What's your purpose?

Most people who are succeeding in their life’s purpose today didn’t know what that purpose was from the get-go. Not everyone is like Joseph in the Bible who dreamt of his purpose years before it came to pass. Most people stumbled into theirs either through decisions they took or an experience which they had no prior knowledge of or any control over. Mistakes and sin can lead you to your purpose when you repent and hand your life over to God. Saul for instance, didn’t know His purpose was to preach Jesus in the same places where He persecuted those who worshipped Jesus.

When you find what you are passionate about…there you will find your purpose. Your passion is what you can do effortlessly, tirelessly...whether you get paid for it or not. It is what you enjoy doing…what gives you joy and peace. One major thing about purpose is that you do not struggle in it. When you are functioning in your area of natural ability…there is a grace that comes with it. Your ultimate goal should be to make your purpose your full-time job.

I wanted to become a doctor from when I was in high school. I studied Biological Sciences in the University as a result. However, during a self-prescribed year-long holiday after my graduation, I began to realize that I wasn’t really passionate about studying medicine. Could I have become a doctor? Yes…I was smart enough and did well in the required subjects. Would I have been fulfilled if I had become one? Based on what I know now, I’d say "definitely not!" There were moments where I would sit and regret my decision not to pursue a career in medicine…I’m sure we all go through moments like that. However, I have realized that I cannot maximize my potential if I am not doing what I am passionate about.

This is meant to motivate someone. See your purpose as part of the light that you carry. Don't hide that light under a bushel.

If you know what your purpose is…you must not give up on it. Take baby steps before you begin to take giant strides. If it lies in music…join your church choir, take voice lessons to improve your vocal skills. If writing is your thing, you can begin by starting a blog…you never know who would be encouraged by your words or which big-time publisher could stumble on your work and approach you to publish a book. Maybe like me, you didn’t study what you actually should have, in school. Well, it is not too late…you can get another degree.  If you’re about to enter the University, don’t think in terms of what degree will bring you quick cash…money doesn’t equate contentment and fulfillment. Ask yourself “what subject am I really passionate about?” Realize that you only have one chance to live on earth…don’t waste it doing what your heart isn’t committed to. You made mistakes? Well, God is a God of second chances, thirds, fourths...you can always begin again in Him.

Maybe you're already doing what you love but the rewards don’t seem to be coming. Let me still encourage you – don’t give up. Keep working at it…be innovative…strive for excellence. Believe in that purpose. Above all, keep God at the center of it. Use your purpose to glorify Him. Be faithful and steadfast and God will bless the work of your hands. Remember that God rewards faithfulness. Read the parable of the talents in Matthew 25.

If you haven’t discovered your purpose…do not be anxious. Rather ask God to reveal it to you. That’s what I did and it worked for me…it will work for you too as God is no respecter of persons. Get close to God and He will show you what He has placed you on earth to do.

Rephrasing a quote from the late Myles Munroe…the greatest tragedy is a life without purpose.

 

 

 

 

Ebola is our fight, Africa...Wake up!

Since the recent spread of the Ebola disease to America, there have been a lot of attacks on the American government in particular and the Western world in general for not acting on time to help contain further spread of the deadly disease. While I too had made similar statements in the past…I began thinking a lot about this Ebola outbreak today and I can’t help but ask: what have our African presidents, governments, doctors, scientists, and even charity organizations really contributed to the Ebola fight?

In Liberia and Sierra Leone, there are Western doctors, nurses, humanitarian workers and other personnel on ground, treating and caring for the sick. Every day, they put their own lives on the line in the process. Do we forget that the very first non-Africans who contracted the disease were two American doctors who went to Liberia to extend a helping-hand to the sick? They didn’t have to, but they chose to. A few weeks ago, I read that Cuba sent a plane load of personnel including doctors to the region. Cuba isn't even considered part of the Western world, is it?...dunno much about geography. Britain has joined the cause too.

A couple of days ago, Obama announced that troops are being sent to Liberia including a team of engineers etc to help build treatment facilities in the area.  Well meaning non-Africans have recently donated millions of dollars to help fund research for possible cures notably Mark Zuckerberg and I think Bill Gates did too. Even the news we receive about the disease is primarily from Western media.  Some of their journalists have gone to the towns/villages where the outbreak is heaviest to bring us stories, at the risk of getting infected. How many of our own reporters are doing this?

I truly believe the West has done its best and…we must give them the credit deserved. If we feel they haven’t done enough, I can’t imagine what they must think of our own governments’ contribution, or lack thereof.

Nigeria was recently lauded for successfully containing the virus in the country. While this is a great feat for the nation, I must ask: what offer of help did our government extend to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea? I haven’t heard or read of any. Let's lay aside the fact that Ebola spread to Nigeria via a Liberian. Same happened in America but they've nonetheless extended a helping-hand to that country to tackle the disease.

I believe that there’s so much Nigeria and other African countries can do. Those countries not affected could send doctors/nurses to the area, or send supplies of protective gear and gloves for the personnel…surely they must need a huge supply of these. How about sending them supplies of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) solution which is what is given to Ebola patients. Reports have it that about 83 new Ebola cases are recorded in Liberia every other day (or so)…so I’m guessing hospitals there might likely not have enough ORT to go round. African governments/scientists can unite and setup research centers where studies can be done to find a possible cure. In Liberia, there is a growing shortage of food due to the closure of its borders...the country imports most of its food. Some other African countries could decide to fly in food supplies to help those in need. No aid would be deemed too small in times like these.

