Written by Evi Idoghor
Last night, I stayed up late watching a documentary about a single woman, who was blind, deaf, and pregnant by a married man. To save face, the man immediately denied his fatherly responsibilities (what little there was of it).
Unfortunately, this woman was in a constant custody battle with social services because they believed she wouldn't be able to care for her newborn. While battling her impairments, the cameras followed her around her house as she counted her steps, attempting to prove them wrong. It's one thing to be partially blind or deaf; it's quite another to be completely blind and profoundly deaf (as they put it in the documentary).
When I was done watching it, I pondered—people are going through a lot! What issues did you say you have in life, that is stopping you from being thankful or grateful to God?
How The Lack Of Thankfulness Seeps Into Our Lives
It appears to be quite easy to become engulfed in the daily news of horrific events taking place all over the world. The media does an excellent job of keeping you up to date on current (bad) events around the world. The collapse of the Afghan government, the violence in Nigeria's northern region, the delta variant, and the recent hurricane that devastated Louisiana—all of these events have people wondering where God is in all of this. How could a good God allow all of this to occur while He is present?
As a result, we frequently overlook the importance of peeling back the layers of noise to see how the good God is still at work in the midst of chaos. Because bad news dominates the media and generates a lot of revenue, when something wonderful occurs, it is easily overlooked, and we continue to be depressed. Good news appears to be a drop in a raging ocean, driving people to flee left and right in search of a safe haven, and we fail to recognize that the only place we can ever be safe is in Christ.
Christ promised us in John 16:33 that we would face adversity in this life, but He didn't stop there. He went on to say, Be of good cheer, for I have already conquered the world. How does one maintain a positive attitude when everything appears to be falling apart? You may be wondering how, well, by being grateful for what God has done or is currently doing.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” —(1 Thessalonians 5:16–18) (ESV)
Count Your Blessings
Every day you open your eyes is a gift from Him, and it is your responsibility to express gratitude to Him. We've grown so accustomed to waking up every morning that it feels more like a right than a gift from God. According to Psalm 3:5, “I lay down and slept; I awoke again, for the Lord sustained me.” Another Psalm says, "I will lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." A genuine expression of gratitude shifts our focus away from what we want or need right now and toward the One who deserves to be praised regardless of our circumstances.
So, turn off the news (bad news only makes us fearful), redirect the time and energy you would normally spend meditating on the negative aspects of the world, and be intentional about being grateful for what you see or hear. Every day, the sun rises to provide light, is a blessing and a witness to God's existence—He hasn't told it otherwise. Relax when it rains, even if it rains a lot; God has promised, via the resplendent rainbow, that He will not destroy the earth by flood again. As a result, thank Him for the food that the earth will provide, because we will perish if it does not rain. Examine your lives; you'll be able to find one thing to be thankful for, and once you find that one thing, it sets off a chain of events that causes others to follow suit.
This is me saying thank you God, for waking me up every morning, thank you God for the gifts you have given me, thank you God, that the prognosis I received from my last health appointment was good, thank you God for the release of the 88 children who were kidnapped, thank you God that the pandemic did not ravish us here in Nigeria, thank you God, that even amid the chaos happening around the world and in our nation, there is still peace—I see the good You are doing, and I am eternally grateful for it.
Enjoy the song below by Rend Collective: Counting Every Blessing
Over to you guys, what are you thankful for today? Leave your comments below and remember to like, share, and click the subscribe button at the top of this page, never to miss an update on Let’s Talk Nation Blog.
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Video courtesy of YouTube
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