In order to have a clear perspective of this short piece of write up, you will have to grab a bible (or open up a bible on the internet now) to read a passage or two from it.
Often times we get through various trials, difficulties, challenges and unrest that can be likened to a storm. They toss us to and fro and bring fear into our hearts like the weight of the world is on our shoulders and we just want to give up. Sometimes, as “committed” Christians we say “why is God allowing this to happen” while for those of us who are not “committed” or not Christians, with inadequacies in our ways, we feel “it’s because of my unfaithfulness that these things are happening”.
The first thing you should note is that God is not man to act like one. Despite your unfaithfulness, He remains faithful. He is able to do whatever He has promised and won’t be influenced by your actions (though He rewards faithfulness).
Second thing is that the storms also obey Him. He never promised that there will be no storms. His promise is “peace not as the world gives it”. That is peace in spite of war, despite this; He calms the storm at will.
Let us read Matt14v22-33...
This account always blows my mind and I am sure some things must have got your attention too which I think you should not push aside but take time out to reminisce over at a later time. For now, I want you to focus on how He (Jesus) stepped into the boat without saying a word, the storm ceased. If Jesus is not in your boat, you should invite Him in (accept Him) as He is willing to come and will bring calm to the situations that tosses you to and fro.
A second scripture to read which is like the first Matt8v23-27...
It has a different perspective we should see things from. In this case the storm started while Jesus was in the boat. The disciples must have wondered how strange he was as He slept even with the heavy storm (Peace in spite of war). This means the Christian is not excluded from facing storms in life.
Jesus reaction to the storm is what you should allow influence your approach to storms (challenges) that come your way. He simply lay; sleeping soundly (because He knew he was safe in God) then rebuked the storm by calming it. He is also Lord over the storms, you know!
Do note that with Him in your boat (life and affairs), you can go to sleep as He did and trust Him to calm every storm that comes your way.
His promise is that He will not leave or forsake anyone who believes in Him and He is faithful to His promise. Do invite Him (Jesus) into your boat and have continuous fellowship with Him who is also Lord over every storm as He brings calm to your heart.
Enjoy a peaceful life ahead.
Friday, 8 July 2011
Monday, 4 July 2011
A Beautiful Garden??? - tend it!!!
I once kept a garden through which I learnt a good number of lessons. Some of the lessons include patience, giving attention to the work, weeding etc. Putting all these together is an attitude to imbibe in our Christian walk. It is very important to pay attention to yourself (1Tim4v16) i.e. watching yourself closely should be done daily.
Part of what I did on the garden was replanting some plants from a position to another; trying to identify what was growing on the garden that was not planted; weeding of such plants that were not wanted (even if it was a common fruit-I remember pulling out pawpaw seedlings) and; having to accommodate some vegetables from my mom which was not part of the plan. Time has passed and the garden has evolved not exactly the way I planned it to but it’s now more crowded with vegetables and the flowers are so inconsequential and the grass, not so encouraging.
I owe this largely to a few things as:
• Inconsistency- I skipped watering the garden regularly
• lack of commitment- my commitment to the garden dropped owing to some other affairs
• Ignorance- I did not have nor find basic knowledge about growing a garden
• No strict selection- I was not strict with the choice of plant to go in so I lost my design and control
• Non encouragement- I was getting little or no encouragement either from people or from the plants. It all looked like there was no success
You know, these and more are the challenges we face even with our own lives especially with the heart. Remember Pro4v23 admonishes that we should keep (guard) the heart with total diligence (hard work) because the core issues of life flow from there. So you should be watchful of what you allow to grow on it.
You should consciously weed out unwanted information, transplant the right ones at the right time and be careful not to make it a dumping ground for any and every information.
For this to happen you need to find out what is healthy for you (Eph5v15-17), it will help you be better focused and diligent.
You also need to be consistent in keeping your heart because this will train your heart on what to be inclined to. This does not guaranty a life time inclination in that direction and that is why you need to be committed to the course.
Your commitment will define your character and personality over time – it will stand you out!
The most difficult to do at times is keeping a strict selection of what comes in. You do not have total power over this because sometimes it is not planned or it is interestingly irresistible. This owes majorly to the lust of the flesh and the eyes and sometimes influenced by peer pressure, technology, freedom of expression etc. Despite these challenges you can consciously keep in check what you want to store in the core templates of your heart.
The truth is that you are likely not going to be encouraged by people who surround you to keep guarding your heart (maybe in church) and a lot of times you really do not feel the effect of keeping your heart. You have to learn to encourage yourself to do so because of its importance. You will only discover one day after so many days, weeks or years that you have saved yourself from destruction.