What about our wealthy business men/women/pastors/churches? How about our corrupt politicians who have millions of stolen money sitting pretty in their bank accounts. What donations to the cause are all these making? If any, why isn’t it being made known to the world?

Oh and what have you and I done?
You may think there’s nothing you can do…but there is always something. You can decide to give financial support to any charity you know is directly working in the affected areas. Infact, I'll do some findings/research about that and see if I too can contribute...no matter how small. If not this, you can do something that won’t cost anything but a bit of your time: you can pray. You can pray for the people caring for the Ebola patients; they need God’s strength and protection. You can pray for those who have lost loved ones to the disease: children who are now orphans, women who are now widows, men who are left with babies to care for because their wives are dead. Pray for God’s comfort, succor, and peace to help them go on without those they love. Prayer changes things. Every prayer counts. That's the least we all can do.

The harsh truth is that if as a continent, we don't seem to care for our own people, why should we even expect the rest of the world to respond quickly to us? Let's stop castigating the West.

Ebola is our fight, Africa...wake up!!

I think I’ve said enough!!!

I’m off to Google to make those findings I stated earlier. I’ll keep you posted!!

 

 

 

 

Choose your spouse for you…not for others

Decisions! Decisions!! Decisions!!! Everything in life borders on making decisions. Whether its choosing what schools to attend, where to work,  what clothes to wear, our diet habits, friendships,  business partners etc. 

One of the most important life decisions we are faced with has to do with choosing a spouse. Marriage is serious business...and who you marry will either make or break you…for the rest of your life! Your spouse will either be your destiny helper or your destiny destroyer. Marriage will either propel you to fulfill your dreams, or turn them into a nightmare. You therefore shouldn't marry just any one.  More importantly, you shouldn’t choose to marry someone because someone else thinks he/she is right for you. The decision of who to marry is one that you should make for yourself (not for others) and for your own happiness and peace of mind. Afterall, you will not share your marital relationship with people, so you shouldn't make your choice based on who people think is right for you. Not even your parents or siblings. This might sound unrealistic, but it couldn't be farther from the truth. The Bible states that “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one….” So while receiving your parents’ blessing matters in marriage, even they won’t live it out for you.  When you marry, you will leave them and start a new life with your spouse. It is therefore wrong for parents to pick a spouse for their children. No God-fearing, God-loving parent(s) should. Rather, they should continually pray that their children find the right one when the time is right.  The prayer of a loving parent is powerful. That's by the way...


If you are adult enough to be thinking about marriage, then it means you know who you are, and what you can or can't handle in a relationship. You know what makes you tick or ticked-off. You know what you can live with, what you can’t live with and what you can't live without. You know your weaknesses and strengths. (If you haven't yet come to know yourself, then you aren't really ready for marriage...in my opinion. You may need to wait a bit more, and get to know yourself better).

People who think they know who/what is right for you don't really know. They can only perceive, assume and judge...but they don't really know. They are standing on the outside, looking in. They are limited as to what they can see. So they shouldn't be the force that propels your choice as concerns marriage. You shouldn't let them be your decision maker about your life-partner. When the chips are down, a relationship is between the two people involved...they are the ones who would wear the shoe. And as the saying goes, “it is the wearer of the shoe who knows where it pinches.”

Hence, deciding to marry a particular person because someone else thinks he/she is right for you isn't something you should even think of doing. Moreso, not if you truly believe that God has created a life-partner for you just as He MADE Eve for Adam and vice-versa. And you should believe this, if you believe everything else God says. The fact is: somewhere, there is someone whose personality, character, attitude, values, dreams and purpose will be a proper complement to yours. And that is who you should desire to marry.

If you believe you are ready to settle down, you should first pray that you find and meet Mr. or Ms. Right. Note that I didn't say Mr. or Ms. Perfect. Right doesn't mean perfect. Right means good for you.  Perfect doesn't exist...not in this world.

And don't just pray. Believe in what you prayed for, and then desire what you prayed for. And believe that God shall grant your heart desires. Because He promised to do just that...and He shall.

Choose your spouse for you…not for others.

Stop keeping up with the Joneses...find contentment in God

“Keeping up with The Joneses” is the title of the oldest running reality show in the world.
The plot of the show is centered on people trying to "be like" or to "compete with" a figurative set of people known as the Joneses. The Joneses are those people who seem to have everything in place...their lives seem every bit of the word perfect. They’ve got the money, material possessions (state of the art automobiles, fancy designer clothes, sprawling mansions), and fame. They are the people that everyone can’t help but admire. They get invited to every social event …and people can’t help but stare at them when they make their entrance… because their entrance must always be grand. Everyone wants to associate with them in order to “up” their own status in the society.

I could dare say that almost every adult has had a starring role in this reality show at some point in his or her life. Everyone has either intentionally or ignorantly tried to keep up with the Joneses. Be it by the clothes we wear, the friends we keep, the places we hang out, the gadgets we own, the people we marry, the schools we enroll our kids in.  We want to be accepted; to belong; we want fame…so we go out of our way to do the things that we believe will get us this desired end.

