Hopeless in Christ

I have sat back many times and had a look at my life, considered the decisions I have made, the paths I have chosen to take and the foundations on which I have chosen to build my life. Of all that, the one thing I do not regret, in fact the one that I find all my joy, is the choice to be a Christian. Christianity is a choice that I have made in a world where choices determine who we are. I take pride in knowing that I am a Christian and that I stand for Christ and live for Him alone. 

 

Choosing to be a Christian does not mean things become much simpler for me; it might even make things worse. It leads to pouring so much thought into everything that I do, just to make sure that I am glorifying God in all my actions and my decisions. 

Being a Christian means that I am vulnerable to the devil’s desire to put my God to shame, he wants to show the world the God I serve is not all that, so I have to strive and prove him wrong and show the world that my God is really all that. 

I face a load of challenges in my life and at times I almost want to shout at the top of my lungs when things are not what I want them to be.  I have been learning quite a number of lessons through the so many seemingly hopeless situations that I have been going through. I am currently studying the life of Moses for my Bible Study and just a glance into it and I have found so much comfort in the God whom I have chosen to serve and follow. 

At a time when boys were meant to be killed, Moses remained alive; more so nursed by his own mother, who must have taught him that he was an Israelite, then raised in the King’s house as one of his own, learning and growing in wisdom from the best teachers anyone would ever ask for at that time. 

I am reading “When God doesn’t Make Sense” by Dr. James Dobson and he gives accounts of so many stories of hopeless situations that get me thinking of just one word; why? 

It is so hard to imagine some of the situations that we go through in life and we are so tempted to ask God why. It is not like we are going to hear his booming voice reply with a comforting answer immediately. The Bible tells us that so much is beyond our understanding, but all that is in His perfect plan for our lives. 

Ecc 11:5- As you do not know the path of the wind, or how a body is formed in a mother’s womb so you cannot understand the work of God, the maker of all things. 

However hard it is, the Bible even goes ahead and encourages us to rejoice in all things, to be thankful for all the challenges and situations that we go through in our lives. 

So many characters in the Bible went through seemingly hopeless situations and God emerged victorious through them all; in fact there is no person who walked faithfully in God without first facing a seemingly hopeless situation. 

Joseph was betrayed by his brothers for his pride and put in prison; a hopeless case, Moses was cornered on the banks of the Red Sea with the most powerful army of his time breathing down his neck; a hopeless case, Gideon was 300 against 300,000, David stood across the valley from a bloodthirsty giant, Esther was a woman trying to gain a word from a prideful king, Daniel’s roommate was a lion, his friends were thrown in an oven, Jonah sucked at his job and was stuck in a whale, Peter was a coward, Paul was imprisoned, the 5,000 had no food, Lazarus was dead, Timothy was too young, Abraham was too old, the youngest son was too stupid, the walls of Jericho were too strong and Jesus was humiliated, hung on a cross, and buried in a tomb, burying all hopes of a revolution that was hoped for thousands of years. 

It was the end for each and every one of them, all seemingly hopeless situations. And I can bet they put a period to all their stories, but God had placed a comma instead. When everything else has failed, that is exactly where God showed up. 

Now,  Joseph became the second in command, the Red Sea parted, Gideon won without lifting a weapon, Goliath’s head was on a plate, Esther spoke and the king listened, Daniel tamed the lion, the oven felt like room temperature, Nineve repented, Peter became the Rock, Paul rejoiced, 12 basket-fulls were left over, Lazarus was alive, Timothy built a church, Abraham built a family, the youngest son came home to a party, the walls of Jericho came tumbling down and most of all, Jesus Christ pulled off the resurrection defeating sin and death and the creation that had been marred so many years ago was now restored for all time. 

