Category: Motivation

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GOD’S AMAZING LOVE FOR ALL REBELS

Many of us can identify with the Apostle Peter and his impetuousness. Although he was flawed, that didn’t prevent Jesus from calling him because God knew his heart.  Peter became one of the most powerful apostles when he became converted (Luke 22:31–32). Sometimes we are quick to write off people because they are not living up to our standards of righteousness. This is judging and none of us may do so because we don’t know what is in a person’s heart, only God.  Stop focusing on the outward and see the beautiful spirit, kindness, and tears behind a harsh demeanor.  People are struggling and many have experienced brokenness and abandonment in their formative years, which is the most critical stage in a child’s development. Instead of judging, condemning and isolating, please reach out a hand and open your heart to the least of these because of the grace you have experienced. Attempt to see others through the eyes of Christ and it will draw more people to Him because of the Christlikeness they see in you.

God loves all rebels because there is greater work to be done in and through them. A rebel is like a black fish that is difficult to catch hence, it requires the angler to be skilled and experienced. Therefore, it takes a longer time for the rebel to accept Christ and become converted. When a rebel accepts Christ, they will serve the Lord faithfully and with great power and zeal. They will become a walking testimony that will stir hearts and souls while drawing them to the kingdom of God. They will truly serve God in spirit and truth and love their fellowmen because they have experienced grace and will extend grace freely. A converted rebel possesses the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5: 22-23).

If you are a rebel, watch out! God is chasing you and at some point, He will catch you. When He catches you, He will chasten you and after the chastening comes the awakening, repentance, baptism, conversion, and the call to ministry and a life of service. The completely transformed rebel is open and willing to be used by the Almighty. They will love their enemies, love their neighbor as themselves, will sacrifice for others and desire to minister to the suffering of humanity. They devote their heart to trusting God and doing what is right, pleasing and bringing glory to His name. 

 Because God changed their hearts instead of doubt and fears, there will be trust and boldness. When they are led by the Holy Spirit, they are compassionate, kind, obedient, love the word of God and live with godly fear. They are sensitive to the needs of others and their heart embraces the hungry, weak, and rejected, leading them to Jesus. They are fervent in prayer and persistent in their daily walk, hence they pick up the plough and will not look back.

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PROBLEMS STANDING LIKE MOUNTAINS IN YOUR LIFE?

Are you beset with problems in your life which are like mountains? Do they make you afraid because they seem like giants standing in your way with no way around them? Like Israel, God has called you to go to the promised land.  However, the path is not smooth. It is filled with dangerous animals, valleys, mountains, drought, famine, bitter disputes with brethren, countless sleepless nights and bitter tears. Your faith wanes and your trust dissipates as the weight of everything breaks you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Enemies beset you from within and without. Daily, your cry to God asking how much more of this do you expect me to endure?

Look at the life of a soldier. They endure rigorous training to befit them for the service they are called to. They develop mental toughness and acuity, physical strength, and bravado. They live each day as if they are at war because they know the purpose of their calling. Therefore, they are prepared with the intelligence of the enemy’s whereabouts. They often do this preparation under treacherous circumstances. Often, they endure deprivation of food and water, endure harsh climates and injuries by land and sea. They also suffer from isolation from families and friends. However, they were chosen for service, and they are determined to fulfil their human obligation. Despite all they go through, narrow escapes from enemies, witnessing the death of comrades, torture from the enemy, and being defeated, they continue to persevere and remain steadfast, focusing on their goal, which is to defeat the enemy. (2 Timothy 2:3-5) A special shout-out to all military personnel. Thank you for being selfless! We love you and are praying for you!

Christians, where is your focus? Is it on your problems or what the word of God says about your problems? Pick up the word of God and ask the Holy Spirit to give you a scripture that speaks to your mountain. God has a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth for you to thresh your mountain and make it small. He wants to turn your hills to chaff. He wants you to blow air through the chaff so that the wind can blow them away and the whirlwind will scatter them so that you can rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel. Isa 41: 14-16.

Stop doubting, crying, procrastinating, and complaining. Just look up at Jesus and take hold of your threshing sledge and get to work and start attacking your mountain and level it to the ground. Watch the whirlwind blow all the debris away in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus!

