Unseen Before The Seen

1. God’s assurance

A Christian who is trusting God for the healing of his cancer was reflecting on his condition. He was discouraged by the apparent lack of progress in his healing. Then the Holy Spirit brought to his mind the Exodus story (Exodus 14:1-31) –  of how God led the Israelites out of Egypt. As he recalled  the story, he heard within his spirit the words, “I WILL part the Red Sea for you”. Immediately, he knew that it was God’s assurance to him that the Lord was going to do a mighty work in his life. He was moved to tears.

2. Going around in circles & reaching a dead end

He thought to himself, “The Lord led the Israelites by a longer route even though there was a shorter route to their destination. God made them walk around in circles and finally led them to a place where they had the army of pharaoh on one side & the Red Sea on the other – a dead end.

He sensed the Lord saying to him that what happened to the Israelites was what was happening to him. After all the effort by his doctors and the difficulties he had to go through, he had come to a “dead end”. But when he heard within himself the words, “I WILL part the Red Sea”, he realized that God had placed a column of smoke and  fire between him and the things that will harm him. He sensed God telling him, “Do not be afraid, stand firm and you will see the deliverance I will bring you today.”

3. His healing comes from God alone

Although his doctor broke the news to him that he could no longer administer the treatment for his cancer, the Christian received the news with peace because he somehow knew that such a day would come. He knew his healing was not going to come from doctors, though God may choose to use them. The Christian believed that his healing was going to come from God alone. The news was just a sign that he had entered into the next phase in his journey of faith with God.

4. God strengthens us at our time of need

We thank the Lord for always strengthening a believer in his time of need. The Christian sensed a peace that transcended all understanding when his doctor gave him  the news because Jesus,who is the Prince of Peace, lives in him (Philippians 4:7)

5. No dead ends

The Christian had the Spirit’s assurance –  ” I WILL part the Red Sea”. Indeed as God’s son, we never face dead ends; only what seemed like one. We agree that the paths which God lead us may appear at times hard where there seems to be an easier way. Yet in His wisdom, it is during those hard times that God forges within us an indestructible trust in Him which is beyond human comprehension.

There is fear before faith. And God knows our hearts. His grace for us does not require us to be fearless but to be faithful. We choose to be a good and faithful servant of God. We trust in Him even if it is unpleasant. He is more interested in building our our character than in our comfort. God will part the Red Sea before us because it is in His nature to help those who trust in Him foe deliverence.

6. Focus on the unseen

We know that the unseen always comes before the seen. God spoke His unseen words before the seen world was created. Jesus told Martha that when she believed the unseen, she would see the glory of God (John 11:40). The Spirit who wrote 2 Cor.4:18 asked us to fix our eyes on the unseen because what is seen is only temporary but what is unseen is eternal. We have the aforementioned eternal testimonies of the Holy Trinity. We have eternal life overflowing from us because we know The Only True God and His Son Jesus Christ (John 17:3). We can never lose because we are God’s beloved; we are more than  conquerors (Romans 8:37).

To Have Eyes But Can’t See

1. God wants to get our attention

A Christian I know had sore eyes. His condition had gone on longer than expected and had caused much disruption to his busy schedule. I told him that sometimes in our lives, there are moments when God wants to slow us down to get our attention on an important truth He wants to teach us. When we turn to Him and ask Him what He wants to teach us through this trial, we will learn to trust Him in all that happens to us.

2. Perfect faith

Some Christians think that if they have more faith, then God can work faster in their situation. They think that if they have perfect faith, they can move God to act on their behalf. However, I have learned that perfect faith does not move God. Perfect faith moves us to trust God who doesn’t seem to be moving.

3. See with spiritual eyes the ‘random’ events

In the case of the Christian mentioned earlier, God may want him to learn to “see” with spiritual eyes the way God sees a situation. If so, that is one spiritual truth which will help him for the rest of his life. As a Christian, events that occur in our lives are not random. Behind the random events in our lives is a God with a purpose. He has a plan for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11) and will work it out according to His will. All He asks of us is to trust Him for what seems totally random.

4. God is angry with us?

Another mistake Christians make is to think that bad things happen to us because God is not pleased with us. Therefore, when a troublesome situation takes place in their lives, they confess their sins and step up on their Christian activities so as to appease an angry God. For example, they pray more, read the Bible more, do their Quiet Time more regularly and even fast to get God to work faster. All these actions spring from a misunderstanding of how God works.

