Devotionals

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Nothing is free! It must cost you a 'thank you' for things you thought were free.

In what I called, “Desperate for Ministration, Passionate in Appreciation” (see The Pursuit of Commitment Chapter 14), I wrote about people who desperately called or squeezed their way to reach Christ because they wanted Him to heal them. He healed some people but instructed them not to tell anybody about it, but they couldn’t keep quiet about it (Mark 1:40-45). A lady had touched the Lord secretly and wanted nobody to know about it but the Lord insisted that she speaks out (Luke 8:43-48). This shows that an encounter with Christ must be made public. It is a way of giving Him glory by appreciating what He has down.

We read another story where some desperate people called for help but when they got what they wanted, nothing was heard from them again, except one who came back to praise God. Let’s look at the story:

“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’

When he saw them, he said, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed. 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? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well’” (Luke 17:11-19 NIV).

The importance of gratitude cannot be gainsaid. The following are reasons for the importance of gratitude:


i) It appreciates the giver;
Some people behave as if what they want is more important than the one they want it from. Some people also behave as if they have a right for everything they get. But even if it’s one’s right, it is courteous to appreciate.

ii) It shows the value the recipient attaches to the favour he has received;
I once gave an old lady some money. It was little I know, but not little enough to be ‘insignificant’; it was all I had for her. Instead of saying ‘thank you’ she despisingly looked at the money and said: “This little amount is all you are giving me, can’t you add me more!” She in fact quoted the minimum she expected. It would be extremely difficult for her to get anything from me. She went away without saying thank you.

iii) It legitimizes the appropriation of the favour;
I know a lady that would willingly give you something but if you forget to say, ‘thank you’. She would tell you right away that you have ‘robed’ her. Nothing is free. Even when you think you have gotten something for free, you’ll be wise to pay for it with a ‘thank you!’ In other words, ‘thank you’ is the price for free favours.

iv) It establishes the favour;
One may get a favour, but that doesn’t mean that the favour will last. “Thank you” is the mystery word that unlocks and extracts the goodwill (of the giver) to accompany the favour.

v) It completes the favour.
Sometimes one can give you favours in installments. You get the full favour upon returning to say “thank you”. The one giving you favour may not tell you that you will get more if you return later to appreciate the help. Notice (in v.19) what the Lord Jesus told the leper who came back: “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” I thought they had already been healed! Yes, but now we can say that he got the FULL measure.
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