Showing Gratitude
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
Memory Verse
“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.” (NIV)
Do you say thank you enough? All day, every day, you have opportunities to show gratitude to others and to God. When’s the last time you told a check-out clerk, “Thank you for all you do,” or you told your restaurant server, “Thank you very much"?
As Jesus was walking to Jerusalem, ten people with a skin disease called leprosy asked Jesus to heal them. Jesus agrees to heal them, and sends the ten to tell the priest the news. All ten go, but only one returns to Jesus, to thank him and to give praise to God.
Why do you think only one person returned to thank Jesus? It can be easy to forget to say thank you when you’re excited or busy. But showing gratitude doesn’t have to be hard. Just look someone in the eyes and sincerely say “thank you.” Look for opportunities to praise the people around you. The more often you do it, the easier it becomes. And showing people gratitude will not only improve their day, but also keep you focused on praising God.
Prayer
Lord of everything, I thank you and praise you. I thank you for the people in my life. Help me show an attitude of gratitude to all of them and to you. Amen.Related Resources
Ron VandenBurg
Senior Producer of Children’s Ministry at ReFrame Ministries
Ron VandenBurg joined the ReFrame Ministries team in 2014. He plans and develops projects specifically for the spiritual formation of children. Before coming to ReFrame, Ron taught middle-school for 27 years. Ron completed a M. Ed. degree in Teaching, Learning and Development at Brock University. Ron and Rachel have three fantastic adult children and one grandchild and reside in Ontario.