Hakuna Matata

“.. it means no worries for the rest of your days, it’s a problem-free philosophy, Hakuna Matata”

Anyone who has watched the hit movie “The Lion King” will recognise those lyrics (don’t deny it, you probably sang along as you read that…. Or maybe that was just me… The little dance I did as I sang along was probably just me too…). Timone and Pumba sing the song “Hakuna Matata” to Simba the lion cub, revealing exactly how they feel about life: basically, you just shouldn’t worry about anything.

Now that’s great, imagine going through life and never worrying about anything, it would be absolutely amazing. But then reality hits. In comes the thoughts of “How can I afford to pay even more for petrol this month?” or “What am I supposed to prepare for work this week?” or “I have a big test coming up, how will I find the time to study?”, or my biggest dilemma: “I don’t have anything to wear!!!” (meanwhile I’ve got about a billion clothing items tucked away in my cupboard).

Life is stressful, trust me, I know that. Although I’m not very organised (it’s actually bad, you should just see some of my school files), I do like to have a bit of a plan for things, but then of course, as soon as you have a plan, something always has to go wrong, and that stresses me out to the next level. Aside from that, I stress about school and people and exercise and data and what caption to post onto Instagram and when to find time to read my Bible and so on.

Every single person is different and every single person has their own list of things to worry about, and my worries may not necessarily be your worries, but the fact is, I’m sure 90% of the people on earth worry about something.

But here’s the thing... Do you know what God says about worrying?

Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you- you of little faith? So do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

And you know what? That’s not all!

Philippians 4:6-7

 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

There are many other references to worry and anxiety in the Bible (for example Luke 12:24-34, Matthew 11:28-30, John 14:27 and Psalm 55:22), but these are the two I’d like to concentrate on today.

So let’s start with Matthew 6.
God is essentially telling us that worrying about material things is futile, it’s worthless. You know that HUGE problem you’re worrying about right now? I’m sure in the greater scheme of things, it actually is not that significant. For example, I was beyond worried about how I would get to Pinetown in order to drop off this paper at a lady’s house. Now why would I be worried about that? Firstly, I really haven’t had my license very long (I still park about 2km away from the shops in the shopping centre so that I’m away of all other cars, or as I like to call them, potential crash targets). Secondly, driving in Pinetown is as dangerous as driving in rush hour traffic with a blindfold on and your hands tied behind your back while doing the Macarena (ok, maybe I over exaggerate a bit, but it’s scary!!). And thirdly, I have NO sense of direction (seriously, I get lost driving to my house from Spar. Spar is 2km away. Just saying). So anyway, I was super worried, but then after talking to my gran, we realised that there is actually no use worrying about it because the problem is easy to solve: Take an experienced driver with me! Easy as pie.

Sometimes we tend to overthink our worries and make a mountain out of a mole hill, when in actual fact, they’re very easily solveable if you just think about it in a calm, and relaxed way. Also, just as the verse says “Is not life worth more than food, and the body more than clothes?”, that is often the case in life: we tend to worry and stress about things that actually aren’t that important. Yes, it’s great to have a nice body and look good, but if you’re so worried about it that it stops you from experiencing some of life’s greatest treasures (like a huge, juicy, flame-grilled Steers burger) , or that it turns into some kind of eating disorder, you may have to shift your priorities. That was a superficial example, but it works on a deeper level, too. If you’re so worried about finances that you make yourself sick and moody and it affects your family life, you probably need to shift your priorities too. Just because you may have to cut down on some costs shouldn’t mean that you have to cut down on more important things, like family or friends, and most importantly, your relationship with God.

Another important point from that piece of Scripture is the fact that we worry about things like clothes and food, but in reality, God cares so so so so SO much about you. In fact, you are worth more than the birds in the sky and flowers of the field, yet God still takes care of them, so wouldn’t He take even more special care of you?
I’ve often heard people tell me to “Give it to God” when I’m worried about something, and to be honest, I struggle with that. I mean I’m a strong, independent, 21^st century woman, I should be able to take care of myself, right? Well yes, to an extent, but the thing is, why choose to climb Mt. Everest all by yourself when you can have the world’s best Guide going with you, showing you the way and helping you to overcome even the worst kinds of obstacles? By giving something to God, you pray, ask Him to help, and that trust that He’ll pull through. BUT WAIT! Remember God’s plans are different to our own, He may decide to answer you in a far different length of time than you expected, or He may decide to blow your mind and answer you in a completely different way from what you expected, but trust me, He will always pull through, NO MATTER WHAT.

Now I love the last part of the verse: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.””
God should be our priority, our greatest concern. When you decide to seek Him first in everything you do, He will bless you accordingly. Now I know, that is really difficult to do, especially in the busy world we live in today. But the thing is, God is never too busy to help you, I mean He sent His own Son to die for you, so I’m sure we can at least find some time in our day to spend with Him. As soon as you spend time with Him, your relationship will grow stronger and His will for your life will become clearer and clearer. Furthermore, in every decision we make, we should first seek God in it. So if you’re called to make a decision, first think to yourself: ‘What does the Bible say about this? Would God be all right with me doing this?” (trust, you can honestly find answers to anything in the Bible if you just know where to look). God will bless you for considering Him in all you do, like that Bible verse says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23).

Then the last thing about that verse, God tells us not to worry about tomorrow because each day has enough worries of its own. How true is that! If we keep worrying about every single little thing, it will literally cloud your vision and cause you to miss out on the fun things in life. Worrying about something isn’t going to make a difference- it won’t ‘add a single hour to your life’ – actually doing something is what makes the difference.

Then we come to Philippians 4:6-7:

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Instead of worrying, we should be praying. Well I was in the process of writing this blog post, I saw an Instagram picture that said “Worry less, pray more” and that simply puts the Biblical philosophy of “Hakuna Matata”. Life is going to stress you out at times, there’s no doubt about that. But in those moments where you feel worried and vulnerable, pray about it. God isn’t one of those Dads who never shows up for His kids: He’s that Dad with the huge foam finger and sign shouting “GO MY CHILD!” at your sports game. He desires closeness with you, and the only way to really be close with someone is to be completely honest with them. Sometimes we need to think of God as a kind of ‘Dr. Phil’ and trust Him to hear our problems and help us. 1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” By sharing your worries with God, you’re off-loading some of your burden and allowing His incredible, incomparable peace to fill you.

So there we go, take a chill pill, sit down, relax and pray. Live your life with Hakuna Matata in mind, remember, it means no worries for the rest of your life.

“When I am worried it’s usually because I am trying to do everything myself. When I am at peace, it’s usually because I remember that God is in control.”
Dave Willis

“Every evening I turn my worries to God. He’s going to be up all night anyway.”
Mary C. Crowley

“Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.”
Van Wilder

 

 

 

 

To want or not to want, that is the question

You know those times in life when you really want something? And I mean you really, really want it, but you know it may not necessarily be beneficial to have. For example, you may be saving for something important, but then you see that limited edition, designer pair of shoes in the window and you just really want it. Are those shoes really worth you having to re-save all that money?

