Have you ever heard the saying “look on the bright side”? Well as Christians we continuously have a bright side to look on. The fact that we worship a God who is in control of our lives and has a plan and purpose for us means that whatever comes our way we can say “Thank you
God”.
Some years ago I read 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which says “In everything give thanks, understanding it is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” That verse radically changed my perspective on life and things around me because I realised that God didn’t instruct us to
give thanks only when things are okay but, he said give thanks in EVERYTHING!
I must admit that although I was awed by this new revelation it wasn’t the easiest principle to adapt. You see it’s extremely easy to say thank you when what you’re facing is something that would be considered good but sometimes life gets
tough and situations seem to work against you and that’s when the true test of thanksgiving comes. It’s difficult to say thank you when things aren’t okay at home, or when a loved one is sick or when we can’t pay the bills but, like Paul we have to reach that place that he reached in 2 Corinthians 12:10 where he took pleasure in the thing that afflicted him.
In accepting and applying the word of God to our life we must recognise that there is power in giving thanks. Taking time to give thanks daily affirms our faith in Jesus Christ. In Luke 17:11-19
we read of Jesus and the ten lepers.
When you read this story you’ll see that Christ had mercy on 10 lepers but only one returned to say thank you. When he did Christ addressed him and said
“Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” Faith! We know that God promised that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed we can speak to mountains and have them obey our
command. Giving thanks is a way of exercising our faith. It strengthens us and builds us up and most importantly it gives glory to God our Father.
I wish I could tell you that it’s always going to be easy to humble ourselves before God and say thank you but the reality is it won’t. There were times in my life when I felt like everything was crumbling around me and I went to God in tears and said thank you because although I couldn’t see the big picture I knew that God was still in control of my circumstances. There were days when I literally told God “Father I’m saying
thanks only because your word instructs me to. I don’t understand what’s taking place but I understand you are God and I thank you for loving and caring for me.” Many times after praying that prayer I would have a peace that words cannot adequately explain. My joy would be
restored as I place my hope in my heavenly Father.
Adopting a lifestyle of continuously giving God thanks keeps us focused on the most important element of our life; Jesus Christ. It doesn’t take away the trials, tribulations or persecutions we face, but it reminds us that God is still God and he is still good and in control. Giving thanks
restores and builds our faith, it keeps us
connected to God and opens our hearts to embrace the peace of Christ. As we continue to run the race and press toward the mark of the high calling let us always remember to give God thanks; in the good times and the bad. Let us continuously look to the one who is in control and trust Him to do what is best for us.
It won’t always be easy, but it will definitely be worth it! I pray that God continues to bless and keep you and that you continue to be an example of His love in the earth.
Stay Blessed
Paul-M O Isodhe.
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