This may sound pretty normal and cool…but it is rather quite sad. You see people living a “million dollar lifestyle on a dollar budget.” You cannot afford to maintain a particular wardrobe but you spend all your money to buy pricey designer clothes. Some people have virtually gone bankrupt trying to maintain a lavish lifestyle that they simply cannot afford.

You go to places and do things that you actually dislike…in order to be liked by many – for popularity. People have gotten their priorities mixed up and messed-up. You sacrifice what really matters most in your life in order to obtain what you don’t actually need. You would rather spend your last dime to buy that super expensive smart phone that your neighbor has, than to buy food to feed your family. Sounds like fiction…but I know people who do this.

Everyday people are dying to who they really are on the inside in order to become who they are not...so the world will take note of them.  

While there are real-life Joneses around us (the well-to-do, the elite, the popular people about town)…believe me when I say that their lives are far from perfect. There’s not one single person on planet earth who doesn’t have problems and challenges.  You’d be surprised how many wealthy people go to bed at night wishing they could trade in their riches for just a day of peace. Many of them use these material possessions as a means to feel joy and happiness…yet they still haven’t found it. People today live with the regret of ending friendships/relationships even business partnerships which would actually have been more beneficial to them than the ones they are in now because they wanted to do what the Joneses were doing.

Bottom line is that no matter how hard you try to keep up with the Joneses you will never find contentment. You will always find yourself striving to do more to keep keeping up with them.  And as long as you keep trying to be who you are not, you’ll keep living a life that is so far removed from the one God had intended you to live.

Satisfaction and peace of mind cannot be drawn from money, material things, having many cool friends, travelling all over the world or doing whatever you think is the “in” thing. The more you look for peace from these sources, the more frustrated your life will become.  

I for one have learned and have come to accept that true peace comes from God - from having a relationship with Him. His word states: “You will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you; because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). The word “peace” has its origins from the Hebrew word “shalom” which means: contentment, wholeness, completeness, and well-being. In the context of the above scripture, it means that if you trust God, and keep your mind stayed (focused) on Him, He will see that you are perfectly completely whole and content.

When you have a relationship with God, He will reveal His very purpose for your life. God will guide you on the path that you should tread. He will reveal what He has put in you that makes you uniquely different from the next person. You will recognize and believe that you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by Him. You will not be bothered by what people think (or may think) about you, about what you have or don’t have, how you dress…and all those things that we get anxious about.  When you are content, you can work towards achieving your dreams without wanting to compete with anyone…because you will understand the place of God’s timing, not man’s.

We must learn to make God the source of our contentment. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

 

 

WHY DO PEOPLE GET MARRIED?

I had two interesting (to say the least), conversations with two different people yesterday that really got me thinking about relationships…but this time in a very different kind of way.
We can agree that it is natural for men and women to desire relationship with each other. God created us with that need for companionship and friendship. For most (if not all) adults, marriage is the ultimate goal of a committed relationship.  I believe that God’s idea of marriage is something that should be a source of strength and encouragement.  Marriage should make one a better person...in attitude, character and behavior. Let me say that it should help strengthen one’s “strengths” and weaken one’s “weaknesses.” Every individual who gets married should keep growing into a more positive version of his/herself over time. I truly believe that is what God intends far as marriage is concerned.

However, when we take a look around our world today, what we see in relationships is something very different from what should be….

In the first place, people are getting married for all kinds of reasons except the right reasons.
 
Let me start with the ladies.
 
Many women desire marriage for financial reasons. They see a husband as a meal-ticket to the good life. Such women believe that if they can just marry a rich man, all their problems will be solved. So far as the man is meeting all their financial needs, they don’t care about anything else that may or may not happen in the relationship; fidelity and loyalty isn’t even expected from the man most times. The women in this category are those who value material things over every other thing in life.

There’s another category of women who view marriage as a “status thing.” Once they become a “Mrs.” they believe they will be better respected by others. Infact for many of these women, their womanhood is based on being a “Mrs.” Such women see marriage as “the end” in itself. Once they get married, they don’t aspire to achieve anything else in life.

There are also those women who end up marrying due to external pressures either from family, or friends…due to the fact that they’ve been convinced that their so-called “biological clock” is ticking. In such cases, they are likely to marry the wrong person. They end up settling for anyone instead of waiting for the right one. Marriages like this will have a very low likelihood of thriving because two people must be compatible in order to even be companions in the first place. The fact that God created Eve out of Adam illustrates the concept of compatibility.

 Now guys marry for the wrong reasons too.

Many men get married for the sole purpose of procreating. Such men view marriage as being solely about having children. They don’t get the friendship/companionship part…which is actually the main reason why God instituted marriage. Remember God saw that Adam was alone and said it wasn’t good…so He gave Adam a companion. Children are one of the blessings that come with marriage, but aren’t the purpose for marriage (this is a topic for another day). A man who gets married for this reason is likely not to have genuine love for his wife. There are extreme cases of men in this category who tend to show more love to their kids than the wife. He may meet her material needs, but not her emotional needs.

Some men also marry due to external pressures, mostly from parents. When parents start pressuring their son into giving them grandchildren…the man is likely to settle for any woman whom he believes is “ripe” enough to bear and birth healthy children – grandchildren for his parents. He may not marry his true wife, his soul mate, his lifetime companion.