Besides just not being beneficial, the thing you may want may be sinful. For example, ladies, wanting to murder your husbands for leaving the toilet seat up again isn’t exactly what I would call ‘obeying God’s Word’.

Ok, that’s all great, but just because something is sinful or non-beneficial doesn’t make it any easier to not want. Trust, I’ve been in this situation many, many times. Especially with the whole sinful part. Sometimes it just seems easier to throw God aside for a bit so you can give in to your worldly desires, I am not at all proud to admit this (but we’re all human here), but I’ve even had some moments where I wished for a second or two that I had become a Christian later in life, after I had gotten that thing I wanted. Horrible, I know. I probably deserve to be hosed down with holy water or thrown into the lion’s den or something.

I actually remember once, again I’m not exactly proud to admit this, but I really wanted to go to this party and I wasn’t allowed to, but I tried to come up with a plan to sneak out anyway except I kept feeling so darn bad. In that moment, my Christianity was very annoying. I mean I’m a teenager, we’re supposed to be rebellious and go to raucous parties where we remember absolutely nothing the next day.

But wait a minute… Is that really what growing up is about? Is that what life is about- making mistakes with life-long consequences just so you can have a bit of “fun” and make “memories”?
Well if that’s all we think life is about, I think we have completely missed the point.

Matthew 28:19 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Isn’t that what we’re called to do? As Christians, we are called to glorify God and then go and tell other people about Him.
Ok yes, this may not always be the easiest, but it is definitely the most rewarding. Think about it this way; if you go and tell someone at a party about Jesus and help them give their life to God, not only will you feel way more fulfilled than if you had had six tons of beer to drink instead, but you’ll also remember it the next morning!

Now this isn’t easy, trust me, I know. People can be very resistant to hearing about God, but that is exactly why God reminds us over and over again to be “strong and courageous” (like in Joshua 1:9 and Deuteronomy 31:6 for example). Being a Christian is not for sussies. It takes hard work and sacrifice, but often the hardest things in life turn out to be the most rewarding.

Then with the whole wanting thing, remember Galatians 5:17 says, “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”
Now that is insane. So if you’re feeling a bit guilty about what you’re wanting, it may be God trying to steer you away from that or protect you from it. Plus, if you know something isn’t right, then walk away, because by desiring that thing, you are acting contrary to, or against God. Just by the way, God controls lightning and I’m sure He has pretty decent aim, so I don’t think any sane person would want to act against Him!

To add to that, remember that in that Galatians verse where it says “so that you do not do what you want”, God isn’t being mean and nasty and trying to be a dictator or something, instead He is protecting you. Think about it, if you want to go sleep around every weekend and you end up pregnant or the girl ends up pregnant, that is a life-long consequence. Also, just emotionally, besides the pregnant part, it could harm you. Hollywood makes it seem as if being a player is just the best thing ever, but in reality, those are often the people who are the loneliest or most unsatisfied. I’m not being judgmental or anything, I’m just stating it how I see it. That was one example, but it’s just to show what God is protecting you from. Also with the drinking, if you get super drunk and do something you regret, it’s not a lekker feeling, and so God, being the caring Father that He is, wants to protect you from that. So I hope you get the idea, God isn’t being restrictive, He’s being protective, and ultimately, showing His great love for you.

But here’s the thing, it isn’t easy to ‘unwant’ a ‘want’, but Galatians 5:16 says, “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” So basically, by obeying God and following Him, it’ll help you to overcome those sinful wants and lead a godly life instead.

Next time you find yourself desiring something you know you shouldn’t be, or something that will only lead to trouble, send up a prayer and ask God to lead you through the situation. Then be strong and courageous, show that want who’s boss, and walk away from it.

James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” If you say no to something often enough, eventually you won’t want it anymore or it won’t want you anymore. Plus, think about it, if Jesus could survive forty days in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11) resisting temptation when He hadn’t had any food, was completely isolated from people and didn’t even have a TV to pass the time, then can’t you survive saying no to sinful wants of your own?

So let’s be strong, put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and remember Joshua 1:9:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

So life isn't really working out how I wanted it to...

So we’re half way through 2015. I’m sure most people had high expectations of this year; you know, the classic “This year I’m going to be a better me” or “In 2015 I’m going to lose 10kgs” or “Yes, definitely 2015 is the year I’ll stop smoking”. But then reality hits and you realise your resolutions may actually be very difficult to achieve (I mean cake is so darn good, how is a person supposed to say no to that?!) or maybe your expectations just haven’t been met.

Personally, this year has been nothing like I intended it to be. I honestly thought that 2015 would be this amazing year, I mean I’m in my final year of school, so obviously I would just love and appreciate every moment, right? Wrong. Then the school work and tests came knocking, marks went dropping and my brain went flopping (okay that last one doesn’t make sense, but I wanted to keep up the rhyme scheme :P hehe check me being all poetic…)
I went through a stage this week where I was really just so over it, I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been that negative in my whole life! But you know what, God just reminded me that it’s normal to go through slumps and you don’t stay at the bottom of a hill forever, eventually you’ve got to climb up. Also, Ephesians 4:31 tells us to “get rid of all bitterness” , and so by only thinking about the things that may be going wrong in your life, you’re just setting yourself up for more hurt and disappointment. Instead of allowing the slump you may be in to get to you, we should rather just do something about it; after all, that hill isn’t going to climb itself!

I feel that many people, and Christians especially, have this idealistic view of life: that it’s going to be amazing and wonderful and nothing will ever go wrong. And I say Christians, because I’ve heard of so many people who think once they start following God, everything is just going to work out perfectly. But, the truth is, life is hard. God warns us time and time again, throughout His Word, that we will face trouble or even persecution, and that we will be mocked. 2 Timothy 3:12 even says, “In fact, EVERYONE who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”. It doesn’t say “Only Joe Soap will face persecution” or “Only Christians who don’t eat their vegetables will face persecution”. No, it says EVERYONE. I’m not English teacher, but I’m pretty sure “everyone” means every single Christian.

Now persecution may not necessarily mean being thrown into a lions’ den or being martyred or something. To persecute means “to subject someone to hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of their race or political or religious beliefs”. I believe persecution may come in other forms too, maybe subtle forms, but definitely forms that impact you as a human being. For example, maybe you have some friends who aren’t Christians and they never invite you out with them because they’re scared you’ll be a “wet blanket” or maybe they fear you’ll criticize what they do. Another form may be a fellow co-worker or peer that says hurtful comments about your Christianity, either directly to you or in a less direct manner. These are just two random examples, but I hope you get the idea.

