Tag Archives: faith

April 16, 2024 · 5:39 am

ILLUMINANCE

Have you ever seen a lady that applied elaborate make-up in the dark? Without telling you what she did, it would be evident that something was wrong. Imagine a gentleman attending a black bowtie dinner putting the finishing touches to his dressing while standing in front of a mirror in a dark room. The angle of inclination of the bowtie would speak so loudly, announcing to everyone who looked at the man that it wasn’t properly aligned. Whenever there is insufficient lighting, errors and imperfections abound.

Part of my job includes monitoring the application of specialized coating on critical equipment. The coating offers the equipment protection from degradation throughout its design life, in addition to aesthetics. The mandatory prerequisites for coating application include a test for the minimum ILLUMINANCE, which literally means the amount of light in the room where the painting is to take place. The reason for this is that poor lighting could make the paint applicator or inspector miss out coating defects on the equipment. When the defects go unnoticed, there is a risk that the item could fail before the end of its design life. It will not fulfill its purpose fully unless there is an additional intervention to fix the defects. When there is adequate lighting in the room, the chances of missing out defects are reduced to an insignificant level.

When things are done in the dark, the difference will always be clear. When someone walks into a dark, crowded room, he will most likely crash into things and other people. As God’s children, this does not have to be our fate. We don’t have to walk in the dark unless we choose to. The revelation of God’s Word beams ample light into our lives, ensuring that we walk in the right direction.

Your Word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 [GNT]

Understanding your Word brings light to the minds of ordinary people. Psalm 119:130 [CEV]

The Bible abounds in multiple versions today and is easily available to us. The inspired writers gave us these words from God to guide us. Without these scriptures, there are chances that would not see anything wrong with our lives.

There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12 [AMP]

We may think we are doing the right thing, but the LORD always knows what is in our hearts. Proverbs 21:2 [CEV]

We mostly appear perfect in our own eyes, until we are screened under the light of God’s Word. When under the light, the areas where we need improvement are brought to the fore and we would often have the experience that made Prophet Isaiah speak out and say; “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”

When we use the word of God as our mirror, it helps us identify and make the necessary adjustments required for us to become who God made us to be.

Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2Timothy 3:16 – 17 [NLT]

The more we dig into God’s word, the more our definition of what is tolerable is refined and we are continuously transformed into the image of God, becoming perfect like our Father. Things that are lawful become more and more inexpedient and we shed a lot of weight. The more we study God’s word, the greater the illuminance that we experience, and consequently, the less the level of impurity we can tolerate.

I will end with a reminder that there is more to the Word. Lighting up our lives and our paths is just one aspect. Dive into the Word for that complete package.

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March 25, 2024 · 7:41 pm

MODIFIED COMPASS

Imagine that you are travelling between two locations by air. Obviously, there is a qualified pilot in control of the aircraft. If not, you will probably not be sitting there. There are mandatory requirements that the pilot must meet to receive the authorization to take off from the Air Traffic Control. One of such requirements is submitting a flight plan, which includes the Route to be followed; Cruising speed; Cruising level; Weather forecast; Fuel requirements and Alternative airports in case of an emergency.

In order to follow the route defined in the flight plan, the pilot has to depend on a compass in addition to other instruments. Imagine again that midway into the flight, the pilot decides that the shadow cast by the sun in the cockpit is a better guide than the compass and then goes ahead to disregard the compass and follow the shadow and his feelings. The aircraft will almost certainly end at the wrong location.

Another relatable experience would be to set a destination on your GPS equipment or Google Maps for a road trip. Somewhere down the line, you decide to trust your hunch instead of following the GPS directions. Where do you think you will end up?

In our journey as Christians, we start off with a personal relationship with our Lord and Saviour – Jesus Christ. We then continue with the Bible as our compass. God inspired people to put down those words of the holy scriptures. By His divine power, the words have been preserved across generations, despite multiple attempts to obliterate them. Now, the Bible abounds in multiple versions, that are available to us in both hard and soft copies. The Holy Spirit opens the eyes of our understanding to see light in the word of God as we read.

Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God’s approval. 2Timothy 3:16 [GW]

As we study the Bible, we learn to obey the instructions and take the lessons contained therein. We are not at liberty to choose what part to obey and what part not to obey. The instruction to completely obey the Word of God does not depend on our feelings. Technological and socio-cultural developments that have happened across different generations have not changed or modified the meaning of the word. The meaning of the scriptures in the B.C years is in perfect alignment with the meaning in the A.D years and the meaning will not change for Gen-X, Gen-Y, Gen-Z or Gen-ꝏ

Psalms 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path”. If we choose to leave the path that has been lit up by God’s word, we will end up following the “way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but its end is the way of death”. Proverbs 14:12[AMP]

The fact that society now considers some behaviour as acceptable does not mean that the instructions of the scriptures related to those things have changed to align with current views. We are not at liberty to modify this compass as we fly unless we want to head away from God’s Kingdom.

God knows the end from the beginning. So when the Bible was written, He already knew how different the world would be in our generation, compared to what it was like back then and He got it covered. There are no surprises with God. According to Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow – so is His WORD. His Word is Changeless. No modifications are allowed.

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September 3, 2023 · 4:55 pm

JUST LIKE A LION

One of my favourite TV channels is National Geographic because I love watching animal documentaries. It’s especially interesting to watch big carnivores like lions hunting down their prey. Most times, these deft hunters start from a crouching position, hiding from the view of their target and camouflaged by surrounding vegetation. They do this hoping that they can identify and isolate the easiest target from the group unnoticed. Once they are satisfied that the chance of getting the target is high enough. They spring out from hiding. Amid the chaos, they don’t run after all the animals in the pack that are startled and frightened by their sudden appearance. If they chase multiple targets, they will go home empty-handed. They instead lock their focus onto the one that they have identified as the target and try to isolate them from the rest of the group.

No matter how long the lion has been hunting, it still has to go out each time it is hungry to look for food because that is how it was designed. If no animal strays into its territory and makes itself vulnerable, it will go hungry for that day. This is the same with the devil when he goes about looking for prey. We are not at the mercy of the devil, he has to seek for his prey and if we are in Christ, we are not in his territory.

Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. 1 Peter 5:8

He does not have the power to attack someone who does not walk into his territory. That is why he must go about sneaking around and hoping to catch someone off guard. He is not as powerful as we often make him up to be. The death and resurrection of Jesus made it so for believers. We cannot live our lives in dread of him. Instead, we should live in the reality of the victory that Jesus obtained on our behalf and delivered to us.

Like a bird that wanders from her nest, So is a man who wanders from his place. Proverbs 27:8

Our place of safety is in Christ. If we do not break our hedge of protection by toying with different shades of sin. We are beyond the reach of the enemy. Yes, we are untouchable! It is so liberating to live and work in the reality of this knowledge and revelation.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. Psalms 91:1-2

God is our refuge, our fortress, and our place of safety. In battles, the refuge is usually impregnable unless someone opens the door from within. That is what it is like to have God as our refuge and place of safety. As long as we live in Him, move in Him, and have our being in Him, we remain untouchable. No matter how hard the devil seeks like a roaring lion, we will never be in his path nor within his reach. So if we want to live in perpetual victory over the darts of the enemy, then we need to latch on to the grace of God and live a life of dominion over sin.

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14

There are so many more verses of the Bible that reinforce this point concerning the victory that we have in Christ. As we dig into them and meditate on them, our faith will indeed be founded on solid ground. The solidity of the foundation depends on us and how we esteem the Word of God. May God’s grace be multiplied to us.

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August 22, 2023 · 9:17 pm

JUST DRIFTING

Imagine for a moment that you have been given a task that includes walking in a straight line blindfolded. There’s almost a zero chance that you will get to the other end of the line. You won’t immediately set off in the wrong direction. The first few steps will likely be correct, then gradually you’ll start moving away from the line. The more steps you take, the more you move away from the line. That is what drifting feels like. The departure from the course starts slowly until we get completely off the course.

It’s the same with pot belly. It doesn’t appear instantaneously. It increases precept upon precept until it gets to maturity and becomes evident to all. I had a first-hand experience of this during the COVID-enforced lockdown. I didn’t realize how far my stomach had drifted from the original size until some clothes could no longer fit at the end of the lockdown. It did not happen overnight. It just drifted.

