The World is Unfair
Posted on September 17, 2012 by Joyce
There are times when I feel like the world is unfair.
Why is it that there are children who are born to very rich families and provided with more than they could ever need while there are children who are born in poverty with mothers who could hardly feed them?
Why is it that there are children who are so loved and taken care of while there are children who are sexually molested and abused by their own parents?
Why is it that there children who are so fortunate to be able to study in exclusive schools while there are those who couldn’t even go to school because they needed to work, to find some junk in heaps of garbage just to help their family?
Why is it that there are children who could enjoy their childhood and be happy playing with other children while there are those who have disabilities or who are already sick and dying of cancer?
And all along, people tell us to be happy, as though there is nothing wrong in all the world, and as though everything is fair and just.
There is injustice everywhere. There is lack of love everywhere. And even if people declare peace, there is really violence and evil.
The world is unfair. But I guess we can only say that if we believe in ‘fairness’ and ‘justice’, if we believe in God. And if we do, we don’t believe that this world is all there is. There will be a time for fairness and for justice. There will be another world far better than this dark one we’re living in. For now, we have the opportunity to be true instruments of peace.
“Love and truth will meet; justice and peace will kiss. Truth will spring from the earth; justice will look down from heaven.”– Psalm 85:11-12, NABRE
We crave for love, so much so that we look for it even in the worse of people who only hurt us and fail us constantly. Somewhere at the back of our minds, a voice tells us we can find that love in God, that He has loved us ever since, and that He is the One who has really loves us most. But we doubt this voice. We feel it isn’t real, nor is the love of God which we cannot see. How can we know He loves us when we cannot even see Him?
Below are some of the things that made me realize how much I am loved, and how real God’s love really is:
1. He created me with awareness and the ability to love and be loved.
I am not a stone that does not know the things happening around it. I am not a shell that gets tossed about by the waves, unaware of whatever shore it lands upon, without consciousness of all the beauty surrounding it.
I am aware and alive. I hear the sound of the waves crashing upon the shore and it soothes my soul. I see the sunset and I marvel at God’s fingers painting that beautiful scenery everyday. I smell the flowers and I feel at peace. I walk upon the sand and their warmth comforts me.
When I hold a baby upon my arms, I feel an ability to love and to give. I feel that I can make other people happy, and their happiness makes me glad in return.
2. He witnesses my life, my life isn’t meaningless
We look for partners in life not only so that someone might love us and take care of us. We look for them because we want them to witness the life we’re living.
How important is it to have a witness to one’s life? For many, it’s the very difference between a life well lived and a meaningless one.
We all want somebody to see how far we’ve already reached, how far we’ve already grown. It’s not enough for us to be able to achieve something. We want our achievements to be remembered, to be seen, to be the cause of inspiration of another person’s life.
With God, I know that Someone’s always watching. Even if men do not understand, even if they don’t see the good that I do, Someone always does.
3. He gives me respect and allows me to be myself
God respects me and allows me to be me. He loves me enough to allow me even to make mistakes. He knows that I could learn from them, and that even the hurts I would experience in life would make me a better person.
Sometimes we think that if we really love a person, we should always interfere in what they do so that they won’t make any mistakes. But by not letting them decide on their own and own the consequences of their actions, we are also not allowing them to grow. We’re also not expressing our belief in them, that they can rise up after they fall, that they can later on have the wisdom to choose what’s right.
4. He communicates with me, I know I’m not alone
To be able to have someone to communicate with is to not be alone. It is to know that someone else understands what you’re saying, and that someone can respond according to His own awareness and understanding. It is not commanding an inanimate object to move according to your will. It’s being part of an intelligent and conscious exchange between two consciousness that is aware of each other.
Nobody falls in love with a puppet. A puppet merely says what you wanted him to say and moves where you wanted him to go. We want someone who has a mind of his own, someone who is just like us.
“God is an ocean, a fire, a living fountain…That is the essence of prayer:this contact with a living God, a God who reacts, not like a simple inanimate being but like a living person, with a thrill of joy, with the gift of Himself.-Where The Spirit Breathes”
5. He gives me something to look forward to, my life is far from boredom
The person who is in love is far away from boredom. To her, every moment is meaningful, and every next moment is something to look forward to.