5. Our sins are forgiven

Because of Jesus’ death on our behalf, God is not angry with us. God has forgiven all our sins; past, present and future (Hebrews 10:12). We don’t need to confess our sins to be forgiven. Instead, we are forgiven, therefore we confess i.e. to agree with God that what we did was wrong. Our forgiveness of sins does not depend on our confession. Our forgiveness depends on Christ’s death on the cross. When He died, all our sins died with Him. When God raised Jesus from the dead, He also raised us to a new life in which our sins are forgiven.

6. We are holy in God’s sight

We need to know that when troubles come our way, God is not upset with us. God loves us because we believe in His beloved Son Jesus. In God’s sight, we are holy (set aside to serve God), without blemish and free from accusation (Colossians 1:22) because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. The troubles we face are the means by which God is building our character (Romans 5:3-4). God is more interested in our character than our comfort. Therefore , our set back becomes a step forward in our growth in Christ. Ultimately, the way to live is to have a surrendered life; to yield to God and let Him have His say ; let Him have His way.

7. Will power vs yield power

I wrote a blog which explains this important truth about a surrendered life. It is entitled, “Will Power vs Yield Power”. Here is the link:-
http://chanmunwai.wordpress.com/2010/09/23/will-power-vs-yield-power/ .

8. God is good

God is good and what He does is good (Psalm 119:68). When we can “see” this truth about God, what we now find difficult to see through our eyes would have been worth it.

Mistakes

1. Fatal Mistakes?

When we make mistakes, we sometimes feel that they are so bad such that they spoil our future. I am reminded of what happened to me when I was 19 years old and going through my Officer Cadet Course. During the course, my friends and I went through “hell”. Nothing we did was ever good enough. We were ridiculed, threatened, humiliated and made to feel really stupid. It got so bad that some of my friends even turned on one another just to get relief from the pressures we were under.

2. Abused

I recalled one important military exercise which decided whether we would pass or fail the course. I was one of those under assessment and I made a number of mistakes. My instructor hauled me up and abused me physically and verbally. He promised me that He would fail me. I was devastated. I had tolerated 2 years of abusive military training and had not come so far just to fail the course.

3. God’s Prompting

I was lying on my bed in camp drenched in fears and doubts. I cried out to the Lord to seek understanding about what was happening. I told the Lord, ” I can’t fail the course! It would be a shame for me and my family! ” As I continued pouring out my fears before God, I had a prompting within me that said, ” Who will decide whether you fail or succeed? You will succeed because the Lord is able to make you succeed”. I got up and checked my Good News Bible and found that these words were recorded in Romans 14:4 :-

“ Who are you to judge the servants of someone else? It is their       own Master who will decide whether they succeed or fail. And      they will succeed, because the Lord is able to make them succeed “.

4. My Future

This verse reminded me that my future lies not in the hands of my instructors but in the hands of my God. I began to set my hope on God and learned that hope is not based on a desired outcome. Hope is based on a God who loves me and gave His life for me. By God’s grace, I did pass the course with above average results and got posted to an operational military unit.

5.God Is With You

I believe what God had done for me, He would also do for you. Would He remove your pain? No. Would He be with you in the pain? Yes, just as I have recently learned from Isaiah 43:2:-

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

6. Watch Your Thinking

To deal with the corrosive doubts caused by your mistakes, you take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Each time you hear a thought that pulls you down, replace it as you remind yourself, ” I am God’s child. He loves me. He formed me in my mother’s womb and gave me abilities which I will offer back to Him in the service of others. His purpose for me will be fulfilled. No one can stop what He has planned for my life” . You do your part in reminding yourself of these truths and trust God to do His part in strengthening you from within.Finally, memorise Psalm 56:11 which I often do when faced with stresses in my working life:-

” In God I trust, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Deep within you, know that no matter how difficult your trials are , they “too shall pass”.

The Cancer Markers Are Up!

1.         Bring your concerns to God

When my Christian friend is undergoing chemotherapy, I am kept informed of his cancer marker readings.   Recently, the cancer markers have been creeping up slowly and his loved ones are concerned.  I am also concerned as I have been praying regularly for his healing.

