Moments

Moments

One thing this year has definitely taught me is that life is full of moments: moments of happiness, moments of sadness, moments of laughs and moments of crying. All these beautiful moments combine to give us that beautiful thing we call “life”.

One critical thing about a moment is that it doesn’t last forever. The amazing invention of google search defines ‘moment’ as “a very brief period of time”. Yes, sometimes you’ll feel down and sometimes things may not seem easy, but just like a moment, it won’t last forever. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”. Everything that happens in life has a designated time which, sadly, we have no control over. Verse 4 goes on to say, “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance”. Each moment in life requires a different response, and I absolutely love that part about a time to dance. Yes, we will have depressing moments, but there will also come times of happiness, excitement, pure joy and gladness that no one will be able to take away from you. Think about a memory that makes you instantly smile, a memory that warms you belly and makes you see the good in life again. This sad moment you may be in now won’t last forever, soon you will be able to replace it with another happy moment that makes you want to dance and sing and, to put it bluntly, act like a crazy person!

Sometimes things seem so horrible that we train our minds to think of it as long-lasting, and that causes quite a gloomy outlook on your future. However, another important thing this year has taught me is the sheer power of the mind, as well as your attitude. By perceiving something as ruining your future, odds are, it probably will. But wait: there is a solution! It’s called changing your mind set- which will then end up changing your attitude. If you’re going to look at everything negatively, you’re going to attract negative vibes (hehe the Durban hippie is starting to show in me…). Your attitude and your mind set go hand in hand, and they will determine how you approach life’s moments. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

The world can be a nasty place, so don’t lower your standards to fit into it! YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING- now before you deny it, can I just say SHUT UP:/ Sorry for being rude, but at the end of the day you are beyond amazing and if you don’t believe it, you are going to let the world and its “negative vibes” get to you. Start filling your mind with positive thoughts, happy memories and constructive ideas. If something is making you unhappy, forget about it- or at least don’t constantly think about it because you will make it worse. You are literally feeding those bad thoughts so that they can grow and consume you. A practical example is from a book I read a few years ago: the author said that she was single for a few years and used to get super depressed watching RomComs or reading romance novels because it made her feel more single than ever. So you know what she did? She stopped filling her mind with idealistic romance views- she stopped watching those movies and reading those books and concentrated on allowing God to write her love story. This is just an example, but hopefully you get the idea. Something my aunt suggested at the beginning of the year when I was struggling with a bit of low self-esteem, is she said I should write positive aspirations about myself and read them every morning when I wake up and just before I go to bed. It worked! I also stuck up some Bible verses (like Song of Songs 4:7, “You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.”) to remind myself that I am PERFECT in God’s eyes and I need to live in a way that shines my inner beauty instead of hiding it. Needless to say, I am now faaaaaaaaaaar happier!

Furthermore, your mind set and attitude is often a direct influence of the people you choose to surround yourself with. Do not waste your few, precious moments in life with people who are going to steal your joy. Moments are precious! Appreciate them and use them to the best of your ability. Just some Bible verses on that:
Proverbs 13:20, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”
Then Proverbs 18:24, “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Proverbs 22:24-25, “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.”
1 Corinthians 15:33, Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.“

There are several more verses but I hope those give you a basic idea; who you choose to surround yourself greatly determines the path you will end up going down. If you surround yourself with wise, mature individuals, odds are you will end up that way too, but if you surround yourself with unreliable people who aren’t what we would call “the cream of the crop”, you may miss out on fully becoming the amazing, inspiring, wonderful person you are meant to become. I know it’s easier said than done, but don’t be influenced by those around you in a negative way. Life is so short. It is so, so short. I have seen life taken away in a few minutes- when you close your eyes they’re alive, but once you open your eyes again, they’re gone. Do not fall into the trap of a mediocre life! We do not serve a mediocre God. He is great and mighty and all-powerful, and if you allow Him to, He will make sure your life exceeds your expectations tenfold.

