.

The Heart That Forgets Versus the Heart That Remembers

Here's what's fascinating about those nine who didn't return: they weren't ungrateful in the sense that they were actively hostile or resentful toward Jesus. They simply moved on with their lives. They got what they needed and went back to reclaiming everything leprosy had stolen from them. You can almost understand it, can't you? They had families to reunite with, jobs to reclaim, years of isolation to make up for.

But Jesus knew something deeper was happening. As John 2:25 tells us, Jesus "knew what was in man"—He understood that the nine didn't just forget to thank Him; they revealed what was truly in their hearts.

This is where it gets personal for us. When we receive blessings—answers to prayer, provision in tight situations, healing, open doors—do we pause to acknowledge God, or do we simply consume His gifts and move on? Do we treat God like a cosmic vending machine: insert prayer, receive blessing, walk away?

The nine weren't terrible people. They were just focused on their healing rather than their Healer. They wanted the gift more than the relationship.

And honestly, this is where most of us live most of the time.

When Thanklessness Becomes a Spiritual Dead End

Romans 1:21 gives us a sobering picture of what happens when thanklessness takes root: "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."

Notice the progression: they knew God → they didn't glorify Him or show gratitude → their thinking became worthless → their hearts were darkened.

Thanklessness isn't neutral. It's a spiritual erosion that happens one forgotten blessing at a time. When we fail to acknowledge God's goodness, we gradually begin to believe we're self-sufficient. We start thinking our blessings came from our own efforts, our own wisdom, our own luck. And slowly, imperceptibly, we drift away from the God who's been sustaining us all along.

This is exactly what we see in Mark 1:39-45, when Jesus heals a man with leprosy and specifically tells him not to tell anyone—just go show himself to the priest. But the man can't contain himself and spreads the news everywhere, making it difficult for Jesus to minister openly. Even in his excitement about being healed, the man's disobedience revealed he was more focused on his own story than on Jesus' mission.

The point isn't that God is sitting in heaven with His arms crossed, waiting for us to thank Him before He'll love us. The point is that gratitude positions our hearts to receive more of God, while thanklessness slowly closes us off from Him.

Thankfulness as a Spiritual Discipline, Not Just a Good Feeling

Now here's where Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 become revolutionary: "Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Give thanks in everything. Not for everything—Paul isn't telling you to be grateful for tragedy or injustice. He's telling you to practice thankfulness even in the middle of difficult circumstances, because thankfulness is what keeps your heart connected to God when everything else is falling apart.

This is why Romans 8:28 matters so much: "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." When you believe that God is working even in your hardest moments, you can give thanks in the middle of them—not because the circumstances are good, but because God is good and He's not finished with your story yet.

Thankfulness isn't just something you feel; it's something you choose. It's a discipline you practice, especially when you don't feel like it. And the more you practice it, the more it transforms how you see everything.

This is what the one leper understood that the nine didn't. His gratitude wasn't just about being healed—it was about recognizing who Jesus was and what it meant to encounter Him.

Anxiety's Antidote: The Peace That Comes from Gratitude

Philippians 4:6-7 gives us one of the most practical promises in Scripture: "Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Did you catch that? Prayer and petition with thanksgiving. Not just asking, but asking with a grateful heart that remembers all God has already done.

When you're anxious about your finances, your health, your relationships, your future—the antidote isn't just prayer. It's grateful prayer. It's bringing your requests to God while simultaneously remembering the thousand ways He's already shown up for you.

Anxiety tells you that you're on your own, that everything depends on you, that God has forgotten about you. Thankfulness tells you the truth: God has been faithful before, and He'll be faithful again. You're not alone. You never have been.

This is why James 4:8 promises, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." Thankfulness is one of the most powerful ways to draw near—because when you're genuinely grateful, you're acknowledging your dependence on Him. You're admitting you need Him. You're recognizing His goodness.

And that's when you experience His closeness.

The Faith That Made Him Well

Here's the most beautiful part of the story. Jesus says to the one who returned, "Get up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you" (Luke 17:19).

Wait—didn't all ten get healed? Why does Jesus single out this one man's faith?

Because the other nine were healed in their bodies, but only this one was made whole. Only this one experienced the full transformation Jesus offers. His gratitude wasn't just good manners—it was the evidence of a heart that recognized Jesus as Lord, not just as a miracle worker.

The nine got their healing. The one got Jesus.

And that's the invitation extended to every one of us. God doesn't just want to give you the things you need. He wants to give you Himself. He wants relationship, not just transactions. He wants your heart, not just your wish list.

Thankfulness is what opens the door to that deeper connection. When you come back to Jesus with gratitude—not because you want something else, but because you recognize who He is—that's when you discover the faith that truly saves. That's when you experience peace that doesn't make sense. That's when your life actually changes.

Your Turn: From Thankless to Thankful

So, here's the honest question you need to ask yourself: Are you one of the nine or the one?

Have you gotten in the habit of taking God's blessings and running, or do you regularly return to Him with a grateful heart? When was the last time you paused in the middle of your busy life just to thank God for what He's already done?

You don't have to be perfect at this. None of us are. But you can start today. You can choose, right now, to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness that will transform not just your circumstances, but your entire relationship with God.

Action Plan: Cultivating a Heart of Gratitude

1. Start a daily gratitude practice. Each morning or evening, write down three specific things you're grateful to God for that day. Not generic things—specific moments when you saw His hand at work. This trains your heart to recognize His goodness.

2. Turn complaints into prayers of thanksgiving. When you catch yourself complaining (about traffic, a difficult person, a frustrating situation), pause and thank God for one thing related to that circumstance. Stuck in traffic? Thank Him for the car you're sitting in. Difficult coworker? Thank Him for the job itself. This doesn't minimize real struggles—it shifts your perspective.

3. Come back to Jesus regularly. Don't just ask God for things and then disappear when He answers. Make it a practice to return to Him in worship and gratitude, acknowledging that every good gift comes from Him. Spend time in His presence not asking for anything—just thanking Him for who He is.

4. Practice gratitude in the hard moments. When you're facing something difficult, thank God that He's with you in it. Thank Him for His promise that He works all things for good. Thank Him that your story isn't over. This is how you give thanks in everything, not for everything.

5. Tell others about God's goodness. Like the one leper who praised God with a loud voice, don't keep God's faithfulness to yourself. Share your gratitude with others. Tell your story. Your thanksgiving might be exactly what someone else needs to hear to spark hope in their own life.

You were made for more than a healed life—you were made for a whole life in relationship with Jesus. And that journey begins with two simple words: Thank you.

Are you ready to be the one who comes back?

Jesus is waiting, and He has so much more to give you than just what you asked for.

He wants to give you Himself.

Blessings and Gratitude,

Donna