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Procrastination – Lessons From A Sweater

Hands holding a mug

A couple of years ago I bought two 100% Irish wool sweaters, a red and a grey. At some point, I washed them and to my dismay, the red one shrunk to half its size. My disappointment led me to Google to find solutions to restore my sweater. Friends also offered advice that I did not use. Instead, I placed the sweater in my suitcase and forgot it. However, I would remember my sweater in winter and miss its warmth. Although it was an expensive sweater, I lacked the desire to fix it. What caused this reaction? It happens when our minds are so busy that we do not recognize the people and things of value in our lives. Yesterday, I remembered the sweater and retrieved it from the suitcase, determined to restore it.

 First, I immersed it in cold water, then applied a gentle hand wash soap to the sweater. As I pushed it around in the water, I gasped at the transformation right before my eyes. I left it to soak up the water for a while, then rinsed and laid it flat to dry. It brought a feeling of delight and satisfaction to my heart. Had I taken the time and acted on the advice, I could have been wearing my sweater sooner.

This brought me to the spiritual application of this. How many times have we suffered unnecessarily because we failed to act on the advice we received? Often we had resources available but lack the motivation to pursue the things that will improve our lives and empower us. Why do we lack the passion to pursue our dreams? Procrastination! It robs us of the opportunity to do those things that will bring joy and contentment to our lives. To overcome procrastination, we must become intentional about everything we do. Planning daily activities, setting minor tasks and completing them builds resilience and lessens the desire to remain inactive. Treat each day as a workday as it prepares your mind for the tasks on your list. Work on them one at a time and be determined to finish. It reduces stress and creates balance in our minds. When have control of our minds, we become more productive, and experience pleasure and satisfaction, which boosts our morale extremely.

We also procrastinate with the things of God. We have the Bible God’s word that is filled with so many miracles and promises, yet we continue to experience failure and lack because we refuse to believe and exercise our faith. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. (Romans 10:17) We build our faith as we read the word of God aloud and study daily. As we spend more time with God, our confidence will grow. When we are confident and adept, it will inspire us to do more. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength! (Philippians 4:7 & 13) God wants to empower us with the wisdom we need to think, plan, act, and have the peace that surpasses understanding.  (2 Timothy 1:7)

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What is acceptance

What does it really mean to accept someone? The world is imperfect, hence no one is blameless. These flaws drive us to be insensitive, impatient, and disrespectful of others who we do not perceive as measuring up. Therefore, we become angry, judge, criticize and alienate those who we presume are imperfect. Those who think they are perfect often give others the silent rebuke. Often, they scoff at those who swear, drink, smoke, and are immoral. Family members, friends and church brethren usually suffer from these harsh rebukes.

Jesus came to call the sinners, not the righteous. (Luke 5:32). Hence, he mingled expressing love and empathy. Christians would be more effective witnesses if they adopt this principle. We must strive to love and accept others the way Jesus did. Often, it’s the life we live that will have more impact on them. Even if they never change, it is between them and God. People everywhere are struggling with guilt and shame. Many want to change, however, they lack the will to do so. When we ignore or give them accusatory glances, it plunges them further into the habit.

We must not become a stumbling block in others’ lives. (Romans 14:13-23). When we are critical of them, they become depressed and succumb to feelings of despair, hopelessness, and worthlessness. They will point the finger at us while labelling us as hypocrites. It is unnecessary to sit with them while they are smoking or doing drugs. However, we must give them the respect and human dignity they deserve.

We are our brother’s keepers. (Romans 15:1). We owe them the debt of our prayers. Stop judging and manipulating them into feeling bad about their choices. Let God be their judge! Peter was a swearer and was even after Christ called him. (Matthew 26:74-75). It is very difficult to overcome bad habits, especially when they have been a part of your life. We cannot expect people to overcome 20, 30, 40 or 50 years of bad habits in a day or even a year. They need our patience while we give them grace. They need to overcome these habits. Therefore, we must stop pointing when they slip or fall. We all have faults, criticizing, gossiping, controlling, pride, blaming, and faultfinding.