Written by Tòmíwá Olúyínká

Many of us have been taught to say “thank You, Lord” only when the results are good, forgetting that God does not put His love on hold when we go contrary to His will. 

But, thank God for the gift of His son, Rev Dr Tunji Bamgbose, for speaking the mind of God to us and reminding the church that “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) 

Jesus is the perfect example of this Scripture. When Lazarus died, Jesus gave thanks to God despite the grief in His heart (John 11:35). It was also through His thanksgiving that He asked God to raise Lazarus from the dead, and He showed Himself in the bad time (the death of Lazarus) and the good time (the raising of Lazarus).

How do we apply this to our lives? The answer is simple: Don’t be a thief of thanksgiving. 

Think about it like this: In the best of times, in the worst of times, in the ache of a broken heart, in the joy of a newborn, in the laughter with friends and family and in the pain of same, in times of billing, and in times of plenty, in the era of “God did” and even in the era of “God when?”, when the sun shines brightly on you, and when you see a storm forming, always remember to look up, look down, look forward, look backward, look left, look right, and most importantly look inward to be convinced, committed, and full of celebration in giving thanks to God.

Written by Tòmíwá Olúyínká