Celebrate Your Blessings
November 24, 1999

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Psalm 103:2, NIV

November is upon us — a time when our hearts and minds turn to giving thanks. We remind our children often to say "thank you" when we give them something. It isn't that we have to be thanked to give them good things, but we want our children to have an attitude of gratitude. And we notice when we're not thanked.

Jesus noticed it, too. Daily the multitudes followed him, hoping to experience something miraculous. In Luke 17:11-19 we read about ten lepers who came to Jesus diseased, broken, and hurting. All ten left him completely healed, whole, and free from pain.

But only one returned to say, "Thank you, Jesus!" When Jesus asked him, "Where are all the others?" he had no reply.

There are times when I'm like that one leper, and I return to praise God and thank him for his goodness and faithfulness. Yet it disturbs me how often I'm more like the other nine, forgetting in the midst of all my blessings to express my praise, love, and gratitude to him.

Psalm 103 calls us to praise the Lord and remember all his benefits. How do we teach our children to do the same?

The best way is to model it ourselves, to show a heart of thanksgiving throughout the year. T.W. Hunt, in his Bible study, THE DISCIPLES PRAYER LIFE (SBC Publishing), suggests a wonderful tradition to use at Thanksgiving. He reminds us first of Psalm 136, which was used by Jews to review the Lord's faithfulness from one generation to the next. It begins, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!" Then the people would respond, "His love endures forever!"

Hunt encourages us to begin this tradition in our home. Record your own list of blessings. It can be about your immediate family, your extended family, or your "family" of friends. Make a time line of important events. Then write them into your own praise history.

Here's an example:

— "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!"
— Family Response: "His love endures forever."
— "Who brought Great Grandpa Smith to America in 1886."
— Family Response: "His love endures forever."
— "Who led him to accept Jesus at a small church revival."
— "His love endures forever!"
— "Who then led his children to accept Jesus, too!"
— "His love endures forever!"

You can continue to more recent family history:

— "Who gave Matthew the diligence to earn an excellent report card!"
— "Who helped Daddy find a new job."
— "Who healed Mommy of the flu!"
— "Who brought Grandpa and Grandma here for a visit."

As you continue this tradition from year to year, a praise history will be established in your family that can be passed on from generation to generation as a testimony of God's goodness.

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits!"
Lord, help us be like the one leper who returned to praise and thank you. Help us be people of God who model gratitude attitudes!

Together with you in praise,
Jan Brown