“Thanks” and “thank you” are some of the most powerful words or phrases known to the human race. No one pays anything for saying “thanks” or “thank you,” so why does it seem so hard to say and mean them? We give them and receive them, but not nearly enough. Part of the reason is that most of our time is spent interacting with our family and friends and we have the tendency to take them for granted. That is why if a stranger does something nice for us, we find it easier to say thanks than when a family member or friend does even twice as much for us. In other words, the closer we are to a person, the more entitled we feel about that person’s generosity or benevolence towards us, and the less likely we are to say “thank you” to him or her.

Children expect their parents to take care of them. Younger siblings expect older siblings to take care of them when parents are unable or unwilling to perform their responsibilities. Students and apprentices expect their teachers or masters to teach and impart knowledge and skills to them. Married couples expect their spouses to play their spousal roles. In many of these relationships, we tend to have unreasonable expectations or exaggerated sense of entitlements. Even if we consider the doers of good deeds as performing their normal responsibilities, the fact that they perform them at all is a good reason for saying thanks because not all persons perform what they know to be their responsibilities.

The importance of thanksgiving may be found in the story of the ten lucky lepers who met Jesus on his way to Jerusalem (Luke 17:11-19). I call them “lucky” partly because it was the last time Jesus would pass by that way to Jerusalem to be crucified. Standing at a distance because they were considered unclean, they shouted that Jesus should have mercy on them. Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests. In those days, priests were the ones who examined people to determine whether a person had leprosy and should be separated from the society (Leviticus 13). Since the ten already knew they were lepers and therefore ceremonially unclean, Jesus’ directive may have seemed awkward to them at first because he was sending them to the very priests who were enforcers of their exclusion from the society, but they had faith in Jesus and obeyed him. On their way, all ten were cleansed. However, only one of them went back to Jesus to give glory to God and thank Jesus. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:17-18). Jesus asked further whether no one else came back to give God the glory except the Samaritan from another nation. The other nine probably went about rejoicing, showing off, and celebrating their newly-found status. Unlike the nine, however, the Samaritan put celebrations on hold and did the most important things first; that is, he went back, praised and glorified God, and thanked Jesus.

There are at least four reasons why thanksgiving is important. First, it is a positive acknowledgement by the person giving thanks that he or she accepts and appreciates what the other person did or said. Second, it assures the person receiving thanks that his or her good deeds or words have helped to fulfill someone’s desire, wish, want, expectation, or need. Third, thanksgiving empowers and encourages the person who does or says something nice to do or say more. This unintended consequence benefits the person who gives thanks. Although expectation of thanksgiving should not be the motivating or key factor for a Christian to do what is right, a sincere show of appreciation triggers the goodness in the other person to do or say more. For example, the Samaritan who went back to thank Jesus received additional blessings for doing so. Apart from coming into close and personal contact with Jesus, something he could previously not do, his faith was strengthened when Jesus told him that his faith had made him well. And so while the nine received only physical blessing of healing, the one who went back received, in addition, spiritual blessings of personal encounter with Jesus and an increase in his faith.

Finally, giving thanks to God is a powerful form of prayer and worship that moves Heaven. King David invites us to come before God with thanksgiving (Psalm 95:2). At least on two occasions, Jesus performed miracles by giving thanks to God. In Mark 6:41, Jesus looked up to heaven, gave thanks, and broke the five loaves of bread and two fish to feed five thousand people. In Mark 8:6-7, Jesus fed four thousand people by giving thanks to God concerning bread and fish. And the Apostle Paul advises Christians to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). These include good times and bad times.

Pause for a moment and think about those who have helped you in your life – parents, children, brothers, sisters, families, spouses, friends, teachers, mentors, priests, employers, co-workers, strangers, and the list goes on. It is not too late to say thanks to them if you have not already done so. Nor is it too late to thank God for his grace, love, mercy, and free gift of salvation. Don’t take God for granted. Don’t be one of the ungrateful nine. Instead, be the Samaritan who went back to say thanks to Jesus. Be the person who recognizes that success, wealth, good health, and life itself are due to God’s grace, and give thanks accordingly. And be the person who thanks God for the ability to read and understand this article as a gift from God not equally available to everyone. Have you thanked God today?

On my part, I thank God for all he has done for me and for making me who I am today. I thank all the people whom God used and is using to make me who I am today. May God bless all of you, in the name of Jesus.

Prayer is the key. May God grant us the grace to seek Him daily through our prayers.

Dr. Daniel Gyebi, Attorney-at-Law, Texas, U.S.A., and Founder, PrayerHouse Ministry, Kumasi, Ghana.

PrayerHouse Ministry is dedicated to providing a quiet facility for Christians to pray individually by themselves without any intermediary priest, pastor or any other person. This is a free service. No money is demanded or accepted. One facility is located at Kyerekrom / Fumesua, near Building and Road Research Institute Offices, one mile off the Kumasi-Accra Road and next to a house called Grace Castle. If you are interested, please contact Agnes at 027-7423815. Another is located at Kantinkyiren, at the junction of Kantinkyiren and Konkori, off the Kumasi-Obuasi Road, branching left at Trede junction. Contact Kwadwo at 020-8768461 / 0246-989413.