I read in a book somewhere that the statistics of thanksgiving to God as a ratio to the complaining to God is 1 : 4. That is a lot of complains!
Ephesians 5:20 told us that living in God's Spirit will definitely mark a change in us: thanksgiving in everything everytime. This is one way we can realize whether we are growing in God or not.
This is why I like Gospel music so much, because their music is joyous and full of thanksgiving. It's basically celebrating everything - the good things mostly, but also the bad things, because they know that God is with them through all these bad things.
I have a testimonial regarding what thanksgiving can really do. When I was receiving the marks for my third mid-semester test, Rachel told me I got only 9/19. It was supposed to be out of 20, but one of the question was wrongly set. So, I failed that one. Truthfully, I was not disappointed at all. I praised the Lord immediately after I got my marks. It was an awesome feeling! But yeah, I failed... ...or so I thought.
The next day, there is an announcement over the TopClass (online platform for medical students) saying that there's a mistake in another question. So, the result was out of 18, not 19. And when I checked my result to confirm, it was 9/18. Yes - a pass!
It was amazing how God can turn something around. I wonder sometime what will happen if I sulk over the fail. One day of studies because of my mood can be affected. Worst of all, my relationship with God will be affected. (I really don't like failing...)
I don't know what is my semester result going to be now, but I am not going to let the wait for the result affect me at all. I am just thankful that God is giving me (or God is giving the university in giving me) a holiday. I just want to rest and built my relationship with God in the 3 months of compensated spiritual journey through med school. I read 3 chapters of the Bible this morning, and it felt really nice.
Today, I also got to watch an episode of Scrubs, called, "My New God". It's about...well...God. But this is a (comical) debate about worshiping God (or which God). At one time, Perry (a cocky doctor) has his sister, Paige, coming to the hospital because his son was going to be baptized. Perry was not a big fan of Christ. But unlike Perry, Paige was a church person. Perry was having one patient who was not surviving well, and was kept alive barely by a steroid. Perry said that there was nothing else he could do, but Paige offered the help of God. The patient's family ended up praying with Paige, and the patient survived the night with conditions going back to normal. At this one scene at Perry's house just before the baptism, Perry said that medicine saved the patient's life, and asked Paige to thank medicine for its existence. Paige ended up saying, "Thank God for creating medicine."
Well, Paige's behavior is what Ephesians 5:20 is all about: to thank God in everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is true that Paige did not thank Jesus for medicine, but it is close enough to God, as she has declared her God to be Jesus Christ in the first place.
Still, in my cell group, I shared that we should not be afraid or ashamed in declaring who our Lord is. Say, "Thank Jesus" whenever possible.
Thank You with a grateful heart.
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