Live life to the fullest, do not look back and regret silly decisions and missed opportunities. I’m not saying “YOLO” everything, there needs to be a balance, but remember to HAVE FUN. Life is too short to constantly be worrying and stressing and miserable. I’m pretty sure God has a sense of humor (I mean He lets Donald Trump walk around with hair like that!), so let Him help you have fun while you tackle this huge obstacle of life. Do not take a single moment for granted- even the tough ones. Life is what you make of it, so make it the best you can. Remember Jesus says in Mark 9:23, “Everything is possible for one who believes.” So go and show life what you’re made of. You can do this. You can make it through. You, my friend, can be extraordinary- just believe it and then do your best to live it.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”

― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!

No Longer A Slave

Dictionary.com defines slave as “a person entirely under the domination of some influence or person”.

Throughout history, there have been several accounts of slave labour and revolutions to stop it, but, unfortunately, we still see cases of slavery today. However, this modern slavery isn’t always the I-own-you-so-work-for-me-or-I’ll-whip-you type of slavery: it’s more of a slavery to the world and worldly influences.
Think about it: just because you aren’t being auctioned off at some farm on a Sunday doesn’t mean you aren’t a slave to something in life. There are the ‘hardcore’ cases, like being a slave to drugs or alcohol, but often we are slaves to something that may not seem like such a big deal, when in fact, they are actually a huge deal. In all honesty, I’m a slave to body image and because of that, I’ve done many stupid things and made myself very unhappy- which brings me to my next point: have you ever met a happy slave?
Well if slaves were “happy”, then I don’t think people would be trying so hard to eradicate slavery. I mean come on, being forced to clean somebody’s toilet is not my definition of a fun Saturday night!
Those things in life that have ownership over you will also try to eradicate your happiness; let’s face it: the devil can’t have happy Christians! Imagine Christians were happy 100% of the time: then he’d have no chance of ever getting them to renounce their faith.

Being a slave means something has complete control over your life, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the idea of something, other than God, controlling my life. It just makes life that much harder. Think about it: what are you a slave to? Money? Material possessions? What people think of you? Work? There are so many things in life that will try to steal your joy; that will try to possess and overcome you and stop you from becoming the person you’re meant to be. When you’re a slave, you’re under confinement and that confinement limits you from reaching your full potential. Not only that, it limits you from fully enjoying and experiencing life and from fully growing closer to those around you. Now maybe you’re thinking ‘she doesn’t know what she’s talking about, money (or whatever you’re a slave to) makes me very happy’. Can I just say one thing?

WAKE UP.

If happiness means harming yourself (either emotionally or physically in some way) and ruining relationships with those around you, then surely no one will want to be happy. Life is so much more and God has so much more in store for us, but we limit ourselves from experiencing that.

Getting out of slavery isn’t an easy thing to do: it is painful, stressful and likely to cause a few scraps and bruises, but the end result is SO worth it. Look at the Israelites for example. They were under slavery in Egypt and were being treated absolutely horribly, but with God’s help they got freedom. However, they renounced that freedom and grumbled when having to walk to the Promised Land, saying it would be better if they could go back into slavery, which meant that God made them wander 40 years in the desert (you can read about this in Exodus).

There are three important lessons that I gather from this:
Firstly, slavery is unpleasant, it will only end up hurting you as I discussed earlier. Exodus 1:14 says, “They [the Egyptians] made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.”
Being a slave may just end up in life becoming harsh and bitter: even if you don’t see the effects right now, they normally do come back to bite you in the bum…

Secondly, God wants His people to be very! I mean come on, He sent ten hectic plagues so that the pharaoh would free His people! If that’s not making an effort to free your people, then I don’t know what is. Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Jesus came so we no longer had to be slaves, but it is our own choice to live in that freedom. You have to decide if you’re willing to become free and make the effort to stay free. When things got tough, the Israelites wanted to return to slavery: Numbers 14:4 says, “And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”’
The thing is, life isn’t going to be easy and the Bible doesn’t tell us that it will be. Sometimes you’ll overcome something, like an addiction maybe, and then something will happen and your first instinct will be to turn back. From personal experience, I know it’s not worth it to turn back because you’ll probably just end up worse. Imagine God was all, “You Israelites are annoying Me. Just go back if you’re going to be PMSing so much”. I think the Egyptians would have treated them a million times worse. Also, another point to remember is this: you know that saying about looking at the past through “rose-tinted” glasses? Sometimes when you overcome something and think back about it, it doesn’t seem so bad any more. DO NOT GIVE INTO THAT WAY OF THINKING :/ (I hope the capitals emphasize my seriousness! :P) Yes, life may be tough now, but that doesn’t mean going back to the old way of doing things will be any easier. Life is a journey and all journeys will have their ups and downs: you just have to be willing to persevere up those uphills, no matter how sweaty and tired you get, otherwise you’ll miss out on the great view.

