Year: 2020

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The Means We Seek

Faithful Prayer

“The means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek.”

– Martin Luther King Jr.

As I ponder on this powerful statement by Martin Luther King Jr., I look around this world in chaos, hatred and selfishness, and I see how easily people can become caught up in some of the characteristics that go along with such actions of unkindness, hurt, lack of thought and evil, in different circumstances. I see these actions occurring through injustices that others see or experience which ignites retaliation, through showing governments how unhappy one feels towards certain actions or legislation, through the ambitions of getting a top position that has been desired for sometime, boosting ones business to make it bigger and better or any other such situation.

Looking at the word “motive” I realise that this word is not something that we take a lot of stock of in our own individual lives, or talk a lot about unless it is in regards to the gym! But motive is something that underpins all that we do in the means that we use or seek, whether it is generating change, how we see others or gaining that much desired promotion. Motive in and of itself, is neither bad nor good, but depending on how we use it, is what determines the outcome for bad or good (Proverbs 4:23). If we see like Christ saw, our means would always be as pure as the ends that we seek (Proverbs 16:2). It doesn’t become about us but about God and what He wants or desires to have happen.

There have been times in my life where I have wanted to create or see change, to make something better or wanted others to know that an injustice has occurred. I remember there having been particular situations where I have wanted to and really wished that I could be mean back to that person or showed them how they wronged me, all in the hope to wake them up. My personality is not one where I could ever bring myself to do that, as I generally shy away from any conflict situation. Looking back on those moments I praise God that I never did use these methods, as even though I might’ve been justified in the way I felt, it wasn’t the right meansto use for the end result I wanted to see take place. It wouldn’t create change; only create more division and turmoil.

As Christians, in all that we do we should be able to give glory to God. For after all if we call ourselves Christians, it is Him that we follow, believe in and are ambassadors for. If we are using our own selfish ambitions to achieve the result we are wanting, then how does this glorify God? If we are using manipulation, lying and bullying tactics to achieve a great outcome for God, how does this glorify a loving God? The Bible clearly tells us that God is a God of love (1 John 4:8), patient and longsuffering (2 Peter 3:9), not wanting anyone to perish but all to be saved. Using these kinds of means or methods goes against who God is and ultimately does more damage than good.

Something I believe that is lacking in amongst society today including Christians, is the ability to pause before making decisions or reacting and especially for Christians is stopping to pray first. Often we run ahead of God, get tired of waiting and so as a result we think we know best and try to help Him, justifying that if the end results turn out good, its ok. This is unfortunately the wrong attitude to have and can lead to a slippery slope. This is not Biblical in any way (1 Timothy 1:5).

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

– Psalm 51:10

The great thing is that we can become more pure in our means in all areas of our life but it can only be done through intimately knowing God. I’m not meaning knowing all about God in knowledge only, as this doesn’t take root in your heart. You can have a head knowledge without having the heart knowledge. Just look for example at all the fans of famous celebrities such as Tom Cruise for instance. They know all about him but they don’t know him personally or intimately. There is a big difference between someone who hasn’t met you, barely knows you and intimately knows you. It is the same for Christians, we need to be so careful we don’t get caught up in the very same trap where we know all about God but don’t actually know God intimately (haven’t had a real personal heart encounter). Its only through knowing Him intimately that change occurs and our means become more pure, where people can see the difference (Matthew 7:16). You will then be able to see people, objects, things and situations differently- through the eyes of Christ. We must strive through the help of God to always seek pure means, even if we don’t always see the results straight away, this is not our concern, as God said that He would look after you and fight your battles. (Exodus 14:14, Deuteronomy 3:22).

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

– Romans 12:2

The Bible is very clear when it comes to seeing what others are doing or a crowd, and not getting caught up in such, even if what they are hoping for as the end result is good, but the means to get there is not (Exodus 23:2). We can make a difference through other godly means. Humbly and prayfully we must take and make known our petitions to the Lord, listen to His voice for direction and search His words through the Bible to guide and direct your steps.

Have courage and be kind!

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Christians, Racism and Riots

Christians, Racism and Riots

[Firstly I just want to say that I hear the black people’s cries, recognize and acknowledge the pain, suffering, abuse and their history that they have had to endure. It hasn’t been right and no one should be treated in such a manner. God grieves at the way wicked men have treated those in the black community. ]

Over the last couple of weeks the news has been filled with the story of George Floyd’s death and the aftermath now fuelling America as a result. As we look at this situation regarding George and all the posts that have been put on social media platforms sweeping the world, what should we as Christians do or what should our position be on such matters?

As Christians in all we do, it needs to be based off God’s Word and how He wants us to act, for we are ambassadors of God. As sinners we have to be careful that we are not being lead by our own emotions and getting swept up into situations that could lead us away from how God wants us to be.