Tending the garden of your heart is an important activity you must prioritize on your to-do consciously list because it will define your personality over time and will attract or be attracted to its kind. If you leave it unattended to, trust me “orisirisi”- all sorts of things will emanate from there which will be good, bad and ugly. When you least expect, as a smoke cannot be hidden you become repulsive to people (sometimes important people) around you. If you make it a beautiful garden to behold then you will be beautiful in the eyes of many and attractive to all around you. There will be an admiration for you without knowing or understanding why but it is only because you have diligently tended the garden of your heart. So go ahead and invest into this noble project- tend your garden!
Part of what I did on the garden was replanting some plants from a position to another; trying to identify what was growing on the garden that was not planted; weeding of such plants that were not wanted (even if it was a common fruit-I remember pulling out pawpaw seedlings) and; having to accommodate some vegetables from my mom which was not part of the plan. Time has passed and the garden has evolved not exactly the way I planned it to but it’s now more crowded with vegetables and the flowers are so inconsequential and the grass, not so encouraging.
I owe this largely to a few things as:
• Inconsistency- I skipped watering the garden regularly
• lack of commitment- my commitment to the garden dropped owing to some other affairs
• Ignorance- I did not have nor find basic knowledge about growing a garden
• No strict selection- I was not strict with the choice of plant to go in so I lost my design and control
• Non encouragement- I was getting little or no encouragement either from people or from the plants. It all looked like there was no success
You know, these and more are the challenges we face even with our own lives especially with the heart. Remember Pro4v23 admonishes that we should keep (guard) the heart with total diligence (hard work) because the core issues of life flow from there. So you should be watchful of what you allow to grow on it.
You should consciously weed out unwanted information, transplant the right ones at the right time and be careful not to make it a dumping ground for any and every information.
For this to happen you need to find out what is healthy for you (Eph5v15-17), it will help you be better focused and diligent.
You also need to be consistent in keeping your heart because this will train your heart on what to be inclined to. This does not guaranty a life time inclination in that direction and that is why you need to be committed to the course.
Your commitment will define your character and personality over time – it will stand you out!
The most difficult to do at times is keeping a strict selection of what comes in. You do not have total power over this because sometimes it is not planned or it is interestingly irresistible. This owes majorly to the lust of the flesh and the eyes and sometimes influenced by peer pressure, technology, freedom of expression etc. Despite these challenges you can consciously keep in check what you want to store in the core templates of your heart.
The truth is that you are likely not going to be encouraged by people who surround you to keep guarding your heart (maybe in church) and a lot of times you really do not feel the effect of keeping your heart. You have to learn to encourage yourself to do so because of its importance. You will only discover one day after so many days, weeks or years that you have saved yourself from destruction.
Tending the garden of your heart is an important activity you must prioritize on your to-do consciously list because it will define your personality over time and will attract or be attracted to its kind. If you leave it unattended to, trust me “orisirisi”- all sorts of things will emanate from there which will be good, bad and ugly. When you least expect, as a smoke cannot be hidden you become repulsive to people (sometimes important people) around you. If you make it a beautiful garden to behold then you will be beautiful in the eyes of many and attractive to all around you. There will be an admiration for you without knowing or understanding why but it is only because you have diligently tended the garden of your heart. So go ahead and invest into this noble project- tend your garden!
Sunday, 19 June 2011
The lord is my sheperd
Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd;I shall not want.
The almighty God who rules, reigns and created the world (He is self existent and has all power in His sovereign) is my owner/caretaker/guide and sole stake holder.
Because of this my heart is at rest and can be sure He watches my back so I have no reason to fret over a need.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He orders me to a place of provision that is safe and secure and guarantees my supplies abundantly.
He guides me to a place of solace that is calm and cool with refreshing supplies that will not trouble/threaten or fret me.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
He brings calm/freshness and rejuvenation to my soul i.e. He brings calm to my worries and peace to my soul
He guides me through the paths of righteousness to be upright to bring glory to His name.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Peradventure I walk through the most difficult situation even to the point of death, I will have no fear and stay calm: Because you are with me (the Almighty is with me)
Your presence, caution, discipline, instructions, encouragements and buffet brings comfort to me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
The Lord brings me opportunities, promotions, advancements, increase, additions, celebrations and expansions before my despisers, challengers and those who look out for my downfall (and who wait to say where is my God).
The Lord has separated me apart as special and useful for Him having purged and purified me.
He has blessed me beyond my need and understanding, He has blessed me more than my barns can store, He has blessed me beyond my imagination and possible propositions. (I am so blessed: my mouth is full, I have beaten more than my mouth can chew)
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Most assuredly, goodness and mercy will pursue me (will trail me) every and any where I go or find myself till the end of my life.
I will dwell in God’s presence forever (that’s where He brought me through Christ Jesus)
I consider it a great privilege to be a member of the good shepherd’s sheep fold. It brings calm and peace to my soul. This peace that I speak of is unspeakable / indescribable and is better experienced than described. I advice you submit to His shepherd hood and experience this pleasant place of safety, calm and “unshaken-ness” despite the many surrounding commotion. There is more than enough space for as many as will come.