She does not know what her beloved would do next. Will he invite her out to dinner? Will he give her a bouquet of flowers? Will they watch a movie together?
It’s the same with God. We know God loves us because He forms a relationship with us. In that relationship, He gives the gift of Himself. He pours out from a heart of love such surprises we could never have dreamed of!
6. He enlightens my mind and gives me wisdom
Life is a continuous discovery of the mysterious. And when we have a relationship with God, He allows us to discover a part of Him. He reveals Himself and gives us spiritual wisdom we could never learn elsewhere.
This wisdom enlightens our mind and satisfies our thirst for spiritual food. We continuously learn new things that benefit us and other people. We are delighted with what we learn and such things can never be stolen away from us.
7. He heals my wounds and help me love myself more
Only God knows me. Only He can understand my innermost wounds and fears. With His guidance, I am healed, and I am able to love myself more.
Other people have their own wounds that may cause them to avoid me when I hurt. They have desires which I cannot satisfy, expectations that I may fail to meet. With God, I am loved even if I fail, even if I can’t always be strong enough or beautiful enough. In truth, it is His love that makes me beautiful in time.
8. He receives with gladness everything I offer Him
Other people may not need what I can offer them. Others may be too proud to accept help from someone like me. But God, even in all His greatness and glory receives with gladness every little offering that comes from me.
He knows what I can do. He knows the love with which I’ve made the gift I’m offering Him. And He receives the same with love and gladness, He honors me by receiving and appreciating all that I do for Him.
9. He directs my path and leads me back whenever I go astray
If I were the only one who’s trying to maintain my relationship with God, I’d be in great trouble. I know my limits and imperfections. I know how often I change my mind and lose heart.
But God is so good. He cares for His sheep, and He will not allow any to be lost or stolen away. Whenever I start to lose my way, He is there to remind me of His love. He pursues me. He lets me know how much I matter. He leaves the 99 sheep behind just so He can find me and take me gently upon His arms.
10. He saved me and gave me eternal life and lasting joy
Is there a greater act of love than to lay down one’s life for His beloved? There is no greater love, and this is just what God has done.
He could have just offered me the world and I would have been overwhelmed. He could have given me the entire galaxy, or a constellation of stars, but He did not stop there. I receive joy of the most precious kind, one that lasts unto eternity, one that comes from the offering Jesus made upon the cross – the offering of His own Self!
God’s love is like a mother’s love. To a mother, each child is loved, each one important, each deserving to be saved and protected from all harm. Even if a mother has ten children, it is not enough to save only seven,or even nine. She has to save them all. She cannot rest until she has saved them all!
Indeed, nothing can separate us from the love of God. His love for us does not only manifest with the material things He provides for us, nor in the relationships we have with the people we love. His love is greater and far surpasses all our needs and expectations.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38:39
Dear Friends:-This Is my Personal Testimony How the Lord Helped me when I was in the AAU. I hope that the Lord will bless you through this True Testimony.
Faith and Life of witnessing in Addis Ababa University
“And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and mighty in words and deeds”. Act. 7:22
When I was a third year student, we were using brother Lemma Misganas’ house for the filling of the Holy Spirit. My faith in God began to increase when I continued to listen to Pastor Cho’s cassettes that were translated in to Amharic by Wossen Alemu. The cassettes contained titles such as the Law of Listening, the Law of seeing, the Law of Speaking, and Victory over Evil Spirits. Since I was translating what I heard into practical reality, the Christians started to name me as the “The little Cho”. The faith I had in God was great. I was repairing the calculators owned by both believers and non-believers through prayer. At that time anybody who owned a calculator was considered as a person who owns a computer today. One evening I was praying and starring at the sky in the recreation area close to the freshman building, and when I gazed at the stars, I said, “God, Who put the stars in the sky, since I love to hear spiritual songs, please give me a tape recorder.” I went to the dorm of my fellow Christian brothers and claimed by faith that God has given me a tape recorder and they asked me to show them. I told them that it is not available now, but God shall bring it soon. They therefore advised me not to be a stumbling block, and I said in my heart that faith is not available to all and kept quiet.