The thing is, life isn’t easy and God doesn’t promise us that it will be. He does, however, promise us that heaven is going to be ammmmmmaazing (Revelations 22:1-5, 1 Corinthians 2:7-9) and Paul even says “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Then Romans 8:18 says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Also, remember that it’s normal to experience slumps, but keep in mind that God will lift you through it. Isaiah 40:30-31 tells us, “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  

Yes, life may not be working out exactly way that you wanted it to, but remember that God’s plan is bigger than our own. In addition, He hasn’t left us to deal with the struggles of the world alone. Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you.” How awesome is that! Life can be scary, and sad and sometimes you may feel weak or alone, but YOU have got the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE on YOUR side, watching over you, taking caring of you. Do you get how absolutely incredible that is? In fact, not only is God watching over us, but Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, “The joy of the Lord is your strength”. The true gift of knowing God and experiencing His glory gives us the strength to tackle any problem, to fight any negative feelings, and mostly, to give us the strength we need to make a change.

Lastly, remember, there is a difference between happiness and joy. Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and so basically, it’s one of the characteristics that God wants us to show. Yes, joy is basically happiness, but I think it’s a lot more than that. Happiness is feeling pleasure about something, but it’s such a fickle feeling. I mean you may be happy that your rugby teams win a game, but then when they lose the next game, that happiness doesn’t really last. I’d say that joy is almost a more mature , consistent feeling of happiness. Rick Warren wrote, “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.”

Life is very inconsistent, and it’s not guaranteed that you’ll always feel happy in it. But that’s why we need joy; that confidence that God is there and He is and will help you through it. Joy is that feeling of knowing that even though right now, things may not be working out, they will come right eventually. Joy is trusting God with everything and knowing He’ll work out everything for the best (Romans 8:28). If you battle with feeling joy, just remember that with everything in life, practise makes perfect; take it step by step. Pray and ask God to help you put joy into practise, then make use of opportunities to show and feel joy. For example, this is just random, but let’s say you have didn’t make the sports team you wanted to get into. Look at it positively: know you did your best and tried your hardest, and tell yourself and believe that God probably has another plan for you, maybe it’s to be in another team or maybe it’s to do something completely different, that doesn’t involve sport. Then don’t give up, persevere and allow God to direct your way up the hill to get you to the top on the best trail possible.

Now please don’t think I’m telling you that life is awful and horrible and that it’ll never work out right, because that is definitely not what I’m saying. It’s just that you may face hardship in life, and it’s important to wear the armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and be ready for whatever curveball may come your way. Keep smiling and stay strong, because you’re here for a reason and your life has a purpose far greater than you can even imagine. The question is, are you ready to fulfil that purpose? Are you brave enough to give complete control to God and allow Him to lead the way? Are you prepared to shine joy, even when life may be trying to burn that light out?

Just remember, John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

For I know the plans I have for you...

I’m actually very embarrassed to share this story, but it did inspire this blog post so here it goes:

I did my driver’s license almost two weeks ago and guess what? I failed. If that wasn’t bad enough, I literally failed in the first 30 seconds on my first parking because I hit into a pole. Only once before have I hit into something while driving and that was someone’s fence in my complex (in my defence, I had just started driving and hadn’t really mastered the art of reversing yet…).

I was honestly so ready to do my license, and I was nervous, but also super confident because I was a pro at parking and I had eventually gotten the hang of doing all the checks and handbrake starts and all that other stuff that normal drivers stop doing as soon as they get their license.
And wow did I pray! I got my prayer groups to pray, I got my grandparents’ small group to pray, my friends and family were praying, and I was praying throughout the day. I honestly felt so confident and ready. But then D-Day came and I got into the car and I went BLANK. I don’t know if you’ve ever felt that way? Maybe in a test or interview, you feel prepared but then it happens and you’re sitting there with your brain deciding to take a quick vacation to Hawaii without you.

I was so, so angry at myself and disappointed. I like to achieve, and when I don’t, I get very irritated with myself. And to be completely honest, I was even a little irritated with God. I mean I prayed; isn’t God supposed to answer prayers?

But then I clicked.

God does answer prayers, however it isn’t always in the way that you’d like them to be answered, and God’s plan for your life may not necessarily be your plan for your life.

I can tell you right now, so far God’s plan for my life isn’t exactly what I imagined it to be when I first became a Christian. I thought I’d never have another worry again, I’d be happy all the time, I’d wake up feeling God’s presence in powerful ways every day and then go to bed having had an amazing day in which I’d appreciate everything that happened because my God gave me that day.
That was my ideal, but my reality is a lot different. I still worry all the time (at this rate, I will probably look all wrinkly by the time I’m 21), I’m not happy all the time, I go through phases when I don’t necessarily feel God, and I don’t always have good days- sounds pretty horrible, right?

NO!

Life isn’t the ideal you always imagine it to be; but with God, IT IS SO MUCH BETTER, even if you don’t always realise it. For example, I remember that when I first moved to Durban, I honestly didn’t enjoy it at all. I just wanted to go back to Joburg and be near my old friends and my family. I wondered why God would let me be in this situation and why I had to move to Durban of all places- I mean it’s awesome for holidays, but to live there?! However, after I had adjusted to the relaxed vibe and very English way of pronouncing ‘fish’, ‘Kloof’ and ‘hill’, I actually ended up loving it, especially the beach. I’m so glad I live here now, and to be honest, I’m soooooo sad to leave next year! Although moving here may have not been my own plan for my life, God had a different idea and it all worked out for the best.

Isaiah 55:8 says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.”

I just think that verse is absolutely awesome! God doesn’t think the same way we do, His ways (i.e. manner or characteristics) are not the same as ours. This is just so reassuring; I mean imagine God always acted the same way we did. If He acted like a proper female, He’d have probably made all rivers chocolate (although that seems wonderful, just think how gross it would be- anyone could bath in the chocolate rivers or animals could die in it and all that… ew…), and although the world may then be neat and orderly, there would be about a week once a month where you’d probably want to remain indoors…
And if God acted like a typical male, the only thing we’d be allowed to watch would be sport-related and the average human diet would consist of biltong, boerewors and beer!

Then we get Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”.

God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts, so naturally He’d be able to do more than we could do, to form things we never thought possible. “For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37.

Now although you may not know what God’s plan for your life is, and even though life may not be going the way you’d necessarily like it to be going, just remember:

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Isaiah 58:11, “The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

God knows what you’re going through, He knows EXACTLY how you feel. But we have to remember that even though things are uncertain now, or even though you don’t know what you’re supposed to be doing or you don’t like how things are working out, God will allow it to work out for good and in the best possible way, you just have to trust Him. He will guide you and help you and show you the way to go.

I saw a picture once that said God’s 3 answers to prayers were “Yes”, “No” or “I’ve got something better in mind”. If you’re praying for something and it you aren’t getting it, remember that God may just have a different plan in store for you, a better plan. Also, Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” If something isn’t happening now or isn’t going to plan now, remember that there is a time for everything. Maybe now is just not the right time for it to happen, so don’t let it worry you too much.

Lastly, remember that it is essential to spend time with God and in His Word, it is the best way to hear and learn what God has in store for you and why what you’re praying for may not be working out right now. I believe there is a lesson to be learnt in everything. With me failing my driver’s license, I learnt a few personal lessons that I can now implement into my life and that can help me to become a better me.