1 The LORD is my shepherd;I shall not want.
The almighty God who rules, reigns and created the world (He is self existent and has all power in His sovereign) is my owner/caretaker/guide and sole stake holder.
Because of this my heart is at rest and can be sure He watches my back so I have no reason to fret over a need.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He orders me to a place of provision that is safe and secure and guarantees my supplies abundantly.
He guides me to a place of solace that is calm and cool with refreshing supplies that will not trouble/threaten or fret me.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
He brings calm/freshness and rejuvenation to my soul i.e. He brings calm to my worries and peace to my soul
He guides me through the paths of righteousness to be upright to bring glory to His name.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Peradventure I walk through the most difficult situation even to the point of death, I will have no fear and stay calm: Because you are with me (the Almighty is with me)
Your presence, caution, discipline, instructions, encouragements and buffet brings comfort to me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
The Lord brings me opportunities, promotions, advancements, increase, additions, celebrations and expansions before my despisers, challengers and those who look out for my downfall (and who wait to say where is my God).
The Lord has separated me apart as special and useful for Him having purged and purified me.
He has blessed me beyond my need and understanding, He has blessed me more than my barns can store, He has blessed me beyond my imagination and possible propositions. (I am so blessed: my mouth is full, I have beaten more than my mouth can chew)
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Most assuredly, goodness and mercy will pursue me (will trail me) every and any where I go or find myself till the end of my life.
I will dwell in God’s presence forever (that’s where He brought me through Christ Jesus)
I consider it a great privilege to be a member of the good shepherd’s sheep fold. It brings calm and peace to my soul. This peace that I speak of is unspeakable / indescribable and is better experienced than described. I advice you submit to His shepherd hood and experience this pleasant place of safety, calm and “unshaken-ness” despite the many surrounding commotion. There is more than enough space for as many as will come.
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
LOVE: feeling/responsibility
LOVE: feeling/responsibility
We all feel loved or have feelings of love towards someone or the other at different times and in different ways that I would expect that at some point we consider another perspective to which is responsibility.
When we love someone and vice-versa, often times we are inclined to commit to many things for that person especially in the male and female relationship. When love is hot, you can almost touch it physically like holding a cold iron/aluminium on your cheeks which gives you this cool “enjoying it” feeling. You tend to do lots of stuff like spend lots of time with the person, cook for the person, spend money, give gifts, share your things (sometimes personal things) and even want to share your body (sex) with the person etc. It implies that you are willing to give your materials, cash and body to the person even when you are not married! It’s like it just comes natural for you to do these things because you feel loved or you feel “loving”.
On the contrary, there comes a time when it’s not all rosy – you just don’t feel anything. The feelings of love are gone due to pressures, problems, differences, discoveries etc. You wonder - where did all the love go to? The person’s presence brings a pale atmosphere to you. I think we should ask the “old war horses” and they would confirm this to us.
The same way that cold iron/aluminium feels cool to our cheek and after a while when the body system adjust to it temperature, the “enjoying it” feeling fades out and you feel as a fool wondering why and how you are putting a piece of cool iron to your cheek – “romancing it”. That’s how it feels with love when a vital part of it is missing / not in the awareness of the parties involved. This missing part is responsibility.
Often times we want that feeling to be loved and it is what is usually portrayed as love (in movies, songs, themes, books etc). Responsibility to love is what sustains any love relationship. When the chips are down, it is responsibility to the relationship that gets you going till the feelings get back refreshed. It is an understanding of responsibility that keeps a mother breast feeding her baby when she feels pain in her breast and do not feel like breast feeding. It is responsibility that makes a parent keep paying for the school fees of a naughty chap who keeps getting into trouble and failing in school even when the parent is honestly tired of his troubles. Responsibility will keep a guy from hitting a lady irrespective of the fault the lady has and he will learn to love, protect and cherish her always. It will also cause a wife to learn submission irrespective of her background, status or situations and not disrespect her husband. Responsibility will keep a guy from having sex with a gal (lady) he is not married to no matter what the situation is – love is worth the wait. It is responsibility that led and kept Jesus on the cross for you and I though He acknowledged the difficulty. Responsibilities help us consider consequences of our actions before we do them.
Responsibility must be brought into perspective when you choose to love someone (in anyway...). You should find out and understand what your roles / responsibilities are in it and play it even when you do not feel like it. It is why Michael told Caleb in “Fire Proof” (a must watch movie for everyone) that “you don’t just follow your heart because your heart can be deceived; you got to lead your heart”.
The best way I know which Michael also acknowledged on how to lead your heart is to ask God to teach you to do that. It begins with prayers, study of the bible, meditation on scriptures and living out God’s word.
Love is beautiful and given to enjoy from the source of it – God. The best way to enjoy love is to have a good mix of the feelings and the responsibilities. Enjoy loving and being loved!
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