When people stray away from the truth of God’s word, it does not happen overnight. We gradually blur the boundary lines drawn by the word of God until the lines are no more. Most times, we don’t set out to wipe out the lines, but tolerating pseudo-truths does the wiping on our behalf. The lines gradually drift into oblivion. Sometimes, the alternative truth may not be a bad thing, but if it is not the truth, it is not the truth. It may even be a popular teaching in the church, coming from teachers that we respect.

That was what happened to the Galatians until Paul had to rebuke them. They heard the truth, they believed the truth, and they set out to live by the truth but…it happened and they drifted.

“You Christians in Galatia are like fools! Someone has taught you to believe crazy ideas! I taught you clearly that Jesus Christ died on the cross as a sacrifice on our behalf. You understood that. So think about this: When you received God’s Spirit, was it because you had obeyed the rules of God’s Law? No! You received God’s Spirit because you heard the message about Christ and you believed it. Do not think like fools! You first became believers by the help of God’s Spirit. So do not try now to continue by your own human power. That will never get you to the end!” Galatians 3:1-3

No matter how long an incorrect teaching has been going on, it does not make it to become the truth. God’s word is settled in heaven and does not evolve with modernization.

The fact that we read and understand something from the Bible or hear an awesome message from a preacher does not mean that we will always walk in the light of the truth that we receive. If we do not pay close attention and treat the truth like a precious treasure, the colour of that truth will eventually begin to appear like 50 shades of grey from which we choose different options depending on our mood. Staying in the line of the truth of God’s word is a personal responsibility, and we must take it seriously.

We must give our full attention to what we were told, so we won’t drift away. Hebrews 2:1[CEV]

So we must be more careful to follow what we were taught. We must be careful so that we will not be pulled away from the true way. Hebrews 2:1[ERV]

We need to watch over the word that we have received from God. We must guard against the emotional interpretation of the scriptures; our sentiments and personal inclinations should not be the filter through which we pass the word of God. Also, we don’t have to align with the crowd like a herd of sheep. We need to stick to the truth that makes us eternally free. No matter how old we may become, there will never be a substitute for reading our Bibles and praying every day. The Holy Spirit is ever available to teach us till the end, we just need to ask Him and listen to Him.

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Joshua 1:8

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23

Don’t suppress the Spirit. Don’t brush off Spirit-inspired messages but examine everything carefully and hang on to what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:19

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August 13, 2023 · 8:51 pm

ACTIVITY ≠ PRODUCTIVITY

I love watching football, especially the English Premier League. I support Arsenal. YES, I do. They are as unstable as unstable can be, but I am not a fair-weather supporter. I’m stuck with them for the long run. When they are in their best form, you can expect possession football, sleek passing, and beautiful goals. At other times, all you get from them will be possession football, sleek passing, and no goals. At the end of 90 minutes, it’s all about the goals and not the possession. There are no extra points for keeping the ball within your team throughout the game. If you don’t score any goals, the possession is a waste of time and energy. Activity is not the same as productivity.

When Jesus visited Mary and Martha at Bethany, Martha was seemingly very active, while Mary sat to hear Jesus teach. There was nothing morally or ethically wrong with what Martha was doing, but it was being done at the wrong time. She was active but not exactly productive in the things that really mattered. Mary appeared inactive but was judged as being 100% productive by the Ultimate Judge because activity is not the same as productivity.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:40-42

There is a story in the closing verses of 1 Kings 20, where a servant was given ONE assignment to guard a prisoner of war with his life. One task only, but he got busy with many other things and the prisoner disappeared and a judgment was pronounced. This story was a parable but a perfect presentation of the fact that activity is not the same as productivity.

When the king passed by, the disciple called to him. “I went to fight in the battle. A man turned around and brought a prisoner to me. He said, ‘Guard this prisoner. If he gets away, you will pay for his life with your own life or be fined 75 pounds of silver.’ But while I was busy doing other things, he got away.” The king of Israel told him, “That’s your own penalty. You have determined it yourself.” 1Kings 20:39-40

Now, bearing in mind that activity is not the same as productivity, it will be instructive to take some steps back and assess all that we are busy with, in the light of what really matters after all is said and done. Most of the things that distract us from productivity are not necessarily bad things, they are usually good things being done at the wrong time. At other times, they could be good things that other people should be doing, and we have taken them upon ourselves – keeping ourselves pretty occupied. If you are busy in another man’s field while your own field lies fallow, you will get nothing from your field at the time of harvest because activity is not the same as productivity.

