Thanksgiving: The Key to Unlock and Level Up

In the last week in the United States, we celebrated Thanksgiving. It originated as a day of giving thanks for the harvest and the blessings of the previous year. The act of thanksgiving and living with gratitude is transformative to our lives and is a trait of healthy leaders. Good leaders not only personally benefit from exercising gratitude but expressing thanks to the people in your life makes your relationships deeper.

There is a story found in Luke 17 that teaches us something important about the nature of giving thanks. Two aspects of thanksgiving that I see in this story are 1) Thanksgiving is like a key; it unlocks potential, power and purpose and 2) It has the power to level up your life.  In the story there are 10 men who have the disease of leprosy. They encounter Jesus and he heals them. After they are healed, he sends them to get their healing authenticated by the authority of the time and they all depart, but one man returns to say thank you. These are the verses that record that moment:

One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful. He couldn’t thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan.Jesus said, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?” Then he said to him, “Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you.”

Luke 17:16-19 MSG Tweet

After he thanked Jesus for his healing, Jesus did something for him that he didn't do for the others. In addition to his healing, he received an additional blessing of salvation. We can think that the person receiving thanks is the one who is blessed, but so often the person with gratitude is also the one who is blessed.

The Key

Thankfulness has been a key in my prayer life too. This is one of my favorite verses that has taught me how thankfulness can lead me to experience the presence of God:

Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him.

Psalm 100:4 MSG Tweet

I have personally expressed the levelling up effect in my life by using the key of thankfulness to unlock the blessings of God. Here are some of the things I am most thankful for:

• I am thankful for my family; without them life would not have meaning.
• I am thankful for my close friends – they bring huge value to my life.
• I am thankful for MRC and all the people that work here. It is a complete honor and privilege to lead them – without them we wouldn’t have a ministry.
• I am thankful to the Thrive team that make it all happen.
• I am thankful to you. Thank you for committing to learning and growing in Jesus and his Kingdom.
• And finally, I am thankful to Jesus for giving me new life.

I want to encourage you to write a list like this for your life. The practice of gratitude will remind you of the good things that are in your life. This will benefit you greatly. You can also tell people how thankful you are for them.

It’s one thing to be grateful. It’s another to give thanks. Gratitude is what you feel. Thanksgiving is what you do.

Timothy Keller