There are also men and women who genuinely believe they are ready to get married (when they actually aren’t) and end up in a marriage that drains them spiritually, emotionally and psychologically. In such cases it may be that their understanding of love and relationships has been misconstrued perhaps due to past experiences.

These are just some of the wrong reasons why people get married…there are probably dozens more. I highlighted these because they are the ones I’ve been able to observe in this part of the world where I live.

The conversations I had yesterday prompted me to put this piece together. I’ve often asked myself why it is that marriages are crumbling more now than ever before (especially amongst Christians). I asked God that question too, and the revelation I got is that marriages are ending because of this very fact that people are marrying for the wrong reasons...and to the wrong people. I’ve gotten a lot of revelations about this issue, which I hope to be writing about in due time. This is a subject which is very personal to me; hence my strong desire to know the real truth behind it.

Bottom line is that if one gets married for any other reason but the reason why God instituted marriage, one is likely to end up divorced, or live unhappily ever after (which is not God’s plan for anyone). If one marries a person that wasn’t meant for him/her, a person that one isn’t compatible with…there is likely to be more sorrow and strife…than bliss. Furthermore, any marriage that is truly established and approved by God, will surely stand regardless of what trial and/or challenge that may beset it.

I do intend to share in-depth on this issue, with the hope that people who aren’t yet married will be steered in the right direction, and not have to be faced with the possibility of a failed marriage, or a sorrowful one. Some people have had to learn the truth about relationships and marriage the hard way. This truly isn't my wish for anyone.

To be continued...

Who God calls, He qualifies...not by human standards.

God doesn't call people whom the world would deem “fit” to be used by Him in any specific way. This is because His standards and ways are very different from ours. (See Isaiah 55: 8-9). 1Corinthians 1: 25-29 reads, "...that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence."

 

This is a powerful scripture. You see He doesn’t choose the most outstanding individuals...neither does He call the wisest, most intelligent, or even well-spoken humans.  Even the way you look on the outside is not a criterion. The Bible tells us that “man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

 

When we study the lives of Abraham, Moses, Rahab, David, Jesus’ twelve apostles, Paul...to mention but a few...we'll find a commonality: none of them would have been regarded as qualified to be used by God.

Abraham came from a family of pagans who didn't recognize and worship God. Moses had a lot of issues...for one, he had a bad temper and he had killed someone before he fled Egypt. David was the least "kingly" of his brothers that even when Samuel was sent by God to go to the house of Jesse and anoint the future king of Israel, David wasn't even considered. He was just a shepherd boy. Jesus' disciples were about the lowliest men in Israel at that time. They were ordinary men...not men the elders and elite in the land at that time would have wanted in their inner caucus. Paul was a Christian-killer before He became a missionary. Rahab who was also used by God was a harlot...so was Mary Magdalene...who in the end was the first person Jesus appeared to after His resurrection. She took the good news of His resurrection to His disciples.

 

One of the world’s most beloved women of God, a woman God is using mightily to touch and change lives – Joyce Meyer, has spoken openly about her past life, the years of sexual abuse she faced as a child (by her own father) and the resultant effect it had on her emotionally, psychologically and behaviorally.

I'm sure many of us personally know people whom God is using in different ways, who in the past were totally messed up, and probably even written-off as being worthless.

God has never called anyone that is perfect to serve Him. The fact is no human is perfect. We all have our inadequacies and flaws. All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory; the Bible tells us...that is why we need His salvation. Jesus was the only perfect being who walked the earth and only He could have made the sacrifice He did for our redemption. And even after we accept Jesus into our lives, we are being saved every day. Every day we are being changed to conform more and more to God's image. Proverbs 4:18 states “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.”

 

Truly, it is the grace of God that qualifies us to be used by Him, not our goodness. This grace He freely gives us on account of our faith in Jesus. Grace is a free gift..it can never be earned!

 Look closely at all the people I mentioned from the Bible and you will discover that they all had one thing in common: they had faith in God. This faith is what made it possible for them to be used by God. He called them and they believed and yielded to His call. Their faith is what they needed to be qualified…and He gave them the grace to carry out the assignment He placed them on earth for.

God has given every child of God (everyone who truly has accepted Jesus into his/her life, and has made the decision to follow Jesus) a specific grace to carry out a specific assignment. Yours may not be preaching on a pulpit, or mounting some stage in front of hundreds or thousands of people to sing or talk. However, you do have a God-given calling. The woman at the well of Samaria was used by God to bring Jesus into the whole of Samaria...Samarians were gentiles. And she too had a far from spotless life. Rahab’s assignment was to hide the two men that Joshua sent out to spy the land of Jericho from being seen and possibly killed by the King (See Joshua 2). The widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17 did what God asked her to do for the prophet Elijah and received a blessing in the end.

 

What am I saying?

 

There is something God has called you to do…a purpose, an assignment He has placed in you. According to Romans 8: 19 “creation is waiting for the sons of God to be manifested.” God has called you (child of God) to manifest (to and for His glory) and you must do so. Do not look at your imperfections or your circumstances.  You are qualified because of your faith in Him. Your duty is to stay rooted in faith and yielded to the Holy Spirit whom He has given to help us in our weaknesses.  Not that you should continue in sin, so that grace will abound. But do not resign yourself to your weakness, faults and flaws; do not think yourself disqualified. Keep depending on the grace to help you overcome and live above your faults. Also believe that God will supply all that is needed and more, for you to carry out this assignment.