Are you doing what really matters in the church service unit? Are you being productive or just active doing so many things? At work, are you being productive or just busy here and there? What are you doing at home?

One day, God will show clearly how good each builder’s work is. God will put each person’s work into a fire on that great day. The fire will show whether their work is good or bad. 1Corinthians 3:13

Another verse from the Bible that emphasizes that activity is not productivity is Mathew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Nothing listed in the verse above is inherently wrong, but the active people were adjudged as unproductive. We should pray to find our own fields and to be active and productive in those fields. We should also pray that God will help us to identify the subtle distractions that strive to keep us active and stay away from them because activity is not the same as productivity.

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May 14, 2023 · 3:03 pm

IN THOUGHTS, WORDS, AND DEEDS

We saw Nephilim there. (The descendants of Anak are Nephilim.) We felt as small as grasshoppers, and that’s how we must have looked to them.” Numbers 13:33 [GW]

This started as a thought, they turned it into words, which ultimately framed their destiny. 10 of the spies imagined themselves as grasshoppers in their own eyes when compared with the giants of Anak. Also, without speaking with those giants, they assumed that the giants considered them in the same way. They thought that the giants were thinking the same thoughts with them. This is all because they allowed the wrong thoughts to roost in their hearts. Joshua and Caleb saw the same thing, thought differently, and ended up differently.

Our words are not just words, they have sources, just like the great rivers and oceans that cover about 71% of our earth. The mighty rivers look nothing like their sources. Most rivers grow into massive water bodies, stretching thousands of kilometres in length. Their sources would never have imagined how far they would travel and the impact that they would have on the world. This is how it is with words that start in the recesses of our hearts as thoughts. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, but it starts from thoughts.

Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose. Proverbs 18:21 [MSG]

Similarly, our actions especially when it comes to relationships with other people have the same origin. As long as we are still on this part of the divide, there will be people that will leave us with good memories and there will be people that will leave us negative stains. This is beyond our control. However, what is firmly within our control is what we do with the memories of both sets of people.

When we dwell on offence, it has an effect similar to what meditating on the word of God should produce in us, just that it is on the negative side. When we meditate on the word of God, our understanding is increased as the Holy Spirit enlightens us, our faith grows, and God is magnified in our eyes. When we dwell on offence, the depth of the hurt is increased, the pain is magnified, and we feel worse and worse. This eventually affects the way we see the people and relate to them. Bitterness and resentment get rooted in our lives.

Make sure that everyone has kindness from God so that bitterness doesn’t take root and grow up to cause trouble that corrupts many of you. Hebrews 12:15 [GW]

If we do not err in thoughts, we will most likely not err in words and deeds. It is therefore imperative that we have to guard our hearts to ensure that wrong thoughts do not grow therein. We have the power to control what goes into our hearts.

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Philippians 4:8[MSG]

There will definitely be reasons for us to err in these areas. Offence will always be with us; we may face different shades of difficulties that will test our faith like 10 of the 12 spies. We will always have a choice of what we think, say, or do. God’s grace abounds for us to think like Philippians 4:8 suggests and to speak life with our words.

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March 5, 2023 · 3:49 pm

THE DOOR AND THE KEY

Imagine for one moment that someone got priceless gifts for you. Your name is on all the gifts and they are perfectly wrapped and preserved in a house that is locked. The person that bought the gifts tells you everything that is in the house and you get all excited and start celebrating but you don’t enter the house to unwrap the gifts. There are a few windows around the house and you admire the gifts from the different windows and you still don’t go in to take possession of the gifts. The gifts will remain of no benefit until they are unwrapped, no matter their value.

The Bible is packed with so much words for our reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. It also contains loads of promises that Christ has bought and prepared for us. Sadly, many of these promises go unclaimed because we don’t know that they exist. In some cases, when we know that they exist, we do not take enough steps to do all that we need to do to claim them. We often stop at talking about them, and most of what we say are based on what we heard others say about the promises. We do not take the pain to dig in and discover these treasures by ourselves.