God’s Word is a lamp for your feet and a light unto your path (Psalm 119:105), it isn’t a spotlight to tell you exactly what to do and when to do it. We have freedom of choice and we do have a big say in how our future will end up, so it’s okay not to know what to do and it’s okay if things may not be working out just as you planned. However, if you want your future to be the absolute best it can be, allow God to take your hand and lead the way.

“God has a perfect plan for us. He never does it all at once, just step by step, because He wants to teach us to walk by faith and not by sight.” (iBelieve.com)

So get ready, strap in, and trust God; you’ll go places you never even imagined, reach heights you never even thought possible. And remember, it’s often the times where we don’t have everything planned out that the best memories are made.

 

The Choice Is Yours

The courtroom was silent as the judge carefully eyed the accused. No one made a sound, apart from a slight cough or clearing of throat.

Sinner stood scared before the judge, his right eye twitching and his left hand nervously tapping his leg. The judge noted that Sinner definitely wasn't the best looking specimen; his skin was scratched and dirty, his hands were bony and the veins protruded out, probably making handshakes a very undesirable option. However, apart from a few marks on his face, Sinner definitely could have been beautiful once, in his youth, long before his battle with the world.

The judge scratched his chin and looked over his glasses to a note on his lectern. "Sinner, you have been accused of murder, theft, lying, drunkenness and disorderly behavior, gossip, rape, jealousy... Need I go on? "

Sinner shook his head as a tear escaped down his cheek.

"Do you plead guilty?"

Sinner gulped and gave a little nod, "I do, your honour."

"Ok then, your punishment is death followed by eternity in the depths of hell."

Sinner gasped and cried, falling onto his knees and begging the judge to spare him, after all, there was so much he hadn't done yet and he really was sorry, he'd never do it again, promise.

The judge just sighed and was about to comment when suddenly a man stood up and shouted, "No! Wait! Spare him! Take my Son instead!" Next to Him stood a tall man with built shoulders, probably from doing some sort of carpenter work, and a wise face with warm eyes.

The whole courtroom turned to look at this insane man.

"And why would you offer your Son?" asked the judge, "What has He done wrong?"

"That's the beauty of it," replied the Man. "He has done absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, a more pure and holy man is impossible to find. He is constantly helping others and healing the sick."

"It's true!" shouted a member of the jury, "I saw him with my own eyes. He even forgave a adulteress and fed thousands of people. My cousin recently saw Him raise a man from the dead!"

A woman sitting in the back stood up, "Yes, it's all true. In fact, I was suffering from constant bleeding and by just touching Him, I was healed. I even saw Him having dinner with a man from SARS of all places! And then this man paid back all the people he cheated. I was shocked."

The judge stared over his glasses, flabbergasted. "Tell me, sir, if your Son is as incredible as He sounds, why would you let Him receive Sinner's punishment?"

 

"It's simple," replied the Man, "it's because I love the Sinner."

Sometimes I think we hear the story of the cross so often that it tends to lose some of it's impact... It could be just me, but sometimes in church, when the pastor talks about the Crucifixion, I've just thought "ya, ya, so sad, I'm so lucky, when's lunch?" (I don't mean it as horribly as it sounds!:P ) But, the thing is, the Crucifixion was HECTIC and it should impact us every time we hear it, no matter how sugarcoated or watered down the message is. I mean think about it: maybe you haven't murdered someone, and maybe you've always made sure you go to church and give money to a beggar every so often, but did you really deserve to have someone ultimately go to hell for you so that you don't have to? I definitely don't deserve that. I mean I've lied, I've had some nasty words slip out my mouth (especially when I'm driving and a certain type of car thinks they own the road), I've probably stolen several things in my life (yup, I even stole half a brownie at church once, that's how horrible I am). There's so much I've done wrong and often do wrong on purpose; I mean I know it's a sin, but wow, it really is the easier option!

The thing is, as we can see from the opening story, basically this innocent, good man decided to take our, the sinner's, punishment. Romans 3:23 tells us that we ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The truth is, we actually all deserve hell. But you know what, God isn't some mean, nasty old grumpy man in the sky who wants to see us all burn. That doesn't bring Him any joy! 2 Peter 3:9 says that God "is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." Then 1 Timothy 2:3-4 says, "This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, WHO WANTS ALL MEN TO BE SAVED and come to the knowledge of the truth."

This doesn't sound like some mean God who laughs His head off when someone goes to hell, in fact, I think it genuinely hurts Him to see His children suffer. Luke 15:10 says, "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner who repents." If there is rejoicing in heaven when a sinner goes to heaven, surely there must be sadness when a sinner goes to hell instead.

Now like I said earlier, we are all sinners and we actually deserve to go to hell. However, God, instead of letting us perish, and because of His great love for us, decided to give us a second chance by letting His Son die on the cross for our sins. We just have to decide whether we will accept that second chance or not.

Now the big question is WHY. Why would this BIG almighty God who created EVERYTHING, want to save little old you and tiny old me? I mean our human brains are wired to question every single situation and know every single detail. We overthink or stress about many things that don't require much thought or worry at all.

Personally, I think too often we actually overthink the Gospel, we want to know the nitty gritty details of every single parable or lesson, that we seem to forget the pure, and simple message. God didn't inspire people with the words to write the Bible so He could confuse readers and cause people to doubt or turn away. No, in fact, He wrote it to basically instruct us on how to live before we leave earth (Bible = Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth).

The thing with the Bible is, it was written by several different people who will have different views and perspectives, and often we take this as the Bible contradicting itself. However, if you look deeper, you will see that it isn't contradicting itself at all. Trust, I've had several moments like this, but as soon as I look to the WHOLE Bible (after all, the Old and New Testament do still have links), I see that there is no contradiction at all.

Moving on, got a bit carried away there :P

But God's reason for the way He blesses us and helps us and gives us the amazing gift of salvation is easy: it's love. Pure, simple, undignified, radical, powerful, heart-wrenching, life-changing love. If we only knew just how much God truly loved us, I think our minds would literally explode! Honestly, it is CRAZY how much He loves YOU. God isn't a far-away dad who only wants to give 5% of His time to you. No! God is the type of dad who shows up at every single sports game or play or show or anything, wearing a huge foam finger with your name on it and screeeeaming His support. Yup, we have all seen those dads!

God's love for you is so crazy big, that He is willing to give His PERFECT Son for YOU, an imperfect person.

If you had the choice to save either an innocent baby who hasn't done anything wrong his whole life, or some murderer who also stole your car a while back, who would you choose? Most people would choose the baby, but God? He chose that murderer, and that murderer is you.

Yoh.

It honestly blows my mind how humble and kind God is to have given His Son so that we didn't have to go to hell (I've read some verses about hell and trust, it definitely does not sound like a nice place to be!).

 

But here's the thing: God has this amazing gift waiting for you, and all you have to do is open it. How do you open it?

Easy!

Romans 10:9, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

If you haven't given your life to God, I honestly suggest you do it, it is seriously the best decision you could EVER make. Just tell Him you confess you're a sinner and you're sorry for what you've done. Tell Him you believe in Him and want to give your life to Him. God and His angels will be rejoicing for dayyyyys!