Meanwhile, my friend has been a wonderful witness for the Lord; testifying of God’s love for him and of the miracles He continues to provide in my friend’s life.  Whenever I am concerned about a matter, I find it best to bring it before the Lord. If I must worry, I have decided long ago to share it with the Lord who not only will carry it for me but will also resolve it in His time.

2.         The cancer marker readings are for the doctor

After I heard of my friend’s cancer markers creeping up and his doctor’s concern that there may be cancer activities in other parts of the body, I prayed to the Lord.  As I was praying, I realized that the cancer markers are signs for the doctor and not for my friend.  The cancer markers are there to guide the doctor in his next course of treatment.  The cancer marker  are not there to put fear in my friend’s heart especially when he has placed his trust in the Lord to heal him.

3.         Our God goes against the odds – dried or drenched

As I reflected before the Lord, I remember that our God is a God who always goes against the odds.  For instance, Samson alone had to fight 1000 Philistines.  He was grossly outnumbered.  Yet God enabled Samson to defeat them not with a sword but with a dried jawbone of a donkey (Judge 15:9-17).  When Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel to see who could call fire down from heaven to burn up the sacrifices, he poured water on his own sacrifice to raise the odds (1 Kings 18:30-38).  Whether it was dried or drenched, God still came through for Samson and Elijah.  God still came through despite the odds.

4.         The water level is creeping up!

As I prayed about my friend’s  cancer markers , I was reminded of the Israelites standing beside the Jordan River waiting to go across into the Promise Land (Joshua 3:7-17).  They would have seen the water level of the Jordan River creeping up as they waited for God’s timing to cross.  The Bible says that “the Jordon is a flood stage all during harvest” (verse 15).  The Israelites would have been fearful as they see the water level creeping up raising the odds against them crossing the Jordan River safely.

5.         The miracle will be seen later

Even as the water level rose, it reached a point when it started to subside.  What happened?  The Bible recorded that about 20 miles upstream, God had piled up the water earlier so that the miracle could be seen later.  Although the Israelites saw a Jordan at flood stage, God had begun the miracle which would be seen later.

For my friend, although the cancer marker are creeping up, God has begun His healing much earlier.  He has piled up the ‘waters’ earlier so that the miracle will be seen later.

6.         “My heart is at peace”

When I shared my thoughts with my friend, he smsed back to me saying, “My heart is at peace because I know in my heart that my Father loves me and has healed me”.  What great faith!  My friend took his eyes off the cancer markers and focused on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).  His sms ended with him saying about his cancer marker readings, “This may be confounding the doctor but not God.  He is my healer”.  To which I say, “Amen! Amen!”

Testing Through Troubles

1.         God has abandoned us?

There are times in our lives where the circumstances are so troubling that we feel like giving up.  It seems like God has abandoned us.  Yet we know from the Bible, God’s promise – “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). How should we respond when faced with overwhelming troubles?

2.         God tests us

Psalm 66 tells of a believer who went through overwhelming troubles and came through the testing with renewed faith and strength.  What was it like for him?  As we read of his testimony, we gain insights into how to handle troubles in our lives.

The Psalmist does not see troubles as wasted experience.  Instead, he sees troubles as times when God tests us.  The test is not an end in itself.  It is the means to an end.  Verse 10 says that God tests us so as to refine us like silver.  This metaphor was borrowed from the technology of refining precious metals.  It was a process which included heating the metals in a crucible to see if all impurities had been removed.  It was like silver refined in a furnace of clay purified seven times (Psalm 12:6).

3.         Treasure in jars of clay

We are God’s treasure (or silver) in jars of clay so as to show that our ability to go through the test is due to an all-surpassing power from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:7-9).

4.         God will not spare us the pain

God will not spare us the pain or humiliation of our testing.  The Psalmist told God “You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.  You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance (Psalm 66:11-12).

Just as there was the Crucifixion before the Resurrection, there will be refinement before the release from troubles.  Testings by God require us to pass through the fire and water before we reach a place of abundance.   As we are being tested, we need to focus on God’s good purpose of refining our character and building up our faith in Him.  Like Job, we need to say when we are being tested by God… “when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

5.         Testing results in testimony

In addition to refining our character and building up our trust in Him, our Father in heaven also allows us to be tested because testing results in testimony.  We are able to read Psalm 66 because the Psalmist had testified of God’s help in his testing.

