Be the One

In Luke 17, Jesus healed ten men who were suffering from leprosy. What stands out to me is that the healing did not happen immediately. Jesus told them to go, and the Bible says that as they went, they were healed. It took faith for them to start walking before they saw the miracle.

Can you imagine being one of those men? After years of isolation, pain, and rejection, suddenly your skin is restored. Your life is given back to you. Your family, your future, and your freedom are all restored.

Yet out of the ten who were healed, only one came back.

When he realized what Jesus had done, he turned around, ran back, fell at Jesus’ feet, and thanked Him. Jesus noticed. “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:17).

As I read this passage, I found myself asking a simple question. Which one am I?

I want to be the one.

I want to be the one who notices God’s blessings and takes time to thank Him for them. I want to be the one who chooses gratitude instead of complaining. I want to be the one who sees the good in people instead of focusing on their faults. I want to be the one who speaks life, encourages others, and looks for reasons to be thankful.

Our world is full of criticism, negativity, and complaints. It is easy to join the crowd. It is easy to become one of the nine who simply move on to the next thing. But gratitude sets us apart. It changes our perspective and reminds us that every good thing we have is a gift from God.

Today, let’s be the one.

The one who says thank you.

The one who chooses kindness.

The one who sees the good.

The one who gives God the glory.

Because while ten received the miracle, only one returned to worship the Miracle Giver.

Note Taken!

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,”
‭‭James‬ ‭1:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It’s easy to believe some lies we tell ourselves. “I’ve always had a short fuse”; “I just tell it like it is, good or bad”; “I just run off at the mouth!”.

But James says that EVERYONE should shut their mouth, make listening a priority, and calm down. Well, he didn’t say it exactly like that.

How many times have your words put you in a situation you didn’t care to be in. Hurt feelings, unintended commitments, just being wrong! If we can pause and give our brains and hearts a minute to process, maybe we can respond more kindly and even more appropriately in different situations.

If I can quote another great thinker, “You can’t learn anything when you’re talking. That’s a fact of life. As long as you’re talking, you’re not listening.” Ok, it’s just Rocky Balboa from “Creed” but it’s still true! Faith in Films! Coming soon 😉

Thanks James (and Mr. Balboa). Note taken!

Find more inspiration and hopefully a few laughs on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.