 

Now God has given us a second chance. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, " Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

So what if you've made mistakes? So what if you come from a horrible background? So what if you've done some things you're not proud of? Once you give your life to God, you are WASHED CLEAN. That old dirt is NO MORE. Stop holding  onto your past and stop letting your past determine your future. If you have given your life to God, He WILL forgive your sins and He will help you move on to become the best you that you can be. Acts 3:19 says, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."

Don't let your past sins hold you back from experiencing the amazing things God has in store for you. Let Him refresh you and allow Him to walk this new journey with you. Deuteronomy 31:6 and 8 say that God is with you and near you, He will never leave you nor forsake you. No matter what happens, He will always love you. He is ready to help you experience things you never even thought possible, to feel joy that few even know about, to indulge in a kind of love that will leave you forever changed. He's ready... Are you?

 

After all, the choice is yours.

Glass Half Full

You've just woken up from the most amazing dream: you know, that awesome dream that was just about to get to the good part when BAM! The alarm clock goes off X_x So what's the first thing you do? You complain. Yes, I've been there most school day mornings; the first thing I do when I'm up is complain. Either I complain about how I never got see how my dream ended, or I complain about having to go to school or the lack of sleep I had... The list is endless.

As it is my home country, I try to know more or less what's going... Which leads to even more complaining. I've complained so much about the Xenaphobia in South Africa, all the striking and the tons of other fun stuff that happens in our country, that sometimes I forget to look at the positive. And isn't that the truth? Sometimes we're so wrapped up in complaining about something that we fail to see the positive parts about it, which brings me to my topic today:

Positivity.

To have positivity is basically to be optimistic, and it's really hard to be optimistic sometimes. The glass often looks more half empty than half full, and life often seems so full of sadness, hurt and heartbreak that it's difficult to be optimistic about the future. Well, if that's your mind set, then stop thinking that RIGHT NOW. If you're not optimistic about the future, how will you be able to motivate yourself to be the best person you can be; to distinguish yourself from mediocrity?

Just because life seems dull or hard right now, doesn't mean it will be that way forever. So often we get caught up in the present that we forget to look further on. Imagine you were climbing a mounting and only looked at your feet the whole time? You'd miss all the beautiful views. Sometimes life doesn't turn out how we would like it to, or how we had expected it to. That's the thing about life; it isn't constant. The only constant thing about it is that it is constantly changing!

Just look at David for example. Before he become king and defeated Goliath, he was just a young shepherd boy. Never once does the Bible describe him as unhappy or complaining about his situation. In 1 Samuel 17, David's father asks him to travel and deliver some food to his brothers who are fighting the Philistines. Now they didn't have cars or even bicycles those days, so it meant he probably had to WALK all that way. Gee, and I complain having to walk just to the kitchen and pour my brother something to drink!
When David asked some of the Israelite soldiers what would happen to whoever defeated Goliath, one of his brothers stepped in and bullied him a bit, saying he was "wicked" and "conceited" (hmph... I would probably give my brother a big slap if he called me that :/ ).
David, officially my new role model, replies, "Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” ³⁰ He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before."
Wow. Instead of calling his brother names back or complaining to his father, David just asked if he had done anything wrong and then moves on. Just like that.
Eventually David ends up killing Goliath with God's help, you know, with the slingshot and single stone (I'm sure not even Chuck Norris could do that).

So here's the thing about David: he had so many reasons to complain. Imagine being forced to watch sheep while your brothers got to be heroic and fight in the army? Also, he had to walk super far just to bring them food. Then his brother bullies him for just wanting to know what's happening. Not only would I be complaining, but I'd probably have some very colourful language to add in as well.
And that's why David is such a good example of positivity: he didn't let other people bring him down and he ensured God was his priority. David asked what would happen if someone defeated Goliath, he looked beyond right now into the future to know what he was working towards. Most importantly, David had faith. He knew that with God's help, he could conquer anything, even a literal giant. In verse 17, David says, "The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
But that faith though! He didn't say "I wonder if God will help me", or "I hope God won't let me be defeated", he just said in a statement that God WILL rescue him. He looked at the situation positively and just look at all he achieved: I mean he became king. KING. That is quite a big achievement, if I do say so myself.

Now that's all great that some boy who looks after sheep could kill a giant, but how will that help me? Well I think we should all learn some lessons from David. Instead of concentrating on the negative, look ahead to what the future holds for you. The future is exciting, people! Doesn't it just excite you to think that if you're single, maybe one day you'll meet an amazing man or woman to marry? Isn't it exciting to think maybe one day you'll have the job of your dreams or maybe have enough money to never have to work a day in your life again? Isn't it exciting to think one day, YOU could discover something new that could write your name in the history books forever and ever? Isn't it exciting to think that one day, you could fully unlock your potential and be completely and wholly the person you were called to be?

The future may seem dire or unsure at times, but remember that God has already planned your life (Jeremiah 29:11) and He will make sure He helps you, as much as you allow Him to, to have the most abundant and amazing future ever, even better than you can imagine. After all, Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. "
God will make sure things work out for you. So instead of complaining now, try look ahead and say something positive instead. In fact, I challenge you: every time you're about to complain, or if you have just said a complaint, say something positive about the same situation instead or straight after. For example, tomorrow morning I'm probably going to complain about this strike that is happening near my home, but instead of complaining about how annoying it is, instead I'm going to say, "You know what, it may be frustrating but I respect these people for making a stand. Plus I probably don't have to go to school, so yippee for that." (do people still say 'yippee'? Or is that only in those old children's books? :/)

There we go, so even though life may seem horrible now, remember to look forward. The world may not always be a pretty place, but Jesus did say in John 16:33, "“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
#WOW

Running With New Takkies

Recently there have been various protests and debates at UCT to remove the Rhodes statue, as many find it offensive due to what Cecil Rhodes stood for and did in the past. Now that's all good and well to stand up for what you believe in, so this is no offense to anyone, but this situation got me thinking about how we, as people, hang onto the past.

It's almost as if we physically struggle to move on. The thing is, the past is the past, and just because something bad happened, doesn't mean it has to affect your future. However, if we're being honest, I think there's always one or two things that we hang on to and let affect us. Maybe you had a bad break up and now you struggle to trust other significant others, or maybe you were bullied about something in primary school and now you're still struggling with that insecurity. I am guilty myself. This may sound silly, but a few people would comment on my hairy arms in primary school and even today I'm shy about them, especially around boys! (To whoever is reading this, just know I promise I'm not some cave woman with arms that are so hairy they look like a blanket, they're not that bad... I hope!:P ) 

Holding onto the past will hurt you and make it harder to move on. Think about it : if you're running a long race but you're still wearing your broken takkies from ten years ago, it's going to be pretty hard and pretty sore to finish that race, and I definitely don't think you'd be able to achieve as well as if you had worn newer, not broken shoes. 