 

You do not have to be perfect for God to use you…be available and He will perfect all that concerns you.

 

Let go and let God work His purpose in and through you!

 

A chapter from my walk with God...and some words of encouragement.

One of the greatest ways the devil attacks us is by attacking our thoughts. This perhaps is because he knows that if he succeeds in perverting our thoughts...he will find an entrance into our lives. The devil gets upset the moment we become children of God and makes it his mission to destabilize us with the hope of winning us back to his side.

Satan attacks the mind of believers by planting in it thoughts of guilt and self-condemnation. Whenever you start to condemn yourself by replaying past mistakes and wrong decisions in your head...note that the devil is warming his way into your path. I'd been there very recently; infact it is my experience with this that has inspired this piece. When you begin to hear thoughts like "you are not worthy of God's love," "you can never be blessed" "see how messed-up your past is" "you are not good enough" "God cannot use you"....know that satan is up to his schemes/tricks.

 

In my own case it became so bad that my prayer life was being affected tremendously. I'd ready myself to pray and the negative thoughts would kick in...."Do you think God will answer your prayers?" "God is mad at you and doesn't want to hear your voice." All kinds of crazy thoughts played in my head and ultimately I found myself really struggling in my walk with God. 

 

I'd been going through this cycle of negativity for several weeks...I was unhappy and honestly didn't know what to do to get out of where I was. I knew I didn't want to remain in this low state of mind. I chose to seek advice from a friend and this turned out to be the best decision I could have made.

The Bible in Romans 8:1 tells us that "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." No one, (not even the devil) can accuse a child of God because when we accept Jesus, we are redeemed and justified in God's eyes. When Jesus became a sin offering for us, God punished Him for our sake...and that punishment was once and for all. When we got born-again, we were set free from the law of sin and death and received grace and life in exchange! 

Romans 8:33-34 states, "Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us." You see, satan can accuse us all he wants, but his accusation cannot stand because in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and we have been made new. Even when we make mistakes, Jesus makes intercession for us before God...and His grace is able to pick us up when we fall. When we stumble as believers and we stay down, it isn't because God has left us. 

Nothing can separate us from the love of God...absolutely nothing. (See Romans 8: 35-39). God loved us when we were yet sinners, and He will always love us. Paul could best understand the depth of God's love. He described himself in one of his epistles as "the worst of all sinners;" he had a terrible past. He once persecuted and killed those who followed Jesus. And yet, God chose Him, called Him, qualified Him and used Him to spread the message of Jesus to the world. If He could use Paul, he can use anyone...even you. No matter how tainted your past is. What qualifies us is our faith in Jesus and what He did. Our job is to walk and live by faith in Him. 

The devil will always try to mess with our minds by planting all these thoughts that are contrary to God's word in order to destroy our faith. But we must not allow ourselves to believe in what he says. Instead, we should believe God's word. When the bad thoughts come, speak God's word to counter them. This will continue to sharpen our faith and purge our mind of negative thoughts. The thoughts that dwell in our minds are extremely important as they determine everything else about us. Our thoughts become words and words become actions. So if the devil can put wrong thoughts in our head, he will set us on the path to wrong decision making that could ultimately have a negative effect on our faith and our relationship with God. That's what happened in my case.

 

After my friend gave me the much needed counsel and urged me to just "go back to God in prayer," I still didn't know what to say to God and the Holy Spirit prompted me to read Romans 8. I needed this word to remind me of who God is and who I am in Him. Its amazing that even in my moment of weakness, God gave me the word I needed to stand up again. See how He loves us?

I shared this word to encourage you not to give into the antics of the devil...no matter what. You are not who he says you are, you are who God SAYS you are. 

If God is for you, none can be against you. 

Shalom!

 

Is love inconveniencing?...

One of my Facebook status updates yesterday read thus: “The proof that we love someone is demonstrated in our willingness to be there for them when it isn't convenient.” I was actually watching Joyce Meyer preach on television when that thought dropped in my mind. Perhaps it was inspired by something she said. That notwithstanding, I re-read that post today and it got me meditating on the concept of love.

Generally, the world’s idea of love is made-out to be something that is pleasant; something that always feels good. In a very simplistic illustration, we would say that if we enjoy a person’s company, if he/she makes us giddy or cheery…if we experience the proverbial “butterflies in our tummy”…etc., then we can conclude that we love him/her. Many people therefore start friendships/relationships based on this premise. While its true that love should make you feel good...it isn't all about that.

The Bible tells us that “greater love has no one than this….than to lay down one’s life for a friend” (John 15:13). To “lay down your life” for a friend may not mean literally dying for the person…but it talks about sacrifice. It is about placing the other’s needs and wants above your own. It is about doing what may not necessarily feel good for you…but what makes the other person feel good. This isn't an easy concept to grasp. Let us look at the example of Jesus Christ. He left the heavenly realm, His throne; He forsook His royalty and divinity and came down to earth where He lived as a mortal man; He even wept…yes, Jesus cried. He was persecuted, hated, humiliated and on the cross, He suffered the worst kind of pain ever known to man. He took all the sicknesses of the world upon Himself, all the different types of pain there is and every would be…He bore on and in His flesh. Jesus didn’t feel good when He went through this torment and torture. When He went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray before the crucifixion, He asked God the Father if He could take that cup (of death) away from Him. This wasn’t a pleasant experience for Jesus, but He did it anyway. And He wasn’t forced…He willingly gave His life for us.