God conceals the revelation of his word in the hiding place of his glory. But the honour of kings is revealed by how they thoroughly search out the deeper meaning of all that God says. Proverbs 25:2 [TPT]

If we cast our minds back to when Daniel and his countrymen were confined in captivity to a country that was not theirs. Jeremiah had prophesied that this ordeal would last 70 years (Jeremiah 29:10). It was only after Daniel sought out and understood this prophecy from the scriptures that he went to God in prayer to start asking for an end to their bondage.

In that first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from the book of Jeremiah the prophet that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years. So I earnestly pleaded with the Lord God to end our captivity and send us back to our own land. Daniel 9: 2 – 3 [TLB]

Because Daniel had seen and understood this promise, he was able to go to God and pray aright in faith. He had solid grounds on which to stand and petition God. At that time, his faith could not have been weakened by their continued bondage because he knew what he had seen in the scriptures. This is the same with us – when we study the scriptures and the eyes of our understanding are opened to anything written therein, our faith in that area becomes unshakeable.

When our prayers and confessions are based solely on other people’s revelations our raison d’etre for approaching God with confidence may not always be sure and steadfast. When we have seen it with our eyes and we know that we know that we know, opposing circumstances will mean nothing to us when we approach God with the promises He made to us. We will stand our ground, no matter how long it takes.

We want to tell you about the Word that gives life—the one who existed before the world began. This is the one we have heard and have seen with our own eyes. We saw what he did, and our hands touched him. 1 John 1:1 [ERV]

After this experience, there was no way the disciples could entertain any doubt about the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection and glorification of Jesus. Similarly, when we encounter revelation into God’s word, our faith in His promises will become unwavering no matter what we experience with our 5 senses. God’s grace is available for us to study and discover. Let’s get digging.

I will end with Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians

I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honour at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 1: 16 – 20[NLT]

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January 5, 2023 · 11:26 am

FLYING THROUGH THE CLOUDS

One of the most beautiful and peaceful sights I can never stop enjoying is what you see when you look out of an aircraft window as you fly above the clouds. No matter how many times I catch this view, I will always be enthralled the next time.  It’s so breathtaking. It just appears perfectly at ease, void of any disorder or chaos. The thicker the clouds, the prettier the appearance because nothing from beneath the clouds can peek through.

In spite of the magnificence of this view, the essence of flying is to move from place to place and not just to take in the view. So, at some point, the aircraft has to leave this view behind to descend through the clouds in order to land at the designated airport. Going through the clouds can be quite uncomfortable and bumpy. Sometimes it feels like a free fall through the skies and could be quite scary. In complete contrast with the view, the thicker the clouds, the bumpier the ride. When it starts, all you just want is for it to be all over. I had a nasty and embarrassing experience with this that I would rather forget.

The pilot cannot decide not to land the aircraft because the passengers love the view up there so much or if he does not want the passengers to feel the temporary discomfort of descending through the clouds. Some of the passengers may be distraught but his objective will always be to get the passengers to their destination.  

Life will throw different things at us. Sometimes, our experiences will feel as if we are gliding peacefully above the clouds and at other times, it appears as if we are stuck in the thick clouds. Life gets as bumpy as bumpy could be. In all things, God sees and God is in perfect control like a great pilot. We have his promises to reassure us that He will be with us, no matter the kind of clouds we find ourselves in.

When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end— Because I am GOD, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Saviour. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That’s how much you mean to me! Isaiah 43: 2- 3 (MSG)

‘Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’ Isaiah 41:10 (AMP)

God is our refuge and strength, a help always near in times of great trouble. That’s why we won’t be afraid when the world falls apart when the mountains crumble into the centre of the sea, when its waters roar and rage when the mountains shake because of its surging waves. Psalm 46: 1 – 5 (CEB)

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7 (NIV)

But the Lord can be trusted to make you strong and protect you from harm. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Because we have these promises, we cannot turn around or yield to adversity. Like the pilot who keeps the end in mind, we can look through the issues with the filter of God’s limitless abilities and know that the Lord that keeps us neither sleeps nor slumbers. Even when you can’t see it or feel it, He never stops working.

