Acting Like You're in Love With Henry VIII's Consort

Suggested Reading: Luke 17:11-19

In high school, I participated in a lot of theater productions and several UIL theater contests. In one particular contest, we were performing Anne of the Thousand Days, the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. At one point, one of the king’s many love interests was pulled away from the man she loved and taken to the king. In the judge’s assessment after the performance, that scene cost us a lot of points. The judge told us, “I didn't buy that those two were in love. They got pulled away from each other and they never even looked back. People who are in love look back. They try to see the person they are in love with for as long as possible. Especially if they will never see them again.” Essentially what he was telling us was that we couldn't simply say these two people were in love; they had to act like they were in love or no one would ever believe it.

Being in love, in a lot of ways is just like being thankful. In Luke 17, we are given the story of a man who was thankful. He had been with a group of lepers, outcasts because of their disease, who asked Jesus to heal them. Jesus instructed them to go show themselves to the priests and they would be healed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him-- and he was a Samaritan (Luke 17:15-16, NIV). This man wasn't simply grateful. He acted like he was grateful.

This Thanksgiving,  we have the opportunity not only to give lip-service to our gratitude but to act like we are grateful. More and more, Thanksgiving is about the tradition of giving thanks rather than the act of giving thanks. Instead of taking our time and allowing everyone to express gratitude for something, one person expresses thanks and we call it good. Rather than taking time to savor our blessings or to serve someone because of our gratitude for God’s blessings, we hurry through the meals and the rush to watch the football games and complain about the messes we have to clean up. But if we really are thankful, people should be able to tell we are thankful by the way we behave.

Gratitude isn’t simply something we feel because we have been blessed. Gratitude is something other people can see in us.

We're Under Attack! Send in the Singers!

Suggested Reading: 2 Chronicles 20:1-30

In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat of Judah discovered that an alliance of Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites had massed an army to attack the nation of Judah. Jehoshaphat consulted the Lord who promised that they would be delivered without lifting a finger to defend themselves. But God wanted them to march out to the battle and watch as God delivered them. So, After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: “Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!” (2 Chronicles 20:21, NLT).  Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah trusted God so much that when he told them they would be safe they marched out to meet the enemy armies with their singers, not their soldiers, on the front lines, singing a song of thanks to God before the battle took place.

We understand the promises of God, that God will never leave us or forsake us, that God will meet all of our needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus, that God knows our needs before we ask, and that God works all things for good for those who love him and are called according to his purposes. But in spite of God's promises, we often worry, fret, and take up defensive postures, preparing to hit the tough times of life head on, as if we have to rely on ourselves. But if we trust God, we should act like it. We should let go of our own fears and concerns long enough to let God do what God wants to do in our lives. We should meet the tough circumstances of life with worship and songs of thanksgiving before we join the battle of the day.

If you really believe God will keep his promises, then act like it. Don't take up defensive postures; trust him enough to send in the singers.

Murder, Love, Leprosy, and Gratitude

Suggested Reading: Luke 17:11-19

One of the television shows that my wife and I used to enjoy watching together was Castle. It was a crime dramedy series about Rick Castle, a mystery author who gets permission to shadow Kate Beckett, a beautiful New York City police detective, as she solves murders on a weekly basis. Naturally, the two are attracted to each other but nothing really developed between them until she was shot in an assassination attempt. As she lay on the ground bleeding, Castle professed his love for her, not wanting her to die without knowing how he felt. Up until that point, Kate had suspected Castle had feelings for her. Sometimes, his behavior hinted at it, though their professional lives made such a romance problematic. But Kate never knew for sure until Castle actually said it out loud, until she heard it from his lips.

In Luke 17 we see Jesus heal a group of ten lepers.  One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!”  He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan (Luke 17:15-16, NLT). Notice, the man came back shouting and thanking him. Most translations simply say that he came back with a loud voice. Either way, the author's intention is clear: when this man returned to show his gratitude he was loud enough to be heard.

We don't have to shout at people, but we have to remember that even when we act like we are grateful people can't always discern our motives. We can't read each other's minds and we can never assume that the people to whom we are grateful know that we are grateful, even if we act that way. Real gratitude is something that can not only be seen but heard. If we never tell our parents that we are grateful for their guidance and protection through the years, they might think we are grateful, but they might never know for sure.  If we don't tell that person who helped us out, or who gave us a gift, or who went out on a limb for us that we are grateful, they might suspect we are grateful, but we can't assume they know.

Gratitude is meant to be heard. Make certain that you voice your gratitude if you are grateful to someone. Otherwise, they may never really know. While we're at it, God knows our hearts, but I'm pretty sure God likes to hear our gratitude, too.