A Word of Encouragement

Of late I have been reading a lot – which if you know anything about me is not necessarily an easy thing. I go through phases where I get motivated to read a lot of books.

This is maybe something that I learnt / needed to do when I went to Training College, which was a while ago now, to become a Salvation Army Officer (Minister / Pastor).

The thing is, and I hate to admit it, there are even times when I struggle to read my Bible. But then there are times, when I can’t put a good book down, (including the Bible) I get into the groove, the rhythm and read, and read, and read.

I challenge myself to read the Bible in a year, which is something that I have accomplished regularly over the past five years, thanks to the YouVersion Bible App. Reading a different translation each time so that I can pick up on different themes or emphasises.

But of late, I have been doing a lot of other reading as well, devotionals which have been sitting on my bookshelf, articles by world renowned preachers and church leaders, including podcasts, blogs and even facebook posts (which is something that I have started becoming a lot more familiar with over the past few weeks of isolation). Some of which have been good, others that I have questioned where on earth is the writer coming from, wondering what is their story.

A couple of blogs / posts and even the news reports in the past few days have got me thinking: What is it that we are striving for?

Our world has been turned into a kind of parking lot where nobody really knows where we are heading next. And with that breeds a sense of uneasiness, frustration, angst, despair, anxiety which starts to manifest itself into questioning the authorities that have inflicted this situation upon us – After all THEY have made the call to lockdown communities, shut down businesses, stop us spending time with our families, stop travel and more…

But what is it that we are striving for? Connection, Money, Freedom, Pleasure, Time, a sense of worth!

Aristotle is quoted as saying that “Life is only meaningful when we are striving for a goal.” I wonder have we been striving for the wrong goals?

Many people it would appear have been running after things in life that ultimately don’t amount to much. Matthew 6:19 warns us to “not gather together for yourself riches of this earth.” (New Life Version)

Yet the things that we are now wanting to get back to after having some enforced time to slow down and refocus on: Some of the things that truly matter in life like; relationships, family, children, all those things that we haven’t been able to do around the house due to a lack of time, freedom to just rest. We want to set aside again so that we can strive for other things.

Thomas Merton once asked; “Why do we spend our lives striving for something that we would never want to be, if we only knew what we wanted? Why do we waste our time doing things which… are just the opposite of what we were made for?”

I wonder, maybe we just need a little bit more time to reflect on what we want to do with our limited time that we have on this earth. Maybe we need to ask ourselves one of the most important questions of our lives – What was I made for? What is my purpose?

Then work out if what we are doing is truly worth striving for – maybe there is another way to accomplish what it is that we are all about. Yes we all need to earn money to survive in the world today – but has it become all-encompassing, and puts everything else that we value and hold dear in our lives at risk of being lost?

Some would say that the little “g”, or idol of money and success – has become the big “G” in our lives.

Maybe, just maybe, instead of striving we are actually starving for what God intended all along. That we would be free from the pressures of this world and learn to live in harmony with God and His creation.

Psalm 46:10 says that we need to “Surrender our anxiety! Be silent and stop our striving and we will see that He is God. He is God above all the nations, and He will be exalted throughout the whole earth.” (The Passion Translation, emphasis mine)

The quote contained within the picture above says that “because goodness and truth are irrevocably connected to His grace and His being, we are never left striving for purpose when we are seeking hard after God.”

So let’s use this time that we have been given due to the Covid-19 pandemic, to refocus on God and seek after Him. As “His purpose is that people of every culture and religion would search for Him, grope for Him in the darkness, as it were, hoping to find Him. Yet, in truth, God is not far from any of us.” Acts 17:27 (The Voice) “He is the God who is easy to discover! It is through him that we live and function and have our identity.” Acts 17:28 (The Passion Translation).

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A Word of Encouragement

Today’s Word of Encouragement has been adapted from G. John White’s book ‘Sold Out for Jesus’. He unpacks the verse “Whoever claims to live in HIm must walk as Jesus did” from 1 John 2:6 (New International Version).

Isn’t it interesting that one of the biggest struggles we have as Christians, is with our God-given freedom and victory.

The enemy seems to take great delight in, and determines to try to confuse and frustrate us regarding these two innately God given values and privileges (freedom and victory). He even goes so far as trying to emulate them in other things so that it adds to our confusion.

We have freedom to spend our hard earnt money the way that we choose – and yet so often we end up in bondagae to it! We are given victory over embarrassing habits and sins, and yet we end up so often with a feeling of failure and despair because of the warped sense of worth that we attribute to the wrong things.

Why? I think some of it, is because we’ve gone away from what it truly means to “live our lives as Jesus did!” (New Living Translation)

I’m OK with the first bit – I claim to live in Him, but I stop there – go my own way and end up in frustration and defeat. Let’s rather “take on board” the whole! The key to the Christian Life is NOT “claiming to live in Him” but walking as Jesus did!

For Jesus, “the Anointed One, suffered for us and left us His example so that we could follow in His steps.” 1 Peter 2:21 (The Voice)

You see, we can claim the world – but if its unreal, or untrue it is just plain hypocrisy!

I agree with having faith and proclaiming that I am going to be reaching my city, town or community for Christ.

But how will it happen?

When I walk as Jesus did! When we, as Christians, walk as Jesus did! When the church truly steps outside its four walls and starts loving its neighbours as we love ourselves. Then we will see transformation really taking place and God’s kingdom coming to earth. We will see Christianity impacting our communities.

We need to live by faith – but walk as Jesus did – in simplicity – in reality – in intimate relationship with The Father, with the Son and with the Holy Spirit, and in relationship with those around me! For God has placed us just where He needs us!

The world wants to see TRUTH not a sham! It is crying out to SEE JESUS!

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The following song ‘To Be Like Jesus‘ was performed by Rebecca Howan and Joel Millington at the New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa 2016 Congress. The simple chorus, written by General John Gowans for the musical, Spirit , continues to inspire followers of Jesus to try to emulate Him. We all have different personalities, yet we can allow our thoughts and actions to be influenced by what we know of Jesus Christ. We can surrender to Him and follow His leadings in our individual, twenty-first century, earthly lives.

I hope that you enjoy it and that it inspires you to step out in faith and make a difference in your setting.

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A Word of Encouragement – Praise

Today’s word of encouragement comes from Aotearoa Psalms: Prayers of a New People written by Joy Cowley.

“I’ve been looking for a suitable word to praise you, Lord. Something enthusiastic but not too formal, the sort of happy shout a child give to its mother.

I’ve tried Hallelujahs, Glorias and Hosannas, but really, what I’d like is a word from my own language, a word that is me.

If I were a bellbird, I’d fill my throat with ecstatic song. Or, as a lamb, I could fling myself into spring dance. As a mountain stream I would spill out inarticulate babblings of joy. And if I were the sea, my waves would explode in a thunder of love for you.

Lord, you overwhelm me with your great goodness. Praise should not be difficult and yet I can’t find the exact word. Perhaps it doesn’t exist, though if it does, I’m sure that it sounds like ‘Yippee!’”

Today you may find the following songs uplifting:

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation – Salvation Army Song Book #56

Anthem of Praise – Hillsong Kids: Jesus is my Superhero (2005)

Praise You in the Storm – Casting Crowns: Lifesong

Raise a Hallelujah – (Radio Version) Bethel Music: Victory

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