Lastly, the Promised Land. Again with journey analogy, we are all working towards something: eternity with God. Yes, life is tough and difficult, but it can also be fun and wonderful. Someone said something very wise to me this week: You can’t control people’s actions, but you can control your reaction. Things will happen in life that may be unpleasant, but it’s your attitude towards it that will make all the difference. Some things in life will try to control and overtake you, but at the end of the day, it’s your choice to let it. Life is a journey to heaven and this journey isn’t very long- maybe 80 years or so generally. If you think about it, it’s actually pointless to worry about every simple things and allow yourself to be unhappy because, at the end of the day, we’re all just going to die anyway. Make your life one to remember- that legendary type of life that when you get to heaven, God greets you with a fist pump and bottle of champagne while the angels clap and shake their heads in pure wonder. Make memories, create friendships and live every single day with meaning.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

God wants you to be happy, blessed and to live in joy so He will do all that He can to ensure you get to live that way (He may even send a few plagues!), but remember, it’s YOUR decision to live that way. So here’s my challenge: write down a little note to yourself and stick it somewhere you’ll see it. Write: My name is XYZ and I am no long a slave to ABC!!!!!!!!!! (the exclamation marks just give it that dramatic effect ;) ) Then make sure you PRAY. Prayer is so, so, so powerful and the moment you pray and really give it to God, He’ll do all He can to honour you in that (another lesson I learnt this week!)

So come on. Stop being a slave. YOU ARE FREE. Live in freedom and make your life one to remember.

I dare you. 

(Just some extra quotes I found quite cool)

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17

"If you look to others for fulfilment, you will never be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the world belongs to you." Lao Tzu

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36

Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it." Greg Anderson

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”' Galatians 5:13-14

"Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling." Margaret Lee Runbeck

"Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 <3

Undeserving

Undeserving.

"I am a mess up. I don't deserve the amazing boyfriend I have, I don't deserve the love that my family so unconditionally has for me. I don't deserve the constant support of my good friends and most of all: I don't deserve the amazing, wonderful Grace that our loving God so passionately pours out. "

How many times have you felt that way? As if everyone around you seems to be okay but inside you just feel broken, incomplete, and dare I say it, unworthy.

Well can I tell you something?

Now this is mind blowing so prepare yourself. 

OK, ready? 

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Did you know even Jesus' closest followers, his apostles, felt unworthy at times?

"But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus' feet, saying, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" Luke 5:8

"For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God." 1 Corinthians 15:9 (this was Paul)

"As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Matthew 3:11 (John the Baptist)

Even a centurion, who would have been well-respected in those times, felt unworthy:

"But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed." Matthew 8:8

Now yes, it's true: we are not worthy of God's grace. We sin, we don't love and we tend to put Him on the side burner quite often in life, but do you know what? HE LOVES YOU ANYWAY.

I think we are far too hard on ourselves as people, and at the end of the day, it's not worth it. The world constantly throws hardship your way: we are forever surrounded by negativity, hardship, turmoil, brokenness and lies- so why make it worse by hating on yourself?  Especially when you have no reason for it?

If your amazing partner loves you, it's because he/she chooses to; it's THEIR decision so just accept it. If you have a family that loves you, instead of trying to deflect that love at every opportunity, appreciate it! You don't know how blessed you are to have a family, let alone one that loves you so much. There are people out there who do not have that blessing- imagine doing life without family support; seriously I think it must be so, so, so difficult.  Then your friends- again, they CHOOSE to be friends with you. Appreciate that as well because there are people who really do find making good, true friends a difficult thing to do.

