Thanksgiving

Nissi had a refreshing retreat from the wonderful place of Bintan. I guess it is a cell retreat that has been long overdue.One of the memorable things that happen during the trip is the restoration of thanksgiving and praise.

I notice that living in Singapore encourages a spirit of complaining. Singaporeans love to complain. Our eyes are fixed on the negative things. We put these frustrations so close to our eyes that it blocks out other things. Our perspective becomes hindered and we miss the complete picture of what is going on.

It is good to relook at this bad habit. We need to restore the spirit of thanksgiving. Instead of complaining, we should give thanks. It is also interesting to note that complain and thanksgiving is mutually exclusive. We cannot both complain and give thanks at the same time.

Perhaps it is time to turn the things that are frustrating to things that we thank God for. For example, a new task can be interpreted as an opportunity to increase skills and experience, instead of looking at it as an ‘arrow’. Maybe, an unfavorable circumstance in the office can be a platform to show your ‘salt and light’ testimony to your colleagues. Maybe, it is time to thank God for the weather instead of complaining about it.

Thanksgiving also serve a greater purpose. It is God’s will for us to give thanks in all circumstances (1Ths5:18). Also, in a practical manner, thanksgiving helps us to be joyful. When we give thanks, we put on a smile and become joyful and appreciative. This is clearly much better to always complaining and becoming frustrated or worried.

I thank God that the retreat has reminded us the need to be thankful and always fill our hearts with appreciation instead of mindless complains.

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