One day, Negassi Hailu and I went to the house of a Christian family. The owner of the house was a servant of God. I do not remember his name, but his children’s names were Emnet (Faith), Tesfa (Hope) and Fiker (Love). The servant of God was coming back from participating in the Billy Graham conference for the servants of the church in Holland. He mentioned that he had brought two tape recorders. One was for somebody but the Holy Spirit was reminding him to give the other one to Gebru. He said I should pay tax revenue of Birr 42:00 and take the tape recorder from the customs authority. I took the tape recorder from customs. My elder brother who was an employee of the Disaster Prevention and Rehabilitation Commissions covered the amount that was charged by customs.The Tape recorder was working either manually or by Electricity. I took the tape recorder to the next students’ Christian fellowship and inserted a cassette and the song of Pas, Tesfaye Gabisso, was heard clearly. Thus I gave my testimony that the Lord was able to provide me with a tape recorder.
According to the university regulation, as soon as we finish the academic year, we had to fill in the clearance forms and hand it to the university registrar. As we completed the third year, they purposely told us that the name of the communist youth association should be included in the clearance form. It was targeted against us. All the departments signed for us, but the youth association labeled us unruly and rejected us as if they do not recognize us. The stamp of the other departments was thin and four-sided while the stamp of the youth association was round and big. It was easily recognizable whether it was present or not.
The youth association in the Arat kilo campus (science faculty) was the most radical of all. They prevented our seniors from obtaining employment or receiving their temporary degree. When the youth association refused to give us clearance, we prayed to God. God gave me wisdom and I collected all our clearance papers and prayed over it and took it to the registrar and they finally accepted it. The faithful Lord showed us wonders.
As we started the second semester of the fourth year, we were trained in the 37th round of Campus Crusade International Ethiopia in the Hibret Amba church by Pastor Abraham Yosef and Evangelist Moges Tadesse, and graduated at the Lutheran church. When they provided the lessons, they emphasized that “the blood of the person would be in our hands if we do not witness about the Love of God reviled in Christ Jesus.” I was highly frightened that if I did not abide by this advice, something would happen to me.
As soon as we finish this lesson, the student committees in every campus organized a conference in Entoto Mekane Yesus church. As soon as Dr. Alem Bazezew instructed us on spiritual leadership, God told Evangelist Solomon Tesfaye “Get ready to meet your God,” and he interpreted it as either we are going to serve God or we were to depart to meet Him. I was worried that I might die without giving my testimony to others. Evangelist Solomon was one of the servants of God inspiring us. I was especially listening in awe of what God was accomplishing through his hands. This evangelist, besides his church ministry, spent most of his time with the student committee leaders.
There was an episode that brought a breakthrough in my life. While the committee leaders from Arat kilo, Amist kilo and Sidist kilo were waiting for the arrival of Solomon in the house of Paulos Legesse, Temesgen Berhanu raised a question why we do not pinpoint our mistakes and correct them. But Asfaw Kenno opposed this view because we might stumble. Anyway Temesgen wept and asked us to tell him his mistakes and immediately afterwards, Brother Solomon arrived and prayed for some time. He told us that according to James 5:16 we should confess our sins so that we might serve God with complete confidence and receive our healing. This idea struck a chord with me and we started confessing our sins one by one. When it was Asfaw’s turn he told him to confess, withholding nothing, and cited the example of Annanias and Spphira who stole and were killed. The rest of us got frightened so we began to confess again. After all this is was done, something like a rain drop landed on my neck three times, and a big change happened in my life.
After attending the training on how to be a living witness of Jesus Christ organized by the Campus Crusade International/Ethiopia (which was followed by an Entoto committee conference), I was walking by the Egyptian embassy for a funeral sermon, and on my way found a girl wearing a short miniskirt. A voice urged me to witness to her. I was afraid what might people feel if they saw me talking to her and ignored the opportunity. She passed me by. But the Spirit of God warned me “that her blood is in my hands.” I returned and searched for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. I asked God for His forgiveness and promised to Him that from now on I would witness to anybody I meet. As I continued my way, I meet a drunkard who was wearing his shoes the opposite way, singing and dancing in English. Since I was afraid to witness in Amharic and the man was singing in English, I said “Jesus loves you.” He replied back and hugged me. He smelled terrible because besides tobacco he drunk a lot of wine and other alcohols, and I was about to vomit, but he released me soon enough. He asked me if we can walk a bit alone. He told me he was working as a librarian in Kennedy Library in Addis Ababa University and wants to get something that can separate him from this habit. I cancelled my plan to go to the dead man’s house and took the man to the Entoto Mekane Yesus church to receive the Lord as his personal savior.
