Grateful, Thankful, Directed: Giving Your Thanks Back to God
This is my absolute favorite time of year! There’s something about the holiday season that feels warm before it ever feels cold. Houses fill with the smell of cinnamon and turkey, Christmas lights twinkle in the dark, Bing Crosby croons on the radio, families gather around crowded tables, and conversations start drifting toward blessings—big and small. And somewhere between the “grateful, thankful, blessed” décor and the classic “Let’s all share one thing we’re thankful for” prompt, it feels like gratitude finally gets its moment in the spotlight.
But here’s the question that’s been stirring in my heart lately: It’s good to feel grateful…but do we actually direct our gratitude to the right place?
Jesus asked a form of this same question in Luke 17:11-19. And it’s a story that has a way of reading us as much as we read it.
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’s 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
Before we get to the ten lepers, it helps us to understand why Jesus told them to “go show yourselves to the priests.” In Jewish law, a priest was the only person who could declare someone “clean” again. Not a doctor. Not your community. Not your own comparison to how you used to feel. Until the priest confirmed it, you remained legally unclean—even if your skin looked healed. For these men, being sent to the priest wasn’t just about health; it was about restoration. Leprosy was a social death. It took you from your family, your work, your ability to go to the temple, your entire place in society. Showing themselves to the priests meant the possibility of stepping back into a life they barely remembered.
And with that context in mind, Luke tells the story plainly:
Ten cried out.
Ten were healed.
One returned—just one.
Only one man turned back and ran to Jesus with gratitude.
Jesus’s response always stings a little for me: “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?”
Scripture doesn’t tell us why the others didn’t come back, but maybe we don’t need details because we’ve lived these reactions ourselves. Maybe they’re too easy to imagine.
The Complaining One: Maybe one looked at his body and thought, “Yes, I’m healed…but what about the rest of my life? I still have problems!” He represents the heart that notices what isn’t fixed more loudly than what is.
The Indifferent One: He wasn’t mad or even jumping for joy; he was just ready to move on. He waited so long for a normal life that he didn’t stop to acknowledge Who restored it.
The Misdirected One: Maybe he did feel grateful. Maybe he ran up and down the streets shouting to everyone that he had been healed. He may have thanked the priest, his family, his luck, or even himself. But his gratitude never made it back to God. James 1:17 reminds us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above.”
The one who came back showed us what real gratitude looks like.
He returned before reaching the priests—humility.
He fell at Jesus’s feet—worship.
And Jesus said something the others never heard: “Your faith has made you well.” His gratitude didn’t just acknowledge the miracle. It drew him into deeper healing!
It’s so easy to assume we’re the thankful one. But when we really look, where is your gratitude directed?
Yourself?
“I worked hard for this.”
“I made good choices.”
You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth. — Deuteronomy 8:17-18
Luck? The universe?
It sounds harmless, but it gives credit to randomness instead of God. Colossians 1:16-17 reminds us that all things hold together in Christ, not by accident.
Or is your gratitude toward God?
This is the posture of the one who returned. Psalm 100:4 says we enter His gates with thanksgiving.
Maybe the better question for this season is this: Are you grateful to God…or just grateful in general?
Here’s where the irony kicks in.
On Thanksgiving Thursday, we sit around declaring how grateful we are.
On Black Friday, we sprint into stores like gratitude expired overnight.
And please hear me: NO SHAME—everyone loves a good deal! But the issue isn’t the shopping. It’s the heart shift. Did we forget the blessing we named just hours before? Stores are opening earlier and sales are starting sooner every year. We just can’t wait for more!
What if we didn’t let gratitude evaporate between dessert and doorbusters? What if we returned to Jesus first, like the one who came back? What if we let those warm and fuzzy feelings lead us into something that actually looks like worship?
Imagine waking up the morning after Thanksgiving not with frantic urgency, but with intentional gratitude. Imagine whispering, “Lord, thank You,” before your feet hit the floor. Imagine asking Him, “How can my gratitude build Your kingdom today?”
What if we used the best deals of the year to bless someone else? What if our carts were filled with:
Warm coats for single moms in shelters
Socks, blankets, and hygiene bags for the homeless
Toys for a foster care Christmas event
Kitchen essentials for a family starting over
Gift cards for teens who often get overlooked in donation drives
Imagine the ripple of that kind of generosity! Imagine the stories behind every item. Imagine being the answer to someone’s prayer—all because you decided your gratitude needed action.
It’s about direction. It’s the heart of the one leper who came back. He didn’t just feel thankful; he moved toward Jesus with gratitude. What if that’s our posture this year? What if we let gratitude lead us to generosity, and generosity lead us back to Jesus? What if our families created a new tradition—one where Thanksgiving didn’t end at the table, but spilled over into Black Friday in a way that reflects the heart of Christ?
“Whatever you did for the least of these, You did for Me.” — Matthew 25:40
Gratitude isn’t meant to be a once-a-year practice we dust off with the fall décor and gravy boats. It’s meant to be the posture we wake up with, the lens we look through, and the rhythm we carry into the ordinary moments that don’t feel particularly inspiring. A lifestyle of gratitude is less about a holiday feeling and more about a holy way of living.
Give thanks in all circumstances. — 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Picture that Thanksgiving table again. Everyone sharing what they’re grateful for.
Laughter.
Warmth.
Contentment.
Now imagine that gratitude going somewhere. Giving it direction. And returning it to Jesus.
Be the one who returns.
Be the one who remembers.
Be the one who thanks Him directly.
Lord, make me like the one who came back. Turn my heart toward You, the Giver of every good gift. Keep my gratitude from drifting toward myself, luck, or distraction. Teach me to return to You quickly, humbly, and joyfully. And this week, let my gratitude overflow into generosity that builds Your kingdom. Amen.