Ending On A Note of Thanks

“in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:18‬

I hope you have enjoyed the Christmas holidays so far? Today marks the last week of this year. As we wrap up, let me mention a word, thanksgiving. Many people feel offended at it already. “Why should I be thankful?” “What did this year bring?!”. It is okay to be abrasive about this. The greater majority of the world have been traumatized.

However, with all that 2020 brought our way, there is still a moment for us all to end this year with an attitude of gratitude. Why? Because of the scripture quoted above, it is the will of God to thank Him. Secondly, we thank Him IN every circumstance not FOR every circumstance.

What is the difference? God doesn’t want you to thank Him for the pandemic which has kept almost the whole world under siege for nine months. And then look at the devastating effects of it: deaths, sorrow, job losses, fear, economies shrinking etc. God is the not the author of confusion, nor the source of evil and pain in this world. So why thank Him for it?

Rather, in the unpleasant circumstances we have found ourselves in, thanking Him in it means:

i. Not allowing the circumstances to affect your praise of God- you rather thank Him and admonish Him that He is God over EVERY situation, and HE ALONE can make a way of escape out of this mess.

ii. It will not affect your confession and profession of who God is- humans can be fickle. We claim to love you till it becomes inconvenient on our part and cry foul. Unpleasant times are truly a test of our devotion to whether we hold firm our beliefs.

iii. You will not allow tough times to affect your demeanor- we have all battled with that one this year. This really hits home to majority, if not all reading. It is such a pain and an exercise to develop a cheerful countenance.

Being thankful can be arduous. Why say that? It will depend on the mood of your soul. You aren’t always a ‘happy-go-lucky’ kind when that moment comes up. Like David, we can learn to speak to our soul to bless the Lord- that is whether we feel like it or not. Look at the passage below.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!” Psalms‬ ‭103:1‬ ‭

If you are reading this, there is EVERY CAUSE to be thankful. The year might not have gone according to how you planned it. Yet still, IN ALL, let us be thankful and end this year on a good note.

God bless you all and thanks for reading. I appreciate all the love, support, feedback shown me over the past year. It is impossible to sail alone without you. Thanks again.

Happy New Year!

Till I come your way again…

Peace & Love