In addition, I asked the Lord in prayer to wake me up early in the morning and witness to anybody I met. Next morning the Lord waked woke me at 5:00 AM as if touched by another man. “Oh Lord, did You do it! Are You Series about it?” I said and asked first and foremost the guards of the university at the gate if they received everlasting life. I gave them a few tracts and went out of the campus to witness to others. Some of them accepted what I told them, while others insulted me. Some would tell me about their religion.
I walked up to Arat Kilo and waited until breakfast was served, then went towards Sidist kilo and to Piazza, as well as to the area around the National Palace, and witnessed to the people I met there. Near the Palace I was encountering security people and they were waving their pistol at me, warning me that they would take action against me if I continued, so I worked to avoid them the best I could.
If the Holy Spirit forced me to change my direction, I immediately follow the plan without any complaint, because He is my Lord. One time, it was my intention to go to Piazza, but the Holy Spirit guided me to go to Afincho Ber (behind the Sidest Kilo University). I accepted the guidance of the Holy Spirit and went there. As soon as I arrived in the place, many people had gathered. A man was hanging on a tree. So many people were saying that the man was a banker and a generous person. A lot of students from Menen and Teferi Mekonnen secondary schools were watching the spectacle. I intervened very quickly and told the people that they have confirmed that he was a good person, and I proceeded to tell them about a kind Person who was very kind and crucified on a cross for us, and I urged them to follow Him and I said that Person is named Jesus Christ.
The students asked me where to meet again. I told them to come to the café behind the university in Sidist kilo at 1:00 PM. However the condition of the payment gave me a headache. I wondered where I could find the money to invite them all. The café was small and I did not know how it could accommodate all these people. The decision was tough. First of all I told God that since I did not have money, I would let Him prepare a person to invite us. Since the café was narrow, I could let the clients go out as the students go in. As the time approached and the students came, God answered the two issues. As the students came, all the clients went out. And one of the students volunteered to cover the expense. I witnessed to them in depth and they confessed their sins. (Even now I meet most of them in various churches.)
On another occasion, when I was about to go through the national palace to the Fitber, the Lord told me to go to Abuare. As I went down the road from the parliament I saw a young man lying on the ground shivering, surrounded by others. Some of them said he was attacked by an evil spirit and others commented that if his parents wanted him to be healed; he should drink holy water from the Coptic Church. One priest even tried to give holy bread. The members of his family who brought him from Ambo worried very much. I asked them to give me an opportunity. They gave me and I said, “Raise up in the name of Jesus!” at that moment not only the unbelievers were shocked, even I was shocked by what the Lord did. He immediately rose up and I continued to preach. When the individuals decided to follow Jesus, I taught them thoroughly about Jesus and how to carry the cross in the compound of the trinity church before they join a church. I did not directly send them to join a church because the church was persecuted and it had to be protected from intruders and wolves.
Mesfin was a soccer player for the railways club. His residence was near Fitber. When I went to the Baata Mariam Church (Orthodox Church) for witnessing, I met him and witnessed to him about Jesus and he was pleased. But he hated the Protestants and insulted them severely. Since I approached him with love, we became good friends. We always met in the Baata church. We studied the Bible in the same place for three months. Since we were very friendly I invited him to go with me to the conference organized in the Entoto Mekane Yesus church. When he heard the word, he told me that what I taught him previously was the same and he received the Lord.
When the number of people who receive the Lord increased, I began to cancel breakfast and concentrate on witnessing for lost souls. When this went beyond expectation, I devoted the whole morning up to midday. Later on, as the issue became beyond control, I cancelled classes such as thermodynamics, solid state physics, economic geology, electro- magnetism, geophysics, quantum physics and education. I was only attending the engineering geology class that was given by Dr. Abera Getahun. (You must note that I was a fourth year, second semester student and it was like standing on fire.)