How does God view racism? When we look in God’s Word we find that God doesn’t separate His love and what He does for others based on colour, ethnicity, gender, and language. In fact it’s the opposite, He loves all the same and He deems everyone worthy and that is why He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross so that no one would perish but all would have everlasting life (John 3:16). He ultimately left the choice with us because we have true freedom of our choices but He has paved the way of salvation for anyone no matter what race they are. God is not racist and there is no place for racism in a Christian’s life. The Bible clearly instructs us to be kind and treat each other with love, even those who are enemies (Matthew 5:44-45). Love is an action word, it’s how you act towards others. You may not always agree with people, those around you or what they are doing but as a Christian you are to still show them love. This is the character of God and how longsuffering He is towards us (2 Peter 3:9). Remember Christ is and always should be our example, not our fellow man.

This situation with what happened to George Floyd and others at the hand of authority is absolutely tragic. Abuse of power is never ok and anyone who participates in such should be held accountable for their actions and pay the due consequences. God does not agree with evil and hate in anyway, shape or form. God too is saddened by what has happened and anyone who is involved has to ultimately answer to Him for what they have done. God tells us that even in these situations where one is persecuted that we must still show love, forgiveness (Matthew 5:44-45; Matthew 18:21-22) and not repay evil for evil (1 Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Peter 3:9). God is very clear about this and lets us know that vengeance is His and His alone (Romans 12:17-19).

We as Christians should be praying for George’s family at this time (Romans 12:15) and acknowledging what his family must be going through. But we should also be praying for Derek the officer who killed him and those associated with the crime. Pray that they recognize the wrong that they have done, seek forgiveness from George’s family and that they may fully repent, turning to God. God died for all and we must learn to not only pray for those who are good or whom we like but also those who do wrong, who hurt us and others. There are accounts in the Bible of hardened evil men who murdered, sacrificed children and did other horrendous crimes whose lives were changed by God. There are even stories around the world too of evil men finding God and turning from their ways. Pray for leaders in power, in the decisions that they make, that their eyes will be opened so that change can take place.

There is nothing wrong with standing up for ones belief, justice, religious freedoms, racism, bullying or what’s right but we are called to do this peacefully and in displaying the character of God. Rioting is not of God and no Christian should take part in such violence (1 John 4:8). As we can see the rioting in America is destroying other peoples livelihoods even their own black people, causing more financial ruin in a time that is already causing so much hurt due to the coronavirus, lawlessness, people brutally beating up other people, stealing and even death. This goes completely against who God is and what we believe as Christians. Violence only fuels more hate, anger and is not an effective way for change, instead installing more fear. Those that have had the greatest impact for change in America were people like Martin Luther King Junior who never used violence. Lessons we should never forget. God doesn’t always call us to sit back and do nothing, that is not what I am saying at all, but He wants us when we stand up for justice to do it in non-violent ways. We need to and can acknowledge the struggles, pain and injustice that others have been receiving. Not brushing it off to the side in a un-christ like manner.

As Christians, prayer is the most important key to unlocking the heavenly powers and for seeing change, we must never forget that. It is through prayer the greatest revivals took place. God tells us that He will fight our battles (Deuteronomy 3:22, 20:4; Psalm 34:17) but we need to let Him instead of going a head and trying to fight them on our own or for Him.

Unfortunately due to living in a fallen world there will be injustices in many forms but often we don’t see as much change as we could because we don’t pray like we should. God also doesn’t promise to take a way all trails in this life but He promises that He will carry us through and be there right beside us.

This situation is a reminder, for us to look at ourselves, reflect and ask God to show us/open our eyes too, to if there is anyway we are wronging others in our thoughts, personal blind spots and actions, to help us change, that we can help to make this world a better place, even if only in our sphere. We need to reflect on how we would feel in any of these given situations and remember that we can’t taint everyone with the same brush. It is only through God we become changed and see change occur.

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Isolation- How to Survive

Christian and Isolation

With this coronavirus outbreak we have and are having to face new challenges that we haven’t had to deal with before. For some this is causing a lot of fear and anxiety while others are just going with the flow. We are all different and handle situations in different ways to each other. As Christians we are lucky that we have a hope and know that Jesus is with us ever step of the way.

