Cultivating A Heart Of Gratitude

Luke's account of the cleansing of the ten lepers underscores the human tendency to expect grace as our due and to forget to thank God for His benefits. Luke 17:17-18, ten men were healed of leperousy but only one returned to give thanks. Our propensity to forget is a mark of our fallenness. Because of this, we should view remembering and gratitude as a discipline, a daily and intentional act, a conscious choice we make. Gratitude is a choice, not merely a feeling, and it requires effort especially in difficult times.  The more we choose to do this, the more natural it becomes, and the more our eyes are opened to the little things throughout the course of the day that we previously overlooked. Make it a daily exericise, either at the beginning or the end of the day, to review God's benefits in your past, present, future, and give Him thanks. This discipline will be pleasing to God, because it will cultivate a heart of gratitude and ongoing thanksgiving.