Except for the science faculty students, I was not brave enough to witness to the lecturers. Once there was a night prayer session and a message came from a sister who does not know me. She said, “Do not be afraid to witness to your lecturers, and I will do your part and you will never worry about your studies.” I was very happy. One day it was raining and I was in the library. I saw one of the structural geologist professors named John Morgan, who was a Canadian, walking to his office. I went out of the library immediately and went in to his office. We talked about structural geology for some time and I asked him if he goes to the I.E.C. He asked me what the I.E.C is. I answered it means International Evangelical Church. He said he is an evolutionist, scientist and geologist, and claimed that he does not believe in the existence of God. I was angry and irritated and told him that if he did not accept Jesus Christ, one day he would appear before the judgment of God and thrown to eternal fire and brimstone, and I advised him to think about it carefully. He asked how I knew of the existence of hell. I said it is written in the Bible and that that he went to church while he was a child. I knew he was trying to avoid the issue. I again told him it is not about your childhood that matters but about your present state. He confessed and promised to go to church and asked me to give him a Bible. At that time I did not have an English Bible. I knew Mesfin Shibre had one, so I took it and gave it to him, along with other books supplied by the navigators. After two weeks, he returned from Gore–Gambella Geo-traverse. While we were doing some experiments in the laboratory, Professor John Morgan had returned from the field and called me through another person and took me to the Tourist Hotel. It was my first time to go to the Tourist Hotel. As I was drinking coffee with milk, I had prepared a few tracts for him to read. At the bottom of the tracts the label printed in Canada was written in small letters. He was astonished! He commented that he did not accept the Lord in his country, but he believed now. He went to his country after finishing his contract. We corresponded for about two years once he left. He informed me that he had become a member of the Pentecostal church in Edmonton.
When I witnessed to the East German and Soviet Professors about Jesus Christ, and asked them to receive the Lord, they were warning me not to spread the word of God. (There were many Soviet citizens lecturing in the physics department.) My quantum Physics professor was from East Germany.
At that time it was possible to pay 12 cents (0.25 Ethiopian Birr) and enter the tower in the Bole International Airport where you can see the departing passengers. I had nobody to see depart from Ethiopia. But I had the opportunity to watch others see off their friends and relatives with tears and wailing. I comfort them by saying, “Don’t cry for Emmanuel is coming soon.” They ask me in turn, “Who is Emmanuel?” I would tell them Emmanuel is Jesus Christ…
[The moment I saw airplanes, I said, “God send me by these planes to foreign countries so that I might preach for You.” At that time I had only seen Ethiopian Airlines. However, since 1992, God has heard my prayers and assisted me to go all over the world through the various other airlines such as Lufthansa, Thai Airways, Japan Airways, Qantas, Anset Australia, United Airlines, Air New Zealand, Emirates, Gulf Airways, Qatar Airlines, Alitalia, Egypt Airways, Air France, Aeroloid, Al Nippon Airways, Bretons Safe, Singapore Airlines, SAS, British Airways, British Mid Land, Olympic Airways, KLM, Kenya Airways, Air New Guinea, Air Malaysia, Air China, China Airways, gulf Airways, Condor, Finish Air, Southwest, Northwest, Continental, Air Tran, Air Canada, Delta Airlines, Canadian Airways, Turkey Airways, Swiss Air, American Airways, and so on. I might have flown through more than 95% of the airways! I have flown through a wide variety of countries to serve the Gospel of Jesus Christ from North Norway to South New Zealand from East Japan to Western USA.]
As I was witnessing in this manner in Addis Ababa, the second semester exam was fast approaching. My dorm mates Gelana Chibsa, Gashawtena, Bayou, Feyissa Werku, and the second year students who were with us such Abduselam, Abdu Semad and Shekib, were warning me to study seriously if I was going to pass the final year without jeopardy. Although their advice was good, I was keeping the promise of God seriously and I had never been troubled by anything.
