Articles
Thank Them Now
What would you like for people at the end of your life to line up and thank you for? It is easy to just rattle off a bunch of things, but when you really back off and think seriously about it, it becomes very sobering. We are going to be remembered, but when people remember us, what will they be grateful for? Not just your family, but others with whom you rubbed elbows.
How about honesty? Wouldn’t we want people to thank us for being honest? They knew when they dealt with us in any way, they were dealing with someone who would be honest with them. The Lord said, “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.” When we gave our word, whatever we were dealing with, it was as good as done. In the days of Joash, here is how the work men were described: “Moreover they did not require an account from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to be paid to workmen, for they dealt faithfully. The money from the trespass offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the LORD. It belonged to the priests” (2 Kings 12:15). What a recommendation! When there is a person before whom we can lay everything on the line and not worry about betrayal, we ought to thank them. As a man’s face reflects his face, so a man’s heart reveals the man” (Prov. 27:19). What does our face reveal? What does it say about our heart?
How about the little things people often do? When Dorcas died, the women began to tell all about the good works she had done. They began showing all the clothes she had made for others. Telling about her good works was a way of thanking her. When we tell others about the good things we have received from others, we are expressing our gratitude. We eulogize, speak well, of that person. Is there someone who has done something that no one else would pay attention to, but you know, so you can be the one thank them?
How about a word spoken at the right time? Maybe it is a word of encouragement. It could be something we did not want to hear, but needed to hear. Not everyone has the privilege to tell us what we need to hear. If it is someone we do not trust or do not see harmony between with what they say and what they do, we will not listen. But that special person(s) who we know are true to their convictions, we give that person permission to approach us. “Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel” (Prov. 27:9).
How about that person who has been a mentor or example in our lives? We have experienced their selflessness and genuine care for us. We can call them at any moment, and they will be ready to help. When we think of them, they put a smile on our faces. Remember that time when we received wise counsel? In a moment of crisis, they immediately came to be by our side. We know we can depend on them any time. Expressed negatively, “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint” (Prov. 25:19). Stated positively, “Confidence in a faithful man is like being able to eat your favorite dessert and walk with stability.”
If that is what we want people to thank us for, then that is how we should be living today.
Rickie Jenkins