There's the perfect example of this in Numbers where God told the Israelites that they had to stay in the desert for 40 years (Numbers 32:13). Why? Because they were hung up on the past and not trusting God. Basically, God called this guy Moses to lead His chosen people, the Israelites, out of slavery by the Egyptians, into a new place He was preparing for them. So Moses got them out of Egypt after some really tough negotiation and a few plagues, but while they were traveling to this new land, the Israelites got cranky and said it had actually been better for them in Egypt and they should have stayed there! I'm sorry, but I think anything is better than being a slave. But you see, the Israelites were hung up on the past and didn't want to move on when the going got tough. They hadn't  traded in their old, broken takkies for their new, not broken ones (what's the word for not broken? Think my brain's on holiday today!) 

The Bible actually warns us several times not to hinder on the past. Philippians 3:13-14 says, "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Isaiah 43:18-19, "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

As you can see, even God is telling us to move on, He knows what's best for us. It's true, bad things happen and sometimes moving on is super difficult, but when you learn to move forwards instead of staying tied back; that is when you will uncover some of the best things in life. 

God creates newness, and once you're in Him, you are a new creation. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

If you've done or experienced bad things in your past, that all goes away once you've surrender your life to God. He will give you the newest, most non-brokenest (#NewWord)  pair of takkies you could ever wish for. He will give you the strength to move on to new heights and experience things you never thought was even possible. There is a catch however: you actually have to let Him catapult you to new heights. Sometimes it's hard to trust God, but it's only when we trust Him and have faith that we are able to reach these new heights.

Don't let the past define who you are. You can create your own definition of yourself and that definition is up to you; will you choose the world's definition or God's definition of your life? 

Hebrews 12:1-2

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Get ready to run the rest of your earthly race with God holding your hand. Stop worrying about the past, it's only going to cause wrinkles and a broken heart! Let God's newness flow in you. Ask Him to help you finish this race to the best of your ability.

Think about it, life is hard enough as it is. Why add to that by hindering on past things that you can't change? Learn from it and try not to make those mistakes in the future. Put on those takkies, and 

Run, Forest, run! 

BBL Challenge: Kindness

I just came back from a school hiking trip in the Drakensburg, and our accommodation was primitive to say the least: we slept in a cave, we showered in a waterfall and, most shockingly; there were no bathrooms!! Now I don't know about you, but I'm definitely not super comfortable with doing my business in a bush (lemme just tell you, grass can be very sharp and can poke you in some very weird places X_x)

So there I was, rushing to pack things for camp, when I forgot to bring the most fundamental thing: toilet paper! Not only would I have had to go in the open on a mountain, now I wouldn't be able to experience the last aspect of civilization either: using toilet paper.

Now luckily for me, I have some amazing friends and one of my friends, Megan, did a super generous and kind thing: she let me use her toilet paper.

Ok, I'm cringing writing this so far (toilet practices are not usually on the top of my list of conversation starters), but I thought Megan did a super kind thing- I mean what if, by some chance, she had run out of toilet paper because of me (gross, now I sound like I have a bladder  problem... Just remember this is hypothetical :P)?!



That brings me to the topic of this week's blog: kindness.

So now that patience has (hopefully) been cemented into place (my cement is still drying...), it's time to build the next part of the wall: the block of kindness.

"Love is patient, love is kind.... it is not self-seeking..." 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love..., patience, kindness...." Galatians 5:22


Once you have mastered the art of patience, it makes it a whole lot easier to be kind. But hey, wait! What is kindness?

In simple terms, I'd say it's being nice to others or doing something nice for someone else without expecting anything in return. However, I am not an English teacher, so here's the proper definition:



"The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate" (Oxford Dictionary)



Ah that's awesome, so to be kind you should be friendly to, generous to and considerate of others.

Now why is this so important?

Well I think that being kind is showing love in the physical form. I mean think about it; would you go to your enemy and bake them a cake if you didn't love them at least a little bit? And no, poisonous cake does not count! :/

Kindness is such an important and strategic way to show God's love to others and to get them asking questions about God. Just imagine there was someone at your school/ work who wasn't able to bring lunch for some reason, so you packed an extra sandwich for them every day. Now that's super kind, and I bet you one day that person will ask, "Howcome you do this for me?" Then BAM! In you go with your whole lemme-tell-you-all-about-my-King speech #PerfectOpportunity.

Now here's the main reason kindess is important:

Are you ready for this?

Are you taking a seat?

This might shock you:
GOD TELLS US IN HIS WORD TO BE KIND.

It's as plain and simple as that. We are supposed to obey God, and part of that obeying means we should be kind to others.

In fact, Ephesians 4:32 tells us, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Proverbs 11:17 says, "A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself."

Colossians 3:12 tells us to, "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience"

Romans 15:2, "Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up."

Acts 20:35, " ...the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”


As you can see, kindness is very important throughout the Word. Those were just a few examples but there are plenty more.


By being kind, many opportunities will be opened to you.  We should be kind to those around us, trying to build them up and not down. This does not necessarily mean only physically doing kind things- it means verbally as well. Our tongues hold the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21) and I think can actually be more harmful than a weapon. If you're stabbed or shot or whatever, the pain will eventually go away. However, when somebody says something nasty to you, it can affect you 'till your dying day.  Ephesians 4:29 actually warns us, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

When we speak to, or about others, it should be encouraging and motivating; not belittling or demeaning. Life is hard enough as it is and I don't think we have the right to make it any harder for other people by verbally breaking them down. Words are important; they are impactful and powerful,  both in the way they can hurt someone and in the way they can bring someone up. Imagine if every time you wanted to say something bad about someone, you said something good instead? Imagine how different the world would be. Our words can change the world!


Kindness can also be shown physically, mainly through generosity. Now I think in today's economic slump, people are very hesitant to be kind; money's tight! But here's the thing: kindness does not have to be expensive. By spending tons of cash on doing something nice or kind does not make it any kinder. A kindness can be some as extravagant as buying a car for someone you know is battling, or as simple as lending someone toilet paper! To me, they are both equally kind as they meet two different needs.

I heard a sermon once titled "A Random Act of Kindness" that was centered at the idea that we should just do random, unplanned acts of kindness. Now that got me on fire; I wanted to be super kind to everyone and just do kind things all day. One thing I discovered, though, is that often when you least expect it, that is when God calls you to do the deed of kindness.

Maybe it's offering someone half your sandwich, or maybe it's volunteering at the SPCA or a children's shelter one weekend. Who knows? It may even something like listening to your grandpa reminisce about the past. Again, kindness does not have to cost you anything.


By building this block of kindness, you will be yet another step closer to love. We should "put on" kindness every day, refusing to leave the house without it. Kindness should become a natural inclination that requires no thought. It's not always easy to be kind, but just remember that you never know what someone else is going through, and by being kind to them, you may be saving their life in some way. Kindness can change families, people, lives. There is no limit to the heights that kindness can catapult you to.

Therefore my challenge to you this week is to SHOW KINDNESS.

Whether it may be saying something nice about someone else, sharing food with someone, giving money to a beggar, helping a granny cross the road, writing someone you don't normally speak to an encouraging letter...