The Psalmist said “Come and listen….. let me tell you what [God] has done for me.  I cried out to Him with my mouth; His praise was on my tongue.  If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.  Praise be to God who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me!” (Psalm 66:16-20).

When you are being tested, don’t grumble or complain as that is cherishing sin in your heart.  Instead, be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18).  The Bible is not saying that you thank God for your trouble.  But, you thank God because He is with you in your troubles.  Keep praising Him for who He is.  When you focus on God and not on your troubles, you will find peace in the midst of strife – a peace that only comes from God (Philippians 4:7).

Good Times / Bad Times (B)

1.         God makes the bad times good

I wrote previously that the Biblical way to respond to good and bad times in your life is to be centred on God and what He said in the Bible.   Ecclesiastes 7:14 reminds us that God is in absolute control of the good and bad times.  Either you are in control or God is in control.  Since God does a better job, it’s better to yield control to Him and trust Him to make the bad times good for you.

2.         All things work for good?

Without examining Romans 8:28 closely, many Christians say that all things work for good i.e. even the bad things work for a Christian’s good.  That is not correct.  The verse doesn’t say that.  In fact, how can a Christian say that a bad thing like cancer, death in the family or retrenchment work for good?  These are bad in themselves and can’t work for our good.

On closer examination, Romans 8:28 says “In all things, God works for the good of those of us who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  Therefore it is not the cancer that works for our good.  It is God who works for our good in the midst of the cancer.  Without bringing God into the bad times of our lives, the bad happenings can overwhelm us.  Bad things can’t work for our good.  But God can work for our good in the bad happenings. 

3.         God works for good

Take the example of Joseph who was sold into slavery by His brothers.  We can’t say that the ill-intent of Joseph’s brothers worked for Joseph’s good.  In fact, Joseph later said to his brothers “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (Genesis 50:20). 

Joseph acknowledged that although bad things happen, God can work in the bad happenings to make them turn out for our good.  Similarly, in our lives, when there are bad times, we need to remember that so long as God is working in our circumstance, it will turn out good even if it’s not obvious now.

4.         Have an eternal perspective

Another way to look at your bad times is to realise that we are built for eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11) and not for this earth.  When we have an eternal perspective, we will find that the bad things do not last.  Paul calls the bad times his “slight and momentary troubles” that are achieving for him an “eternal weight of glory” which far exceed the troubles he was facing (2 Corinthians 4:17).

I once saw a testimony on You Tube of a lady testifying that she was raped after seeing her boyfriend tortured to death.  When the criminals were finally executed, she sensed no relief.  She remained angry and bitter that justice was not done.  After she accepted Jesus as her Saviour, she learned to forgive those who committed the crime against her.  She obtained relief when she realised that justice is not always served on earth but justice will definitely be served in heaven.

Jesus Himself promised “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out – those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned” (John 5:28-29). 

There would be a final resurrection for those who were evil.  They might have died now but they would be judged later by God.  When we believe that justice will finally be served in heaven, we can cope with the injustices which we see now.  That’s how having an eternal perspective helps us deal with the bad times as we know that at the end, God will administer justice on our behalf even when evil doers seem to get away now.

Good Times / Bad Times (A)

1.         Attitude

There are good times and bad times in our lives.  How are we to respond to these times?   Ecclesiastes 7:14  says,  “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider:  God has made the one as well as the other”.  This verse has a rhythm and sounds just like poetry.  Read it again.  You can sense the truth expressed in a rhythmic form to help you remember what attitude is needed when dealing with the good times and bad times in your life.

2.         God is in absolute control

The verse says “when times are good, be happy.”  That’s obvious enough.  Then it goes on to say, “When times are bad, be sad?”  . No.  It doesn’t say that.  It says, “When times are bad, consider God.  Reflect on who God is.  Remember He is in absolute control.  He has allowed both good times and bad times to come into your life.  Your response to good and bad times shows God what you are like.  If you are centred on the Word of God, you will have the right response to both good and bad times.

3.         Jesus had His good and bad days

In Mark 6:1-56, we see that Jesus also had His good and bad days.  From verses 1-6, we read of Jesus being rejected at Nazareth.  That’s a bad day.  Then from verses 7-13, we read of Jesus’ joy to see His disciples minister to people.  Next in verses 14-29, Jesus hits a bad patch – His cousin, John the Baptist was killed by King Herod.  However in the following verses from 30 – 44, we can feel Jesus’ joy as He feeds the five thousand.  We see in all these verses the good times and bad times of Jesus.