Then with God:

Yes, we don’t deserve His grace; we mess up, we sin, we throw Him aside, but you know what? He loves you anyway. And I’m not just saying that. So often people feel they can’t go to God because they’re too “messed up” or maybe they believe they’re unworthy of God’s grace because they’ve done too much wrong, or sinned too much. Well let’s turn to the Bible, the place where we can fully experience God’s thoughts:

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

“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?” Matthew 6:26

“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.” Isaiah 43:4

“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” Isaiah 49:16

“…whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” John 6:37

“God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are...” 1 Corinthians 1:28

This is only a handful of verses, but there are so many more that just show how passionately God loves us, despite our unworthiness. To Him, YOU are NOT unworthy. You are worth more than many sparrows, God personally numbered the hairs on your head; in other words, the way He chose to make you isn’t random. Something we spoke about in home group last night was just how God uses you the way He made you, you don’t suddenly have to make a complete turnaround! For example, one girl shared that she was quite shy and she always felt she had to be more outgoing in order to truly do God’s work and this was very difficult for her. However, she attended a church camp and got a prophesy about how God would use her, despite her shyness; in fact, that will be exactly how He uses her! 

If you’re very bubbly or very academic or very sporty or maybe just lazy (haha me every weekend and before every test!), God will use that to make His plan complete! Like the saying goes, God does call the equipped, He equips the called.
Just to add to that, God bought you at a price. Think about it: if you don’t want something, why would you buy it? It’s not like I’m going to walk into Spar and say, “Oh boy! I hate Brussel sprouts! Might as well spend my entire salary buying as much of it as I can though.” NO! :/ You buy what you want to buy. God wants you despite your insecurities, blemishes and sin. Yes, He wants you to be pure and righteous, but the great thing about God is that He is so willing to help you and support you. Honestly, He’s that Dad who sits on the sidelines with a big foam finger and sign saying “GO *NAME * GO!”
 Just look at Isaiah 41:10:

“So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

God will strengthen you and help you. He knows life is tough and that we don’t always have anything all together, but with the kind of love He has for us, He is more than willing to patiently support you on your earth journey. You are more valuable to Him than “the birds of the air”. Look at what good care He takes of them; He’ll take even better care of you, just allow Him to.

Then this verse I just LOVE:
“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.” Isaiah 43:4

You may feel unworthy, ugly, too fat, too thin, too indecisive, not good enough, broken or anything like that, but that is NOT how God sees you. When God looks at you, all He sees is this beautiful, amazing human being that is so, so precious and beloved to Him. The definition for precious is: “of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly.”
God sees great value in you, He doesn’t want your life to be wasted and He knows that you deserve to be treated with care, so don’t let other people put you down; you are honestly worth more than what society tells you.  In fact, you are worth so much that God will even give nations in exchange for YOUR life. Wow. 

You are engraved on the palms of His hands; and as far as I know, engravings are pretty permanent, just like His love for you. God will not drive you away, no matter how unworthy you believe you are. He is there, waiting. Literally, His arms are so open for you right now! He wants to heal your pain: Psalm 34:18 : “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Trust me, God will help you so much more than any Dr Phil, bottle of alcohol or happy pill ever could.

Lastly, even if you feel unworthy, know that God sees you with such love it outweighs the unworthiness. In fact, He even chooses the lowly and despised things of the world (1 Corinthians 1:28). Even some of the most world-changing disciples came from turbulent histories: killing Christians, lying, cheating, murdering and even then turning their backs on Jesus when He needed them most. If God was able to love them, surely He is able to love.

So stop being so hard on yourself. You DO deserve an amazing, incredible, wonderful and blessed life. Yes, it won’t always be easy and, yes, you will have difficulty but the key is you have to allow yourself to feel happy. If you keep focussing on the negatives about yourself, your whole outlook on the world will become negative, too. Just an idea someone wise once shared with me, write down some positive aspirations you have for yourself and just read them every morning before you start the day or whenever you feel down- just as a little reminder that you are, in actual fact, quite extraordinary.

As inspired by Matric English teacher, I thought it apt to end off with a Dr Zeuss quote:

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!

                                                                                                           

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.