Don't let people hold you back. Most importantly, don't hold yourself back! It is incredible to see what God is capable of doing when you start obeying Him.


Aesop said, "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."


So let's do this.

Let's change the world.

One small, kind step at a time.

Building Blocks To Love Challenge: Patience

In the next 9 weeks or so, if you partake in this challenge, you're going to build a wall. I know what you're thinking: "A wall? No thanks, I'll rather go watch cricket". But then you'll see how awful the Proteas are doing and you'll want to go back to building a wall (ok to be honest, I don't watch, nor do I understand cricket, so I don't actually know how the Proteas are playing. I just don't think their last game went well because I heard my gran sighing and shouting "Ag no man!" at the TV screen quite a lot). 

Now I guess I should get back to the point: building a wall. We're going to partake in a challenge: the Building Blocks to Love (BBL) challenge. This wall you'll be building, if you choose to join me, is a wall of love. 

Love is an important part of the Bible and God strongly urges us to love. He also continuously tells us how much He loves us and He has shown it to us in various ways- just take John 3:16 for example: For God so LOVED the world that He gave us His only Son. In fact, Mark 22:36-40 tells us that the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and then after that, it's to "love your neighbor as yourself". 

As you can see, love is quite important to God, and so it should be to us too. But now here's the problem: it is SO difficult to love most of the time. For example, when you're about to be late for work/school, and a taxi suddenly stops in the road in front of you, I don't think love is the first emotion that you feel. If it were me, I would probably think of some very foul words, get super angry and then make some very 'nice' hand signals. I don't think my first reaction would be to love the taxi driver and smile and wave and sing or whatever loving people do. 

It is hard to love a lot of the time, and that's why sometimes we need 'training' in it. We need to start building the blocks of love in our life; and I'm encouraging you to do this through the fruits of the Spirit. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 

To me, this ties in perfectly with fruits of the Spirit, which are: 

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control." Galatians 5:22-23

So through the next 9 weeks or so, I will post a blog on one fruit of the Spirit and then your challenge (and mine too!) will be to put that fruit into practice. 

Ahhh I'm excited already!! I hope you are too! :D (The teenage girl in me is trying so hard not to scream and cry and do all the things you'd normally see at a Justin Bieber concert)

I think that this challenge will be life changing if you follow it correctly and commit to it. I'm ready for my life to be changed, are you?

So let's start:

"Love is Patient".

Fruit 1: Patience. 

Ok, I'm officially probably THEE worst person to talk about this. I'm very impatient. However, this is also perfect because now I have the opportunity to put patience into practice B-) 

Patience is defined as "the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset" (Google). 

The word "patience" in Hebrew is "qavah", which means "to wait for, to hope, or to expect."

The more I read about patience, the more difficult it seems. However, it is not impossible. I mean look at Moses for example. He was probably the most patient guy in history. For those who are unfamiliar with the story, Moses basically led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. But these Israelites just kept complaining and complaining and complaining. Honestly, if I were Moses, I would have taken early retirement! 

Patience is vital when showing love. If you are getting impatient with people or situations, often that leads to sin. For example, let's say you need to open an account or something at the bank, but the teller you're dealing with is being super annoying and slow. So now you start thinking horrible things because you're getting impatient, maybe you start becoming quite rough and maybe you even say one or two hurtful comments. Is that portraying Jesus? No. Impatience is dangerous. 

Jesus was super patient. I mean imagine being the Son of God and knowing how AMAZING and awesome heaven is, but having to wait 30 odd years on earth first before being able to go back? Think about it: Have you ever been sooo excited about something that time drags until that thing happens? With me, for example, I was super excited for my birthday in February, which was on a Thursday. Never in my life had I had a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday drag so much- it was awful. Now imagine if I had to wait 30 years! 

I'm sure you've had many situations where you've been excited for something. So I'm pretty sure Jesus was excited to get back to heaven, but now He had to do His earthly duties (which I'm beyond grateful He did!) first. Never once do we read about Jesus complaining and sulking in a corner, instead He worked His butt off and made the most out of every opportunity. 

(There are tons of examples of Jesus being patient throughout the Bible, but I'm trying not to make this way too long to read)

Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be "imitators of God", and so if Jesus showed patience, should we not too?

I mean think how many people it could bring to Christ! Going back to the earlier example, imagine instead of being impatient with that teller, you accepted the delay without getting upset; you realised there was not much you could do about it and chose to just be friendly and Jesus-filled instead. Maybe that could have been an opportunity for you to share Jesus with the teller, or at least make her/his day better (Seriously, think about how many bitter people they deal with in a day!)

So how can we be patient? 

Well firstly, we have to pray for God to help us be patient and to open opportunities for us to practice patience; after all, how do you get good at something if you don't train? 

If you're starting to feel impatient in a situation, take a deep breath and send up a silent prayer. Impatience isn't going to help the situation at all, instead it will leave you feeling more stressed and uncomfortable.

Another thing you could do is be accountable to someone. Tell your best friend or spouse or pastor, or anyone you want, that you're trying to be patient and they can help and encourage you. Trust, it helps a lot! 

Also, why don't you put a little reminder for patience somewhere? Maybe write a "P" on your hand, or if put a little Bible verse about patience on a note and keep it on your desk or on your fridge or in your office or in your car or wherever you feel it will be most helpful. These are just ideas, but they help a lot. I, for example, often draw a small cross on my hand at school to remind me to be like Jesus.  Remember the story of Jacob in Genesis 29:20-28 where he worked a total of 14 years to get the girl he loved, even after her family tricked him. Maybe that would be a good Scripture to remind you on patience because at least you don't have to wait 14 years for the thing you want!

Patience should become a habit, then it'll get easier and easier to show. Remember that by showing Godly patience, you could honestly change somebody's. It's the same with impatience: by being impatience and maybe doing something regretful, that could have a horrible effect on somebody's life. 

Therefore I urge you, put patience into practice! This week the challenge is to be patient, whether at school, at work, at home, with your family, or whatever the situation. Let's start building block one and let's build it strong. 

I'm ready. 

Are you ? 

P.S. If you'd like to share about how you're doing on your patience challenge, that would be awesome! Why don't you post a comment on this blog, or on my Facebook wall, or even message me personally! :D 

Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (NKJV)

Love

 joy 

peace 

patience 

goodness 

gentleness 

self control

Faithfulness 

Kindness 

Don't Settle

So I'm sitting in a plane right now and there's turbulence; to say I'm freaking out would be putting it mildly. However, I tend to get very deep when I think I'm about to die, and I landed up thinking about relationships (ah trust Michaela to think of boys when she may only have minutes left to live!)

A word of warning, I'm going to be VERY honest in this blog, so don't judge :/ (just remember I only just recently turned 18! Haha!)

I've always said I'm going to wait until marriage to have sex and that I'm going to stay pure for my husband. I think this is due to ignorance, but I honestly thought it would be so easy and I'm a Christian, so I obviously wouldn't be tempted to do anything naughty with boys.

