Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
4 27 2026
More Than Thank You: The Debt Love Can Never Repay
I sat and watched my youngest graduate a few days ago from Southeastern Christian University,
and listened to speeches and well-wishes about what the professors and teachers meant to the grads.
I went to dinner with her and some of her friends, and she took a couple of minutes to express how much she loves and appreciates what we did in making SEU and these life-changing seasons of her life possible. I was genuinely touched and humbled by her heart to share.
But then I heard this voice; How do we do more than just use words like, thank you. How do we really honor those who have helped, seeded and shaped us scripturally? Each of us.
Scripture doesn’t treat honor as optional…it treats it as weighty. “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor” (1 Timothy 5:17).
That word honor in the biblical sense carries value, substance, even cost. It’s not words…it’s weight.
I don’t delve into this because I am looking for acclaim, because I paid for you to cross that stage, because money was just a fraction of what it took. I was thinking about my life too. Who helped me, shaped me…made me in so many ways. Who were they? Do they know how much I value them in my heart of hearts? Did I ever truly express beyond a Hallmark card the value they are or were to me? Wouldn’t it be a crime to only express that one time?
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:6–7: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” That means your life is a field. And every mentor, teacher, coach, parent, pastor—they either planted something in you or watered something already there. Some never even saw the harvest. But heaven did.
We live in a culture that celebrates outcomes but forgets contributors.
God does the opposite…He tracks the investment...Think about that!
To truly honor them, you don’t just remember them…you respond: It’s intentional.
You name the seed they planted.
You tell them the fruit it produced.
You let them see the harvest of their obedience in your life.
That’s why Paul, again, says in Philippians 1:3: “I thank my God every time I remember you.” Notice—his gratitude wasn’t vague. It was tied to memory, to impact, to a true relationship.
Real honor costs something—but not money. It costs humility.
It costs picking up the phone.
It costs writing the letter, and don’t let it be the only one.
It costs saying, “You changed me… and I never told you.”
And here’s the deeper truth: when you honor those who shaped you, you’re actually honoring the God who sent them. Because none of them were accidents.
You don’t need a holiday to celebrate them. Fathers Day…Mothers Day…Sibling Day…Mentor Day… You need a heart that refuses to let their investment go unrecognized.
Finally: “Be the Thank You”
Here’s the truth—
The greatest way to honor those who poured into you… is not what you say. It’s what you become.
Jesus said, we’re called to bear fruit.
So what are you doing with what they gave you?
2 Timothy 2:2 says—pass it on.
Mentor someone.
Encourage someone.
Invest in someone.
Let your life prove their investment mattered.
That’s how gratitude becomes legacy.
Questions to Reflect:
- Who planted or watered something in your life that You’ve never fully acknowledged?
If you can’t vividly recall. Pray and ask God to bring back the memory. - What specific impact can you name—and are you willing to tell them exactly how it changed me?
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Just a note on May 5th, I will host a Discovering Jesus ONLINE 6-week course to dive deeper into our faith and empower you with true tenets of our faith to stand on. Tuesday nights, 7pm to 8:30. It is open to you, your spouse, your family, or your neighbors. Let me know if you have an interest, and I will send you a link and the necessary materials. It is FREE of charge.