For us humans, it may never get to that point where we would offer our lives for someone else, ...but there is pain in love, sometimes...many times. Physical pain...and emotional pain too. I believe that the true yardstick for measuring if what we have in our earthly relationships really is love, is how we act during those inconvenient, painful moments. Those moments when would rather not be there for someone else, those moments when we have our own equally important things to do. If we can sacrifice our time, energy and efforts willingly, even when it may hurt to do so, when it may not feel nice …then we can say that what we have is really love.

Take a closer examination at Paul’s definition of love in 2 Corinthians 13: 4-7: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things….”

This passage of Scripture describes love as patience, appreciation, humility, gentleness, selflessness, compromise, not getting upset, forgiving...etc. None of these virtues are easy to imbibe and express. It isn’t easy to always be nice, kind and forgiving towards another person. He/she may truly do something terrible to you...and you may feel justified not to forgive...but you must! It is even most difficult to be selfless because we have our needs as well. But God’s word cannot be changed. If truly we say we love someone…then we must demonstrate all these good traits in all our actions towards them. The end result in a loving relationship is that both parties ensure to the happiness of each other...at all costs.

On a final note…If you’re reading this and you’re not sure if what you have in your relationship is truly love (according to God’s word) then you may want to assess your behavior and actions towards your significant other using the above mentioned scripture. If you show all of these virtues towards each other without holding back…then you are on the right track. If not then what you have may be everything else, except love.

Having a dream and the path that leads to success...

Regardless of whatever niche you are in, you cannot truly aspire for success if you don't have a clear mental picture of what you want. Talk to anyone who has succeeded at anything and they'd tell you that their path to greatness first began with a dream. I've heard stories of award-winning actors who had already envisioned themselves holding the award long before they even became famous.

In the Bible, we have the well-known example of Joseph who dreamed he would be great when he was just an ordinary boy.

Martin Luther King had a dream...he wasn't just saying so in that famous speech of his. He dreamed of an America where there would be equal civil rights for all races of Americans. Fast forward to 2014 and a black man is president of America.

Famous actor Jim Carrey told the story of how he wrote himself a cheque worth some millions of dollars (I can't recall the exact amount), when he was broke and struggling to make it in life. Long before he starred in his first film, he had a clear picture of just how successful he intended to become.

Frankly speaking, I do believe that every sane adult does have the understanding that they want to make "something" out of their life.  I believe that this comes to us naturally because God set purpose in our hearts right from our conception. However, many cannot give a clear-cut description of what that "something" is. Still, many have no realistic plans on how to achieve it. They don't take steps towards becoming what they wish to be.  Many people in such situations seem to just float through life hoping that their dreams will come true...or waiting for situations and circumstances to favor them.

Sadly, things don't work that way in the real world. You are not going to have perfect conditions and everything in life won't always be rosy. Sure, God can work a miracle in your favor in an instant, and yes! we must have hope and faith in the words He has promised.  But faith without works is dead! We must add to our faith, action. We can't just sit and do nothing. We must make the most of every opportunity we are faced with...even the unpleasant ones.

What does all this mean?

Well, walking the path to success involves having a dream, and making concrete plans on how to make it a reality. It also involves having the right attitude towards life. Take the example of Joseph who never saw his obstacles as setbacks; but rather as opportunities. At every place he found himself, he made impact, he remained relevant...even in prison.

In order to succeed, you must desire as much as you aspire. You  must be consumed by your vision. Talk about it as though it is a reality already. Remain driven and motivated. Be optimistic.

On a final note if you have a dream, then you should begin to identify your gift(s) and how such can become productive for you. Actually, your area of gifting and strength is usually the area where you will find success in life.

I hope to (in upcoming posts), shed more light on these principles which I believe can help us get on the right path that leads to success in life.

A momentary season of dryness, and then...

I have been feeling spiritually dry and disconnected for quite a number of weeks now. I must confess my prayer life hasn’t been so fantastic either. I mean yeah I do pray as often as the Holy Spirit prompts me to and I do read my Bible. But there has been an emptiness I’ve been feeling lately…and I became so troubled by this a few days ago. Sometime last week, I sat thinking to myself: “why do I feel like God is so far away?” “Why does my spirit feel so down?” “What am I not doing right?” Not only was I struggling in my walk with Him, but even doing certain things that were so easy before had become burdensome.

And as I sat whining to myself in melancholy, it was like I had a light-bulb moment! It hit me that the reason my spiritual life has been experiencing a drab is because though I’ve been talking to God, I haven’t really been connecting with Him.

There was a point in the past where I would spend hours and hours just singing to God…whether at home, in the car, before I slept, when I woke up...even at work. And when I wasn’t singing, I was playing worship music on my phone. It was so intense back then that I’d be asleep and would actually hear my spirit singing and worshipping God. I remember sharing a testimony about this with someone. During this phase of my walk with God, I always felt His presence so strongly throughout the day.  

Assessing my life over this past “dry" season and I realize that I’ve not been worshiping like I used to.  Hence, I’ve remained disconnected in my spirit from God. So even when I do pray, I pray from the flesh. And the scriptures state that those who worship God must do so in spirit and in truth. No wonder I felt disconnected from God! The intimacy was no longer as intense as it used to be. My flesh was communicating with God, but not my spirit.

