I did a favor for someone recently. The recipient acted as if they didn’t even notice. They never said, “Thank you.” That bothered me–a lot. So, after a few days, I asked them about the situation. I asked them, “Why didn’t you say thank you?” Their reply shocked me. They responded by asking, “How many times do I have to say it?”
I wanted to say, “How about 70 times 7?” That was Jesus’ response, though to a question about how many times to forgive someone. I couldn’t let it go. I wondered, does this person treat everyone like this? What about “Love thy neighbor?” Would you treat your neighbor that way? They do you a favor, and you don’t even acknowledge it?
The second part of the command to love thy neighbor is to love them as you love yourself. Well, what if a person doesn’t really love themselves? Does that hinder them in saying, “Thank you?” Because they don’t have a heart of gratitude? That would be a problem.
- Perhaps they aren’t grateful for what Jesus did for them on the cross.
- Maybe the issue is that they have done something they can’t forgive themselves for.
- It could be something that happened to them by someone else, but they blame themselves.
- Maybe they don’t feel they are worthy of forgiveness.
Whatever it is, it hinders them from having a heart of gratitude and, therefore, being grateful when others do something for them. I pray for them. I pray that whatever is hurting them, hindering them from having a heart of God, a heart of love, would be healed. That they would be able to say, “Thank you” whenever someone does something for them.
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mat. 12:31 (NIV)
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Mark, I was raised praying the Lord’s Prayer using the phrase, “forgive us our debts.” The school I attended used the word “trespasses” instead, and I was comfortable saying it that way. But I prefer “debts,” because debts include not only sins committed against me, but also those times I have done something for someone who hasn’t given me anything in return, not even a “thank you.” I didn’t think I expected anything in return, but I do like to be thanked. I needed to learn to let it go, especially considering how many things the Lord has done for me that I never thanked Him for..?