The November Challenge

2012 was our (U&I’s) make or break year. In the preceding years, the value of most of our investments had significantly dwindled due to the economic downturn, but things came to a head in 2012. Some investments were totally wiped out, and payments owed on some jobs done did not come through. We were no strangers to financial challenges, but this was different from anything we had previously faced. The wind that blew over us was so fierce that it sought to remove even the ground underneath us. The roof over our head was threatened and things got so bad that we could no longer afford to pay the children’s school fees. We prayed all we knew to pray, but there was no change in our circumstances.

Somewhere along the line, an idea was sown in our hearts. We ran with this idea and formed what has since become another of our family traditions: a one-hour praise service every Friday night. So on Friday nights, we gathered our children, and any house guest who felt inclined to join us, and held a one-hour praise service. We sang praise songs and hymns, and encouraged everyone to share testimonies of what God had done for him/her in the past week. We did not ask God for anything, even though we had so many pressing needs!!! This was a time to just focus on His goodness, thank Him, and simply praise Him for who He was. Our motive was not to induce Him to answer our many prayers; we praised Him simply because we knew that He deserved, and always deserves our praise and worship.

Things did not change overnight. U&I had to make a number of tough decisions to enable us to stay afloat the waters. But here’s what the praise tarry did for us: it helped us to focus on God’s goodness, and that focus gave us peace, hope and faith that everything would be okay. It also gave us the courage to take certain steps. As we held on to God’s loving hands and obeyed as He led, He took us through the waters to a safe place.

I share this experience today because I know that this year has been an exceptionally tough year for most Nigerians, and indeed, people everywhere. Today is November 1, a reminder that the year is soon winding to a close. Chances are that some of your prayers have not yet been answered. You may feel so overwhelmed by everything you are going through at the moment. I am not going to pretend that I have the answers to your questions or know the secrets to life’s challenges. But I will share what I know to be absolutely true: God loves you and has good plans for you. If you hold unto Him, He will take you through life’s storms to a safe heaven.

Resist the temptation to fix your gaze on the various challenges you face; fix your gaze on the greatness and goodness of God. Praising God at ALL times is a choice. Today, I am throwing to you a challenge I am giving myself – to make November a month of praise and thanksgiving! If you will, set aside a specific time each day or week of this month to simply praise God and thank Him for His goodness. The purpose is NOT to get Him to answer our prayers, or quickly solve our problems. Do it because He deserves it. When we fix our gaze upon Him rather than on our problems, He keeps us in perfect peace, and gives us joy, hope, and guidance as we go through the season. Think about His goodness and love, and give Him thanks. Remember, at all times, He is good, perfect, and worthy of our praise!

P/S This Post was first published on Facebook on November 1, 2016