With God, what seems like hopelessness is not only possible, it is favourable. He turns a mess into a message, a trial into a triumph, a test into a testimony and a victim into a victory. His power is made perfect in weakness, so let us rejoice in our trials and hold steadfast to the hope we confess, because He who promised is faithful, was faithful and will always be faithful no matter how hopeless the situation. 

Courtesy of "The Anima Series" and Dr. James Dobson's "When God Doesn't Make Sense"

KIDDY LESSONS 101

I do not know about you, but I just love little children. They are  little gifts sent from heaven to leave a smile on our faces and joy in our hearts. I cannot wait for the day I'll have my own, play around with them, see their sweet and innocent smiles and watch them grow up. I know I'll get a wife who will share in all these (but that's a story for another day).

I must say I have had quite a number of encounters with kids and, most of the time, it leaves me just amazed about how God made these little angels. They know how to bring out their emotions so well that it would be hard to deny them whatever they want.

I once met a little Deaf girl quite a few years back and had a hilarious chat with her. I was with one female friend and she took one look at us and she said that my friend and I should get married. We laughed our hearts out, and even though her thoughts and ideas would never come to pass, it never stopped her from saying it. 

There is one other little girl I treasure with all my heart. She calls me uncle even though we are not related and I have watched her grow up and every moment I spend with her, I cannot hold back smiles, tears and laughter. She has taught me so much in all her innocence and naivety, she has opened my eyes to so many life lessons that any Christian ought to have. 

Just like children act with their parents and other adults in their lives, then we too need to act the same with our Father in Heaven. Here are a few Kiddy Lessons for Christians.

1. OPEN UP YOUR HEART 

Kids will never hide their desires and needs, they never hide their emotions and they are never afraid to speak their hearts out. I have seen kids pull off a tantrum, seen others ask politely and others pull off those puppy dog eyes that you just cannot say no to. Kids are not timid with whatever they want.

"Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Just like kids do, reach out to your Father whenever you need it and He will never turn away from you, He knows what is good for His kids and He never denies them.

2. THE 'I DON'T KNOW' ATTITUDE

Kids will never hide the fact that they do not know something. They will run and ask all those questions to someone who they are sure knows the answers. 

"Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

What happens when you have a really hard question and you need an answer... I know, God has all the answers in this world, just ask Him. 

3. WHERE'S THE SUPER HERO?

I love kids for never relying on their own strength. They will always run to someone who they know has the strength to do it. The are always certain of their inabilities, so they seek those who they are sure are able. It is amazing how some of them argue, "My dad is stronger than yours, he can..."

"Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

"Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

So where do you turn to when you realize you are not strong enough? Do you recognize that that we have a 'Super Father'? And do you boast to others about how you have the best Father in the world? Well, I know I do. 

4. KIDDY STORIES

Kids will always come from school with a whole series of stories of what happened in class or on the play ground. Sometimes you will get lost somewhere along the story, but that does not stop them telling it. They always want you to know all that happened. Some do it at the dinner table and eating can come as a second option, some will not let you go beyond the door before the stories just pour out. 

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

Talk to your, pour out your heart to Him. Sometimes share with people who will laugh behind our backs, sometimes they do not know how to celebrate with us or we turn to our favorite brown bottles. It is all a waste, turn to your Father who listens, He cares about what we have to tell Him and He is waiting to hear it all. 

5. KIDDY LOVE

If there is one thing kids know how to do, it is to show emotions. Kids will yell, laugh, blush and cry their hearts out. But their strongest emotion is love. It is amazing to see kids give mum or dad that priceless little hug, stretching out their arms around that person who means the world to them, they just can never hide it. They want to feel secure knowing that love exists in that warm bosom of a mother and the comforting lap of a father. 

"Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

"1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him."

Yes, we are called His children and He is our father. We can find more than the warmth of a mother's bosom and comfort of a father's lap when we are in Him. And for sure, the greatest commandment is to Love God fully. 

Kiddy lessons; so simple yet so profound. I know I have a Father and I want to forever be that some who never wants to leave His side.