This realization also led me to the revelation that we each have our own way of connecting with God. Our relationship with God is personal, and just like we know how to touch the heart of our earthly loved ones, we must also know how to touch the heart of God if indeed we love Him as we profess. We must discover what it is that gets God’s power source in our lives turned on. (I now know that singing does that for me). We must learn to bond deeply with God...in the same we desire to bond in our relationships with those we love.

We must endeavor to sustain an intimate relationship with God…and not one that’s simply a routine. When we touch God’s heart…He is moved, and will arise from His throne on our behalf.

I will openly say that since I discovered where the problem was in my walk with God, I’ve repented and I’m slowly getting back to that point where I was in the past. I say “slowly” because bad habits are difficult to break, and neglecting this aspect of bonding with my Heavenly Father was a serious bad habit. I do thank God though for His grace which is sufficient enough to help me in my weakness. The fact that I found out where I was falling short, to me demonstrates that God desires for us to be better for Him. That’s how His grace comes into play, and I do thank Him for this all-sufficient grace.

I've vowed to get back to that level of intimacy of God…to even grow deeper in my relationship with Him. You should too!

 

 

 

 

They that KNOW their GOD shall do EXPLOITS!

Today is April 1^st and yeah!, it is “April fool’s day” for those pranksters at heart who love to play practical jokes on gullible ones.  Most importantly however, today is the beginning of a new month.

 As usual, I woke up to read messages on my phone wishing me a happy new month. Logged into my Facebook much later and my news feed was inundated with status updates speaking good wishes and uplifting prayers for the month of April!

 I too, desired to post a goodwill message for my social media friends about the month of April 2014. However, not wanting to say “just anything” simply to fulfill all righteousness (as the saying goes); I decided to ask my father in heaven, God (the one who SEES and KNOWS ALL) what is in store for His people. Ofcourse like everyone else, I want to have a good, blessed and fruitful month. But above all that, I strongly needed to know what Yahweh had to say.

I didn’t pray. I simply, said “God give me a word for the month of April…tell me what you have planned for us.” And He answered through the Holy Spirit saying “they that know their God shall be strong and do great exploits.” I heard the soft voice clearly, vividly. I was excited. Ofcourse, I knew that those words are located in the Book of Daniel…more specifically Daniel 11:32. I got so excited and immediately posted this scripture on my Facebook wall.

I may have been feeling content that I had sent out a message of good will to my friends, but Daniel 11:32 got me meditating deeply.

Truly knowledge is power… for “they that KNOW their God shall be STRONG.” The knowledge we have of God, of the totality of His being, of His greatness…our knowledge (of who He is to those who know and love Him)….brings strength. What is strength? Power!  A scripture from Ephesians 3:20 comes to mind here which seems to lend credence to my previous statement: “To Him who is able to do exceedingly; abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” In other words, the amount (or level) of God’s power in us, determines how much of Him we see manifested in (and through) us.

 You see, our perception of God determines our desire (and ability) to receive from Him and how He is able to work through us. Oftentimes we only achieve small feats because we have somehow placed a limit on God. This stems from the fact that we haven’t actually come to KNOW just how GREAT He is. He is a God who created the universe out of nothing, a God that made this earth we live in to sit in empty space! Yes!  The earth is hanging on nothing!  If He could do that, then what is healing your sickness, or mending that broken heart of yours? What can’t He do for those ones He loves so much? What won’t He do?  He said it himself, “nothing is impossible to them that believe.”

There is absolutely nothing God cannot, and will not do for us. In 1 Kings 17, He held the rain because Elijah asked. He made the sun stand still for Joshua (See Joshua 10). Oh yes! The sun, stood still! I believe that these two great men of God in the Bible prayed such daring prayers because they KNEW who God was, and what He can do…and they BELIEVED He could do it! That knowledge mixed with faith gave them the strength to not only ask God for what seemed impossible in the eyes of man, but to also accomplish all the things they did during their tenure on earth.  There are even more examples in the Bible, of incomprehensible things God did.

And because God is unchanging, He can still do ALL that and even more. 1 Corinthians 2:9 states that: eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man what God has in store for those who love Him. This means God will even exceed His own greatness. He will do more than what we know He has done… what we know He can do! Not only will He do great things for us, but HE will do great things through us. How awesome to know!

So when I asked God to show me what is in the works for this month of April, I believe He was telling me that we need to begin to see things from a different perspective. We need desire to know who He is, who He is to us, what He can do, and have the faith that He is who He says He is.

We can get this knowledge by taking off our human (carnal) eyes and putting on the eyes of the Holy Spirit especially when we read and study the word of God. When we view God’s word through the lens of His Spirit…we will begin to see God for who He really is, and not who we perceive Him to be. We also should yearn to get more deeply intimate with God…for He will surely reveal Himself to those who get close to Him. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you…the Scripture says.

When we truly come to know God and add faith to this knowledge….absolutely nothing shall be impossible for us! We shall be strong and do great exploits!

Thus says the Lord.

HAPPY NEW MONTH!

About love...again

So its been a couple of months since my last post. My sincere apologies. Quite a lot has been happening around me that actually directed my attention away from blogging. That notwithstanding, I am back…and endeavor to be more frequent with my writings.

