Been There

When You Are Taken For Granted

Luke 17:12-19  As He was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met Him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” ¹⁴ When He saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. ¹⁵ One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him—and he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?  ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God  except  this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then He said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

 When You Are Taken For Granted: 

#1 Express it, don’t suppress it.  Verse 17-- Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” Truth: Those you serve the most, often appreciate you the least and it hurts. Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”  Seek a place to express it such as a healthy small group, a godly friend, and a loving God.

#2 Put it in perspective.  Verse 18—“Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Truth: My reward is from the Lord. Your value isn’t determined by what others think of you but by who God says you are. Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,    ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

#3 Keep moving forward.   (You do not know what hangs in the balance.)  Truth: What’s unseen by people is often what’s most significant to God.  What’s invisible is often what’s most valuable.  Matthew 6:1-2, 4  “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them…your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

EL Roi: The God Who Sees. Hebrews 6:10-11   ^“10 God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them. ¹¹ We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.