Look at the bright side

Life can be painful sometimes,kinda like a thorn in the flesh like paul calls it in 2Corinthians 12:7-10. Because of this, we can spend all our lives like paul begging God to take these thorns away. Some many times however,these thorns may never depart from our lives or may persist for so long. However, we must learn not to dwell on the thorns, but should ask God to help us see the brighter side of it, a part of the situation that can be working for our good.

When I talk about this, I have in mind a married woman who has been praying and trusting God for a child for so long without success. Another man or lady who has been praying and trusting God for a spouse and is now so old but the spouse is not forthcoming. A person who has been married to a violent or sinful spouse and has been praying for them to change without success. A sick person who seems to be accumulating hospital bills without cure for their illness. A schooled person who has been looking for a job for a long time without success and so many more issues. Some times it may not make sense to concentrate on the positive side but their is one. Their is always a dark and a bright side of every situation.

Think about the stroy of Stephen’s stoning, Paul’s thorn or even Jesus’ crucification and suffering. In all these, they chose to see the brighter side of their situations.Stephen when he was being stoned in Acts 7 chose to look towards heaven and he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. What a sight! When Paul prayed three times for the thorn to be taken away but without success, God promised him that God’s grace would be sufficient for him and that His power would be made perfect in his weakness. What an assurance! And Jesus when He begged God to remove the cup of suffering without success and He went through it, he received the glory and became our Lord. What an honor!

So it may really not matter so much what we may be going through at the moment, what matters is the end result. Your lack of a job can be an opportunity for you to start a multi billion business. Your continued praying for your spouse could be an opportunity for you to get deeper in God and for Him to use you to do exploits. You delayed spouse could be an opportunity to serve God and yourself which can be a challenge once you are married because of change in priorities .And your illness and lack of a child could later turn to be a great testimony and a source of encouragement to some many resulting to greatness and fame.

Remember an expectant/pregnant mother who has to go through 9 terrible months of pain and discomfort plus the last days painful labor before birth. She chooses to go through it all because her eyes are fixed on the bundle of joy that will come forth after all the suffering. Therefore, we must choose to look on that bright side. We must pray to God to help us see it and I promise you that His grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) for when we are weak, then we are strong.

God bless you and keep growing in Him!

The uncultivated land

 I had selfishly prayed and fasted so much for God to give me what i thought i needed. For three years, i prayed and tried to do it my way, trying to ask it in his name, but never giving a chance to his will. Although i had it all planned out in me, i could feel a deep longing in me that i knew my desires would not satisfy. So for those three years, i had prayed, looked and moved from place to place without satisfaction. 

I decided to quit moving and looking and settled down to receiving everything from my dad. You see, him being so kind and caring, he was able and willing to give me all the material things i needed. I remember he would give me upkeep, pay my rent, give me money for small businesses when i thought i needed one and even sometimes send me money when i hadn’t asked for it. However, this did not satisfy me. Instead everyday i was drowning in the sea of stress and self pity and getting skinny every day because all that could not satisfy me.

It wasn’t until i chose to surrender to God’s will that things changed. God slowly opened my eyes and i could see clearly. He gave me promises of where he would take me and then took me through a period of training and preparedness. He clearly showed me that what was ahead of me wasn’t anything i had ever been in or to before and i had to let Him equip me for it. Slowly he aligned me to His will and when i was ready he took me there.

I can’t begin to explain to you the calmness and satisfaction that i felt when i got there-its indescribable-, but i can testify to you that nothing had ever felt like it before. I loved it. The peace in my heart and the love and favor i received from every body i met in that new place, a place i hadn’t been before with people i had never met before. All this reminded me of the story of Abraham in Genesis 14.

The bible talks of how Lot together with the king of Sodom and other kings had been captured. When Abraham heard about it, he went with his men to rescue them, which he succeed. When they came back, the king of Sodom wanted to give Abraham wealth but Abraham refused. He wasn’t ready to let anyone take credit for him being wealthy but all he wanted was the wealth that God would give him just as God had promised. I got a revelation that sometimes God takes us to ‘uncultivated land’, the kind that looks unproductive so that he can grow us from there and help us cultivate it and thus make us great so that when nations bow before us and call us blessed, no one will take credit for it but all the glory will be unto Him.

God bless you and keep growing in Him!

I have prayed for you

My heart sunk when the pastor explained the year’s guiding word.It was a two sided word; a bright and a dark side that we would live in which was dependant on the kind of things that we would choose. That is;there were conditions to be met inorder to receive blessings. The conditions were deeper service and deeper fellowship with God. For reasons that i will try to explain, i feared that may life would fall on the negative/dark side.

I feared that i may not meet the conditions because of my changed lifestyle and priorities. You see, since i reconciled my life  with Christ and most specifically for the past 3 years, my priorities were different from they now are. Like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:34, my priorities were having an intimate relationship with God and serving Him.For these years, most of my time was spent in church and church related activities. However,in the last few months and now that i am a married woman, my priorities have changed.

Since i got married, my priorities changed to a relationship with God, my husband/ family life, work and my service to God. The thought of this change in priorities is what brought fear in me because i clearly understood that i would not be able to participate in  church activities as much as i used to before marriage. I knew that i needed to serve my husband  and make my home just like a wife is required by God to do (Titus 2:5) and i understood how i was to serve God like before but i did know how to balance it all. I was afraid that i would fail to serve God deeper and this would result to my fall and thus live on the dark side.I got so emotionally overwhelmed for a moment and didn’t know what to do except to beg God for help.

I bless Jesus Christ for he heard me and he reminded me that i would not fall because just like Peter, he has prayed for me (Luke 22:32). This brought me joy in my heart, in other words, my heart smiled. He made me realize that he understands my situation and he has given me grace for it. He also helped me realize that what he requires most from me is a deeper relationship with him and obedience to him rather than works. In my moment of fear and despair, i had forgotten that i had not been serving God alone but God opened my eyes and i clearly saw that my husband was right there with me all along. We had been serving God together, in the same ministry and we still do, and i kinda had not really appreciated this privilege.

I bless the Lord therefore because despite my changed priorities and so much on my to do list, he is holding my hand and i am assured of a brighter side of life full of His blessing and favor. You can live on the bright side too if you seek to walk with God at a deeper  level, choose obedience and serve God fully in any opportunity you find.

God bless you and keep growing in Him.

Happy 2016!