When the thermodynamics exam approached I asked my dorm mates what Dr. Haile Ezgi told them about the exam. They told me it was an open book exam and students could bring up to three books. I asked God to help me and borrowed three books from the Technology Faculty Library. We were handed four questions and the time allotted was six hours. I found three questions answered in the book and it took me about an hour to copy the answer. I left the fourth question out because it was difficult for me.
I also asked what the solid state physics teacher, the Czechoslovakian professor Mukshisčk, had commented about the exam. He had done eight problems for us and we were expected to answer three questions. I crammed the eight questions in two nights. (Of course, physics is mathematics and must be worked out and could not be crammed or memorized.) Since I had no choice, I crammed them all and God assisted me. Three questions appeared and the time given was six hours. I finished within an hour and went for my Christian testimonies.
Our electro-magnetism examiner was Dr. Late Meskel. Since I had memorized the answers, it did not take me fifteen minutes to complete the four hour long exam. The professor advised me to carefully review my answers. Upon review, there were no changes to my answers. Instead of sitting around and watching others perish, I opted to go out of the class and found three souls for Christ.
Since geophysics was my favorite subject, I studied it when I found extra time. While we were sitting for the mid- semester exam, everybody had taken materials to be copied. The Italian professor left the class during the exam, which was suitable for mischief. The three believers of the class (including me) scored the lowest grades because we refused to cheat as we believed copying was sinful. When we were ascending the freshman building to sit for the geophysics final exam, the students were discussing how they would copy from each other. The Biblical quotation “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright” Psalm20:7-8 came to my heart, and I felt happy. I implored the Lord to fight for us and consider about our condition. To my amazement, we were informed that since everybody had copied in the midterm exam, the results of it had been cancelled, and this final would be everything. To discourage the cheating process, three examiners were assigned for a batch of less than forty students. Most of the students did not study because they relied on cheating. Those of us who studied scored good results.
The GPA I attained during this semester was the best compared to my other semesters. During the street outreach which began in the fourth year of the second semester, about 300 people received the Lord and were baptized in the year 1986.
About one month prior to the final exam, I rose early in the morning and said to God, “In Addis Ababa and the other towns, You have many children to witness for You. Who can think for the people in the border of Ethiopia? Please send me to the mining exploration so that I may witness for You there.” The Lord was so faithful. Ten students were selected from the physics department for the geophysics study in the Geological Surveys of Ethiopia-ministry of mines a month before we sat for the final exam.
I obtained my first degree when I was exactly nineteen years of age. God gave me a job suitable for the service of God and my life as a junior- geophysicist in the institute of geological survey of Ethiopia, the UNDP,As Part time Hydro-Geophysicist in the World Vision international/Ethiopia, Air borne Engineer Petroleum-Geophysicist with v/o Techno export company.
The Addis Ababa University for me was not the place where I only obtained a degree. It was an institution, which I loved and would never forget, because it was there where I grew to be a professional in my field of study, matured in my spiritual life and was nurtured for the type of duty I am rendering today. May all honors be unto God who never leaves nor forsakes the very poor.
I got my B.Sc major in Physics and Minor in Geology from Addis Ababa University in1986 When I was a teenager-19 Years old.
(Origionally posted on Gebru Woldu's Facebook wall - 26/10/2012 )
What Is The Meaning Of Life? Posted on February 24, 2012 by Joyce words-of-wisdom
There was once an old woman who died when she was 87 years old. She didn’t have any children. She never even got married. As for possessions, she had 3 clothes and one pair of sandals. A peer described her as small and shy. She looked as ordinary as everybody else except that you’d probably recognize her if you read some books and watched documentaries about her life. For all her simplicity, Mother Teresa has helped thousands of people in 45 years over 100 countries around the world giving aid to the sick, the poor, the orphaned, the homeless and the dying.
Did she live a meaningful life? Was she successful in achieving the standards people usually attribute to a happy life?
Let’s look at another life:
Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself…
While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Twenty long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.
I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life. (Adapted from a sermon by Dr James Allan Francis)
The man being referred to is Jesus, the one whom Christians believe is the Son of God. Not everyone may believe Him, many even criticize Him, but His impact upon millions of lives for centuries cannot be denied.
Did he live a meaningful life?