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December 24, 2022 · 8:50 pm

REMAIN SEATED

“Remain seated until the seat belt sign is turned off”

                                                                                  Every pilot

I have been travelling quite a lot recently and each time the aircraft lands, the pilot or the cabin crew lead always makes this announcement: “Remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the aircraft comes to a complete stop and the seat belt sign is turned off”. 9 times out of 10, people just ignore the instruction and jump out of their seats as if the instructions were to the birds of the air. I have observed this with different nationalities, so it’s not the specialty of any particular set of people.

When you don’t get up like everyone else, there is a strong pull to conform and do the wrong thing with the crowd because everyone is doing it and everyone seems to accept it. This is worse if you are in an aisle seat and the passengers you have blocked in are giving you that quizzical look. The force of the stare could almost lift you off your seat. It takes a deliberate decision not to join the crowd on those occasions.

As we navigate our multifaceted courses in life, we will come face to face with opportunities to follow the crowd in the wrong direction. The decision may be seemingly innocuous or in some cases, quite significant. At those times, “The end justifies the means” appears to be a wise counsel. When we find ourselves at those points, our focus should be the internal satisfaction that comes from a good conscience and not external satisfaction.

The Bible is filled with examples of those that tilted to either side of the balance in following the crowd and we can learn from all of them:

Aaron buckled under the pressure of the crowd and made the golden calf as a god for the people of Israel. 10 out of 12 spies chose to see themselves as grasshoppers, while Joshua and Caleb saw things differently. Noah endured the mocking of the crowd for a very long time to build the ark. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego chose to stand alone and not flow with the crowd, even when faced with the lion’s den and the fiery furnace. We know how the story ended for each group.

In these days when many people are under so much pressure from the strains of the global economy, the temptation to make little compromises for gain may appear so strong. When we can’t see any way out of the pit we find ourselves in, joining the crowd may appear logical, especially if the compromise seems insignificant. Wrong is wrong and the number of people doing wrong does not make the definition of wrong to change. We can find encouragement and direction from the following scriptures and more:

You must not follow a crowd in wrongdoing. Do not testify in a lawsuit and go along with a crowd to pervert justice. Exodus 23:2

Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! Proverbs 1:10

Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention. Mathew 7: 13 – 14

God knows, God sees and His grace is sufficient. Stay the course and don’t join the crowd. God is able to do it, but even if He doesn’t do it the way expect or when you expect it. He is still faithful.

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December 4, 2022 · 3:39 pm

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

Growing up, one thing that I kept trying to do each year was to retain money in my home-made piggy bank, hoping that I would accumulate enough money at the end of the year to buy something that I really wanted to have. All through those years, one thing that remained constant was that I never did it. I either did not start or when I started, I broke the bank mid-way into the year. The fact that I was not able to pull this off in the previous year did not make me stop trying.

At the beginning of each year, the expectations are very high for the days ahead and the excitement is almost palpable. With this euphoria, many of us set goals and write down our lofty aspirations. At that point, nobody sets out not to achieve these goals. We write them down because we hope to see them materialize at the set time. We also write down things that we commit to pray for throughout the year, asking God in faith and believing that they will come to pass.

When the end of the year beckons, most people make out time to look at the year in retrospect. On many occasions, it would be that some of those things we planned to achieve at the beginning of the year are real only on paper or wherever we wrote them down. Also, some of the prayer points may not have materialized the way we expected. It could be disappointing and discouraging.

When this happens, it is easy to focus on those unachieved goals and unanswered prayers. It becomes even more debilitating when we compare ourselves with other people that seem to have everything working for them like clockwork and it appears as if there is something wrong with us or something we are not doing well. A pity party is born. Ingratitude sets in. We wonder why God did not answer our prayers and it goes on and on like that.

When we find ourselves going down this road, we need to make a conscious decision to count our blessings instead of counting the woes by focusing on the things that did not work as expected. What we focus on becomes magnified in our eyes and ultimately shapes our thoughts and lives. When we make a deliberate attempt to count our blessings, we would indeed be surprised like the old hymn says. We would realize that we have so much to be thankful to God for. One thing we will discover when we count is that we made some achievements that were part of our list and also others that came to us as a bonus. In all these things, we ought to remain thankful by default.

I find the words of the hymn Count your Blessings very instructive in this direction and I would like to encourage you to take some time out to sing and think deeply about those words as this year comes to an end.

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