To help surviving the lockdown I thought that I would write down some ideas to help get you through:

  • Firstly some of it is about looking at the situation from a different perspective or point of view then we otherwise might. We know that the mind is a powerful thing, so for some of us it might be about trying to look at this situation in a new light. View this as a “staycation” rather than being stuck and that maybe we have been given this time for a reason. This will help us to cope easier.
  • Create lists- if you have to work from home, write a list of what you need to do so that you remain productive. Personally I am more productive in the morning than in the afternoon, when I am working from home- so I do most of my work in the morning. You could also create a list of what things you could do while at home such as projects you have put aside for years because you haven’t had the time or things you should do like clean your car!
  • Another list to create is activities to help you stay occupied and productive during this time, as this will help ones mood. If we stay in bed or in front of the TV it will create our mood to be more depressed and flat, which wont help for survival during this time. It also doesn’t help ones health. They say if you get up and make your bed you are more likely to be productive and enjoy your day.
  • Some people are realizing that they don’t have any hobbies that they can do at home. This might be the time where you can learn new hobbies via online courses or YouTube. For those who have had hobbies in the past- you can relearn or pick it up again such as learning an instrument.
  • Learning new skills is always great. We often don’t have time for this but now is a perfect opportunity for us to do it. There are a number of places offering online courses. You can do a range of courses and even spiritual courses to help grow your faith too. They say- knowledge is power!
  • Exercise- it is important to keep exercising, as the body needs it and to maintain ones health. Exercising helps with anxiety, worry and depression- very important for ones mental health. There are YouTube videos showing different workouts you can do at home (inside and outside). Also don’t forget to get outside in the fresh air- walk, run or bike.
  • Stay connected with others- this is so important as we are created as relational beings. We are called to help encourage each other and to build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11) for it isn’t good for man/woman to be alone (Genesis 2:18, Ecclesiastes 4:10). It is especially important to keep in touch with those who are on their own or elderly. Loneliness affects ones mental health and increases things such as suicide rates. It is super important to stay connected with each other and especially to help ones faith stay strong. #weareallinthistogether
  • Staying connected with God- this is the time that we need to stay even more connected with God than ever, not lax in our faith. God is the provider who says that He will meet your needs and fight your battles (Philippians 4:19, Exodus 14:14). He will look after you as you claim His promises (Isaiah 46:4, Psalm 91). God out of His love has forewarned us that things like this would happen before His coming (Matthew 24: 7). Some ways to stay connected and to grow in faith is keeping regular devotional times, praying, Bible studies on your own or with others via video chat (zoom), Bible courses online, listening to sermons, Christian music, keeping church via zoom every week (my church is doing this), memorizing scripture, create your own spiritual studies, videos, blog site or podcasts.
  • If living with family- this is a special time where you can bond even more strongly together. Have games nights- board games, charades, and croquet, create videos for sharing, competitions, or doing a jigsaw puzzle together.
  • Spring clean- this is the perfect opportunity to do a clean of all cupboards and de-clutter. Create a pile for rubbish and a pile for the second hand store to donate. This will certainly make you feel good afterwards- will I know that it does for me. Those of us in first world countries have way too much stuff- more than we need.
  • Get cooking- often with busy lives we don’t have time to try new things like healthy food or baking. Now is the time to try those recipes you’ve been wanting for a while. You could even have cooking competitions with friends or a bake off. One thing I have wanted to do is make bread- so this is something I am going to give a try during this lockdown.
  • Create a blog- time to put those creative thoughts out there for others to see. It could be on anything such as food, travel, fitness, crafts or a ministry.
  • Pamper night- have fun looking after your skin with face masks or a candle lit bath.
  • Keep immunity up- it is so important to look after your health. This can reduce the chances of getting sick or even if you do get sick you will recover a lot faster. Nutrition is super important so make sure you have lots of fruit and veggies, have high antioxidant foods, smoothies, or try a plant based diet as this is more healthier for you. I am not sure how many people realize that a lot of diseases like coronavirus came through the consumption of eating meat. Having a good sleep- not going to bed too late and having a regular sleep time helps you to not get run down and to maintain your health. Try also having a rest day every week- my rest day is my day of worship where I go to church and reconnect with God and others of like faith as it says we should in Exodus 20: 8-11. This will also help with stress and anxiety, as stress is harmful for your health.
  • Other ideas one could do to survive this lockdown could be read a book, create a photo book, learn hand lettering, paint, make bath bombs, write letters, gardening- planting veggies.

These are just some suggestions to help inspire you and to give you some ideas.

Stay safe and keep looking up!

Much Love.

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Covid-19 – Where is God?

Where is God

In just a matter of weeks the world was gripped with the knowledge of a new disease that had rattled China forcing the country into a lockdown. We all looked on in amazement, as this was something unseen before and even still as we watched never really expected this outbreak to affect us personally. All of a sudden as cases swept across the world, surreal moments occurred with country after county going into lockdown, closing their borders and restricting everyday activities, creating a new norm for the time being.

As we come to grips with what has just occurred some are wondering where is God in amongst this situation, especially where certain countries have seen a number of deaths, unemployment rising and as a result some are questioning where is God? How can we deal with this situation as Christians, is God really still there in the pandemic?

Particularly in a situation like this one, it helps to firstly look and remember who God really is. God is not some being that we can put into a box nor can we limit Him in His abilities. God is God, a supernatural being who created humans so that He can have a relationship with them. God doesn’t change, as He tells us in His Word in the book of Hebrews 13:8 that He is the

“same yesterday, today and forever.”