Now that I’ve got that out of the way….let’s get into the essence of this piece. I’ll be talking about love...again!  

Valentine’s Day may be long gone from here, but real love, I believe, is not a seasonal, once-a-year gig where you spoil someone with goodies and gifts to prove you care. I am not in any way discouraging people from observing the day…I’m simply imploring us to go beneath the surface. However, let me not digress here.

I’ve been thinking deeply about the subject matter, ever since I heard a particular sermon in church about a couple of weeks ago, when a passage of Scripture was read which cut right through me. I’d actually read this scripture in the past, but it didn’t resonate much then, the way it did this time around.

The scripture taken from Songs of Solomon 8:6-7 states:  “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave; its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love, all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised.”

Songs of Solomon is one of those books in the Bible I’m pretty sure most people rarely ever read. But I recently got a revelation that it is actually the best place in the Bible for one to get truths about what love is and should be.

Verse 6 of this scripture states: “for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave.” Love is powerful, and is as powerful as death is. The force of love is as strong as that of death. When love takes hold of you, it never lets you go. It goes on to say: “many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it.” What does all this mean? The flames of love are all-consuming, yet love itself cannot be consumed. Imagine a fire that burns continually, constantly, one that can never be put out…not even by the heaviest downpour of rain. That’s how powerful love is! It never lets go…it never dies.

From this scripture, we see also that there is jealousy in love. Jealousy in the sense that when you love someone, you want to guard the person, you want the person all to yourself. Love also has a lot to do with protection...not wanting any harm to come their way.

Truth, right?

Well thus far, your belief may be that it is only the love which comes from God that this powerful and constant and secure. Well ofcourse! There’s no greater love than the love God has for us. He loved us so much; He came to earth as a man, suffered, and gave up His life for us. Jesus died for us because He LOVES us. And once we become His, He accepts us completely and truly. God is also jealous over us…and won’t ever let the devil mess with us.

But here’s an interesting fact…when we receive Jesus, we receive the love of God, and that love enables us to love others the God-kind of way. So yes! If you truly have the love of God in your heart, you should be able to love truly, wholly, and rightly.

This is powerful stuff…but it is do-able. You can have love that is as strong as death, unquenchable, consuming, accepting. Infact, this is the way real love ought to be. To further lend credence to God's definition of love, see 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

In Ephesians 5:25, Paul admonishes husbands to "love their wives as Christ loved the church.” He is talking about sacrificial love… and this is the only kind of love that should exist in a marital relationship. If a man truly loves his wife, he should be able to give up anything for her without being compelled. Wives are urged to submit to their husbands…but this submission is still based on the foundation of love. If your love for him is genuine, you will submit to him, just like you submit to God in love.

A husband can live sacrificially for his wife because He has the love of God in Him. A wife can submit willfully because God’s love has been poured into her heart and soul. In love exists other things like forgiveness, protection, provision, support etc. All of these should flow naturally in a relationship where there is genuine love.

I put this piece together to urge us to meditate even more deeply on this verse of scripture, and more importantly to examine our relationships, if applicable.  

The fact is that the true meaning of love has been so perverted by the devil. This is one of the many schemes he uses to keep people from experiencing real love in their relationships. As children of God, we can love the right way…and we should.

I leave you with this thought...."if you cannot give up your life for the person you love...then your love for him/her is suspect."

Assess yourself and then some...

So its my first blog post for the year 2014. Well, I deliberately decided to observe the month slowly roll along before writing my thoughts. I'm still trying to understand why January appears to be the longest/slowest month of the year. But that's a topic for another day. 

I hadn't posted anything hitherto because I spent these past weeks going over (in my head of course) what I hope to accomplish this year.

It has often been proclaimed that we cannot accurately plan for the future without looking at the past. The past is the best teacher we have. It schools us on what to do, what not to do, how best to do what we plan to do etc. From looking at the past, we are better equipped to make decisions today that will positively affect our tomorrow.

So what does all this have to do with my thoughts for the year 2014? Well, what I'm in plain terms trying to convey is that we cannot concretely strategize for this year without taking a realistic review of last year through the window of our actions, inactions, words, and thoughts.

Before you take those bold steps towards actualizing your month-by-month plans...do proper stock-taking of your achievements and setbacks from 2013. Try (as arduous as it may be) to do an unbiased self-appraisal of your life in order to have an objective report of your successes and yes! your failures. As much as we crave the opinions of others about ourselves, we need to form the habit of self-assessment. This will help us identify potential weaknesses or bad habits which can hamper our ability/capacity to make this year better and more fulfilling. After all is said and done, nobody can live out your life but you...so you must learn to be your number 1 appraiser.

Once you have taken an audit of 2013, you can begin to write down your plans and strategies for achieving success this year.

You can decide to do things differently.

For instance, if you need to work on your spiritual life...begin to do so, because the status of your relationship with God will affect everything else around you. If you need to mend broken fences with certain people who could be destiny helpers, then do so. Also desire to make the requisite financial changes when applicable. Good financial practices are determinant factors where attaining success is concerned.

I am merely scratching the surface as to how we can better position ourselves this year, to live more fruitful and successful in whatever field of endeavour we are in.

We will get to the nitty gritty as the days and weeks go by.

I pray we all achieve great things this year!