A meaningful life is not the same as a comfortable life. It isn’t even the same as having a peaceful and quiet life.
While many of us may feel worthless, many more people await for the help we could offer them. We may not have much money, but we could have much time. Even if we don’t have much time, we have our thoughts, our words and our many other gifts. Even those already suffering in sickness and can’t get out of their bed has the capacity to pray for those who are suffering more than they are. We don’t even have to help thousands of people. We could help only one person and it would make the very difference between a life well lived and a life that is devoted to none.
Lastly, the meaning of our lives does not depend upon the opinion of other people. It does not depend on what others deem important or valuable, but on what we consider as important from deep within our soul. What is so important to you that you could forego everything else just to pursue it? What would a meaningful life look, sound and feel like to you?
Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours. – Dale Carnegie
“What you are doing I cannot do, what I’m doing you cannot do, but together we are doing something beautiful for God, and this is the greatness of God’s love for us. To give us the opportunity to become holy through the works of love that we do because holiness is not the luxury of the few.” -Mother Teresa
Your Daily Life Matters to God
Posted by C. Stephen David , on "Stephen-by-Bible" blog
Saturday, April 21, 2012
After having church fellowship, my wife and I were returning back home along with our children. As we were waiting at the crossroad to take the right turn, the vehicles before me started to go ahead. I began to follow them, but when I saw the red signal still on, I immediately stopped. There were honks behind me, signaling me to keep going, but I didn’t move.
My eldest son, Joy, began telling me, “Papa, let’s go. Vehicles are going. Why did you stop?” I replied, “The red signal is still on.” He said, “So what? No problem. Others are going. Go.” I was trying to explain to him how as Christians it is not the right thing to follow the crowd in doing wrong. Then he said, “This is just signal; it is not Jesus. This has nothing to do with obeying God.”
I find many of us are like my seven year old kid who assumes how we live our daily life and what daily choices we make has nothing to do with God and spirituality. How many of us act (we may not admit) according to the following myths?
•How I shout at my wife has nothing to do with God! Am I am shouting at God?
•How I disrespect my husband has nothing to do with God! Am I disrespecting God?
•How negligent I am at my workplace has nothing to do with God! Am I neglecting the church?
•How I gossip about others has nothing to do with God! Am I speaking evil about God?
•How I dishonestly earn money has nothing to do with God! Am I robbing God’s money?
•How I misbehave with my neighbor has nothing to do with God! Am I behaving harsh with God?
•How I lie to people has nothing to do with God! Am I lying to God?
•How I avenge those who offend me has nothing to do with God! Am I not being nice with God?
•How I cheat on taxes has nothing to do with God! Am I not giving my tithes to God?
•How I refuse correction from people has nothing to do with God! Am I not listening to the Holy Bible?
•And on and on and on…..
Many think spirituality is just about praying, reading the Holy Bible, going to church, singing songs, listening to a sermon and giving an offering...etc. We suppose these are the only things that matter to God. We don’t realize that our daily life, i.e. how we live at home, at workplace, on streets and in our private life, matters to God and speak a lot about our spirituality.
Are you aware of the following instances?
•Do you know when Paul persecuted the believers, the Lord said, “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me”? (Acts 9:4)
•Do you know when David committed adultery with Bathsheba, he said with repentance, “Against you only have I sinned”? (Ps. 51:4)
•Do you know when the righteous did good to His people, the King said, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me”? And to the wicked who didn’t do good to His people, the King said, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me”? (Matt. 25:32-46)
•Do you know, out of The Ten Commandments, six are related to how you treat your fellow human beings? (Ex. 20:1-17).
•Do you know, to the slaves who were working for their earthly masters, Paul said, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men”? (Col. 3:23).
I can go on and on and cite Scripture after Scripture. But what do all these Scriptures reveal? God is concerned about how we treat others and how we follow the right standards in this corrupt world. When we misbehave with others, we are ultimately offending God. And when we don’t follow the right standards, we are eventually disobeying God’s word.
Friends, how we live on earth and conduct our daily affairs matters to God and reflect our love for Him and reverence to His word. We cannot put God out of our daily life in whatever we do. And our life and choices not only matters to God but as the Scripture says, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).
Therefore, “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17).