He is still the all powerful God who parted the Red sea, all loving God who sent His Son to die on the cross and mighty God who created you in His image, who loves you with an everlasting love that He deemed you worthy to pay the penalty of the cross so that you may have an everlasting life with Him. God is still in control- even in this situation. Even if it doesn’t look like He can be and the situation looks really bleak, He is holding you up, the world in His hands and has a purpose for allowing this to take place. As we have been shown His abilities through countless accounts of His leading, guidance and protection throughout the Bible.

Unfortunately we live in a sinful and fallen world where we will go through trails and tribulations but God says that He will carry us through, that we wont go through more than we can bear, and promises to supply our needs (Philippians 4:19). We also have a blessed hope in this situation. God loves us so much that He shared with us through His Word various situations that would happen and take place throughout history (history books prove that these events came true). God has given us all the signs and wonders because He doesn’t want anyone to perish but all to be saved (2 Peter 3:9) and be able to live with Him forever. That is how much He loves us!

One of these promises that God shares with us, is that He will come back again a second time- His second coming. He gave us signs to help us know when His coming is near so that we may remain awake. God didn’t have to do this but He has chosen too for He wants all of us to come into a saving relationship with Him before it is too late. Some of these signs that God shares with us we can find in the book of Matthew in chapter 24. One of these signs in particular is that there will be a rise in pestilences (diseases) in the world. We have been seeing a rise in outbreaks such as SARS, bird flu, swine flu in the last number of years and now Covid-19 that has become more global than the rest. God who is all knowing, the alpha and omega (knows the beginning and the end) knew that this was going to take place and out of His love has warned us so that we may know when He is coming back soon to live in a world where there is no suffering, pain or death- because He loves us that much.

He is allowing us to go through these trails so that we may grow in our faith, trust in Him and that hopefully we may draw closer to Him and be saved.

It is our time to shine as Christians, be the calm in other peoples storms and share the love of Jesus for He is most certainly still in control and He is there amongst Covid-19, just like He will continue to be as He has been through out history and will continue to look after you. Let us come together to encourage one another, build each other up and help our neighbours at this time, for we are all in this together.

Much Love.

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Being A Blessing In Your Work Place

Christian at work

As a Christian or follower of Christ, we are called to be His ambassadors. This means everywhere we go, in all that we do and with all whom we meet along the way. Work places can be very interesting environments, as there can be a lot going on, lots of different types of personalities mixed together, with some that we may even struggle at times working along side. No matter what industry you work in, there can be highs, lows and challenges. God does tell us in His Word that we will still go through trails and tribulations even once we accept Him into our lives, but the difference being that He will help us through. In our work places as Christians/ believers in God, we still need to uphold who we are, what it means to be a child of God and to see everyone through Gods eyes. We also should be a witness, sharing God’s love and looking/ praying for opportunities to do so.

Here are some ideas of how you can be a blessing in your work place and be a reflection of Christ:

1. Saying good morning/ goodbye even if people don’t say it back– Persistence pays off. Be that happy person.

2. Bringing in food to share every so often – Going out of your way to show hospitality and kindness.

3. Smile lots – You never know what others are going through and this could make someone’s day and be just what they needed.

4. Every so often helping someone’s workload – Flexibility, as long as it doesn’t put you in a bad place or behind. People really appreciate those who a flexible and alleviate their work loads.

5. Seizing opportunities– Help where can in situations that you hear about (if people are struggling, someone has passed, planning a surprise etc).

6. Offer to pray with or for someone who’s distressed– But remember to always pray anyway at home or quietly at work for your work colleagues daily/weekly.

7. Complementing– As this helps focus on others rather than ourselves, even if they get a position that you wanted. It might not be God’s time for you to have that position or He has something else better for you. Don’t ever bully or lie to get what you want or to the top, as God can work anything and everything out in His time and for His glory.

8. Always being punctual, tidy and organized (work dependent)– This reflects on your character and also the character of your God if they know that you are a Christian.

9. Doing your job to the best of your ability– Reliable and can be counted on. Making an effort even if others are slacking. This builds a good reputation for you which can help you later in other positions and jobs in the future.

10.Having an encouraging Bible verse on your desk– This can be a conversation starter if another worker asks you about it. Don’t use it to Bible bash but let them ask you. They may never but it doesn’t mean that they haven’t noticed it. You may not know the effect it has on someone.

11.Not letting your personal life effect your work ethics and that of others– Trust God that He will take care of you and everything your going through, even if its hard to understand at the time. But God promises to look after you and to fight your battles. This can also be a witness to others of your faith, as you remain professional at work.

I would love to hear how it is going in your work place with trying some of these ideas! 🙂