Why thanks?

Are we obligated to thank God? Like, if we forget to thank God, should we regret and be sorrowful?

At least, this is the impression one gets when listening to the sermons that mention thanksgiving.

Indeed one feels like blaming oneself when one forgets to thank a person who did me a favor. It is the minimum expression of gratitude. But is it the same with God?

It is true that if I did someone, even a friend, a favor (the fact that s/he is a friend only affects the size of the favor), and I was not appreciated by a word or gesture of thank gratitude, I will find it extremely hard to her/him a favor next time. Does God deal with us the same way? Is that why we are "compelled" to thank God?

Absolutely not.

When God saved the ten lepers, He saved the 10 even though only 1 of them, who was Samaritan, did come back to Him, glorifying God and thanking Him. We didn't hear that the other nine had a relapse. But God did sigh, and wondered: didn't the ten get healed?! Why no one came back to give God His glory except this stranger?

So clearly, God saved them because of their faith, that they believed in the word He said: go and show yourself to the priest. He did save them because He loves them, UNCONDITIONALLY. Period.

Then, why to thank God? And why did He sigh upon the no thanks?

Believe it or not, because He loves us.

Yes, to thank God, is yet another gift from God. When we thank God, our joy is completed and magnified when we thank God for something we celebrated. And when we thank God, our joy is sustained when we thank God for a goodness in His wisdom that we don't immediately see in the temporal tribulation. Thinks about it. The joy is magnified when we share it with someone. Whom we share it with, makes a difference. If you share it with someone who might envy you, you might regret it, but if you share it with your spouse, it is one of the best moments in life. And if you share it with God, it is blessed, doubled, confirmed and sacred.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving" (Phi 4:6)