For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all his people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that can be invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
(Ephesians 1:15-23)
We have come to the end of yet another long and stressful year. Despite the indominable optimist that I am, come 2009, I dare say we will all slide into a recession that the world has not seen for a long, long time. For some of us, it would be our first experience of recession together with all the sufferings that come along with it. Yet Paul, tells us in his Epistle to the believers in Ephesus, there are enough reasons for us to give thanks despite the impending gloom.
Ephesus in Paul’s time was a thriving trading hub in the ancient world much like what New York, London, or Shanghai is today. Without a doubt, the economy then would have had its fair share of the pendulum swinging between gloom and boom. If there was a booming economy at the time of writing his letter to the Ephesian believers, there is no evidence he was giving thanks because of the prosperity. Conversely, if there was a recession, he was still filled with thanksgiving in spite of it. So in good times or bad, Paul found enough reasons to give thanks.
1: 15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 1: 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
Theirs was a faith that was recession as well as inflation proof. Thank God such measure of faith still survives today and in our midst. Think of the suffering church. Orissa, in some African countries and even some nearer to us. That their faith survives against the odds will surely prompt us to, like Paul, be in an attitude of thanksgiving and remembering our brethren in prayer that they and us also, will know God better; see hope clearly; live in resurrection power of Jesus; and acknowledge Christ as Lord.
Like the believers in ancient Ephesus, we live in the shadows of false gods of greed, deceit, indifference, hatred, violence, selfishness, and much more. In contrast, we are called to live differently; to act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with God and man. So when we look around we are gratified that faith is alive and well in our world.
But, like Paul, we cannot stop with being thankful for hearing about faith, we must continue to support that faith and the faithful with our prayers .
Thank God faith is alive. But continue to pray that we will all know God better, see hope clearly, live in the resurrection power, and acknowledge Christ as Lord of all. That’s a thanksgiving prayer we can all pray. Yes, we will live through 2009 by His grace.
The Micah Mandate is a Christian-based public interest advocacy ministry that seeks a transformation of our nation through justice, mercy and humility.
