The Tenth Percentile

Parents know that kids will say anything in order to get what they want. One example of an age old promise is when a child asks to get a dog for a pet. The child makes promises to walk the dog, clean up after it, feed it, let it sleep in their bed, etc. But we all know that when it comes down to it that the parents end up taking care of the dog. But that's okay...they're just kids.

Even as adults we think that we need certain things and even promise ourselves that if were to get it, that we would be grateful. Another example of this is when someone decides to buy a treadmill. Treadmills are bought with the best of intentions, but they usually end up turning into a coat rack within a few weeks. This is typical human behavior that we all experience. We yearn for something and once we get it, the elegance of it seems to quickly diminish. Either that, or we convince ourselves that it was never that great to begin with.

Let's take a look at a similar example of this from the Book of Luke.

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹²As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance ¹³and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

¹⁴When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

¹⁵One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ¹⁶He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" ¹⁹Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well.
Luke 17:11-19

Isn't it amazing how quickly the lepers forget about Jesus and went about their merry way?

All except for one. That's one out of ten. Only one returned to Jesus to thank Him. To put salt on the wound and make it worse, this was a Samaritan, a foreigner, whom at that time was looked down upon by the people around Jerusalem.

So, the next time that you really yearn for something and end up getting it...will you fall into the tenth percentile?

God bless you. And this if for His Glory.