But then hormones, experimental friends and over keen boys came along. Then I suddenly realised that I had actually signed myself up to quite a big challenge. 

I've also always been quite the romantic, and I always imagined that if a guy liked me liked me, that he would bring me flowers, write me romantic letters, post cute photos of me on social media and say adorable things like "I don't know why God would bless such an ordinary guy like me with such an amazing girl like her <3" (obviously he would be underestimating himself, though, because my guy wouldn't just be ordinary!). However, reality hit me hard last year and I realized most guys actually aren't like that. It's not that they're bad guys or anything, it's just that guys' brains work differently to girls' I suppose. I won't lie, this did bum me out a bit though. 

And then one day I was having a conversation with a really good friend of mine because we had discovered that we were a part of a handful of virgins left in our schools. Then we spoke and posed the question why we should even wait if the chances are high that our future husbands are probably not virgins, if society standards are anything to go by. I mean here we are, trying SO hard not to fall into temptation, and then there our husbands are getting frisky with some irritating girl (sorry if that girl is super nice and all, but hey, if you're dating my future husband, you better expect some hard feelings from me ;) ) 

I prayed about this a lot. I mean did God really mean we had to stay virgins until marriage? Maybe He meant that we just shouldn't sleep around with a million different guys. Plus, you know, the world has changed from Bible days and maybe nowadays it's ok if we don't wait. Also, in Bible days, girls were getting married at 12 or 14, so they didn't have to deal with that sexual urge for very long anyway. So how come now we have to wait so long? And what if I only meet my husband when I'm like 40?! Uh, how the heck am I supposed to stay a virgin for so long?!

These thoughts were protruding my mind and I was so confused. I realised how hard Christianity can be, and yoh, I had some very tough arguments with God about how unfair He is and how He expects too much.

But then it hit me: God is good. 

He answered every single one of my queries and sent people to remind me that waiting IS possible and that I don't have to settle for less.

The whole point of my blog today isn't just about waiting for marriage, if you've already had sex, or you decided not to wait, that is SO chilled! No judgment from me at all! One of my main messages today is that I want to encourage you to NOT SETTLE FOR LESS. 

Ok, so, did God really say we must stay virgins? Well the thing is, He warns out throughout His Word about not living like the world does, but like He does. He also encourages us to not to gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16-17 says "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."

 Also, lust is a sin. Whoooah I sin quite a lot there... Can't help but think some very lusty thoughts when I see some of those 6 packs at the beach!:P 

"For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished. It is a fire that burns all the way to hell. It would wipe out everything I own." Job 31:11

But the thing is, we need to pray for God to help us with that. Somebody said something quite profound to me once: every time you're looking lustily at some guy or girl, you are busy checking out somebody else's wife or husband. Would you like it if every single guy or girl who walked past check out your spouse like that? I wouldn't. He's mine. Mine, mine miiiiiiiiine :/ (haha ok I say that in the least possessive and creepy way possible!)

If you're sleeping around with ten people a night or whatever, those are people you have to tell your future spouse about, and isn't that in a sense already committing adultery? If you're destined for one person, why would you want to share that intimacy of sex with so many other people? Then what will make it special with your wife/husband? "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:28 

(Again, I'm not writing to make you feel bad if you do have sex or whatever!)

Also, I believe God wants us to wait for our spouse for health reasons as well, especially in today's society with things like Aids and all the STDs we have just chilling around. Every person you sleep with is a more of a chance to pick something gross up. In Life Orientation at school, they've shown us pictures... Trust me, you DO NOT want your private areas to look like that!:/ 

Then secondly, is it ok in modern time not to wait because the Bible days were so long ago? No! God says numerous times in His Word that Him and His Word are NEVER changing, He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow! (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17 and so on). He created everything and obviously He'd know what's best for the world and people He created. Plus if sex is suddenly ok out of marriage, does that mean it's ok to suddenly murder people whenever you feel like it? No! God's Words and laws are never changing, they are rocks like Him, and do not crumble. There are no terms and conditions. 

Now here's my most general and probably most applicable and important message today: DO NOT SETTLE FOR LESS.

YOU are amazing! You deserve nothing less that amazing. If you are God's child, He's put a special Mark on you and it's going to take an incredible, faaaaaaar above average, amazing, wonderful, beyond what you can ever expect or imagine, man or woman to win your heart. God is this mighty loving Father, and He isn't going to allow somebody ordinary to have the heart of His son/daughter. So yes, maybe you're single now, but amazing, incredible, wonderful things take time. 

Imagine a beautiful, luxurious castle being built. It doesn't just take an hour to build. Sometimes, it takes years and years. It's the same thing with your spouse, sometimes they just need a few years to be "built" into the amazing person you deserve. And also, it's the same with you. We have to be humble and remember we aren't perfect. God is still at work within us and don't you want to honour  your spouse by being the best person you can be? 

I've recently met some inspirational couples that have shown me that amazing guys do exist out there! A good friend of mine from school as this incredible boyfriend who she's been together with for about 9 months, but dating officially for 6 or so. He still will not let her pay for a single meal. The other day, he came all the way to our school to drop off stuff he printed for her,  and then wrote her the sweetest note to tell her to be happy and to remember he loved her. He shows up to her house with flowers and biltong, he respects her like I've never seen a guy respect a woman before. He will honestly drop anything to help her. I've recently spent time with the two of them, and  I believe God did that on purpose to remind me that there ARE guys like that out there who exist. 

And for the guys, there are girls like that as well! You must just see how my friend treats him. Honestly, I believe every single guy deserves an amazing girl like her (or if you're tanned, have a 6 pack, are really Christian, can drive and earn big bucks, then you deserve an amazing girl like me in your life! ;) haha jokes!)

This is just one couple, but there are so many more: like my grandparents, my youth pastor and his wife, and so many other people who I could name who just have the most incredible relationships. 

Also, I've been privileged to come back into contact with or meet some awesome guys recently who have shown me that there are still true Christian, gentleman out there. My hope has been restored!

So please, I urge you, do not settle for less. If you are single and lonely, don't just go for the next guy or girl who comes around just because you want some loving' in your oven or whatever they say, rather wait and use your singleness to grow closer in God.

I watched a YouTube video from ChaseGodTv, and he said that your singleness is such an important ministry time. When you're married, your priority ministry is your spouse and family, but when you're single, your priority is the WORLD! There are no limits at all. In fact, Paul said it is better to be single (GET VERSE).

Ok I'm not encouraging you to give up dating all together, I Personally don't see a problem with it as long as it isn't causing you to sin or getting in the way of your relationship with God, and as long as it is Christ-centered, but just remember that being single isn't a bad thing at all. Rather look at the positives! 

So please, I urge you again, do not settle for less than what you deserve. Even if you've slept with 100000 people, or have messed up your life, or if you feel down about yourself, remember God loves you and He will forgive you no matter what, and as His child, you deserve nothing less than the best. 

"Don't be so desperate for a relationship that your spiritual life runs dry. Seek Jesus and let Him lead you. He will provide when you are ready, not lonely." @adamcappa