4.         A time for everything

Once we accept that God is in absolute control of the good and bad times in our lives, we dig into the word to find out how God looks at life.  In Ecclesiastes 3:1, God says, “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.”   Ecclesiastes 3:3 says that there is a time to heal eg. ministry of the 12 disciples (Mark 6:7-13)  and there is a time to kill eg. death of John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-29).  There is a time to hunger and a time to be full eg. feeding of the 5000 (Mark 6:30-44).  There is a time to fear and a time to trust eg. disciples encountering a storm (Mark 6:45-52).

5.         Who is in control?

When we face all these good and bad times, our faith must be anchored on God’s word.  The Bible already warns us that life is like that.  There will be good times and there will be bad times.  The Bible reminds us to consider where is our security.

Our security does not depend on our understanding what’s happening (Proverbs 3:5-6, John 13:7).  Often, we cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  Instead, our security depends on who is in control of what’s happening.  Either you are in control or God is in control.  If you can’t control what’s happening, why not give up control to God?  He is a lot more powerful than you and has your welfare in mind.  Let Him take over.  You’ll feel more control when you give up control to God.

 In my next blog, I will talk more about how else we can respond to good and bad times in our lives.

The 4 “T’s” Cycle (C)

I have said that God tests us to mould our perspective and character.  He allows troubles to help us mature in Him.  When faced with troubles, we should focus on the outcome of the pain rather than the pain itself.  In all our trials, we need to seek God’s wisdom to understand the purpose for the troubles we are facing.

1.         Discipline is necessary for maturity

God never leaves us at the stage of testing and troubles.  He finds no pleasure in seeing us go through the pain and discomfort.  However, He knows such discipline is necessary as He loves us too much to allow us to go our self-centred way. 

In pain, He is able to take us away from ourselves so that we can focus on trusting Him.  As a loving earthly father disciplines His child, so also does our heavenly Father discipline us for our good.  We are asked to endure the discipline, submit to His ways as He produces righteousness and peace in us (Hebrews 12:5-11).

2.         Triumph over troubles

In John 16:33, Jesus said that although we will face trouble in the world, we can be confident because Jesus has overcome the world.  When we believe in Jesus, we can be triumphant over our troubles because we have Him with us.  By ourselves we cannot overcome the trouble (John 15:5) but when we rely on Him to help us, we will triumph.

3.         Peace in Jesus

To be triumphant does not always mean that the troubles are gone or the problem is solved.  To be triumphant is an internal thing, not an external thing. 

Jesus reminded His disciples that “in me you may have peace” (John 16:33).  He said that just before He was forcefully taken away, flogged and crucified.  In all these troubles, His disciples deserted Him.  But the disciples became embolden after Jesus rose from the dead, explained to them how He was in the Scriptures and finally ascended to heaven.  Even when they faced more troubles and persecution, the disciples now have peace.  Their pain didn’t go away.  But the peace within them simply grew.

4.         Trust is central to our relationship with God

As we triumph over testing and trouble, we reached the final stage of “Trusting”  in God.  Jeremiah 17:7 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in (God)”.  We go through the 3 “T’s” of testing, trouble, triumph for the main purpose of learning to trust in God.  Trust is central to our relationship with God.

When Adam & Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, trust was broken.  When Jesus obeyed God in the Garden of Gethsemane, trust was restored.  Our whole time on earth will be used by God to build our trust in Him.  We are told to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).  God will use all the happenings in our lives and the lives of those we know to teach us to trust in Him.

5.         4 “T’s” cycle of spiritual growth

Your whole journey on earth will be a journey of trust in God.  When we have learned to trust Him in one situation, God will bring us into the 4 “T’s” cycle and put us through more testings, more troubles so that we can have more triumphs that will build more trust in Him.  That my friend is the 4 “T’s” cycle of spiritual growth.

The 4 “T’s” Cycle (B)

Previously, we talked about how we grow in the Lord through the 4 “T’s” cycle which stands for Testing, Trouble, Triumph and Trust.  We know that God tests us to see what’s in our heart.  Through such testings, God changes our perspective and forms our character.

1.         You will have troubles

The way God tests us is to allow us to face troubles in our lives.  He doesn’t cause the troubles.  But He sometimes removes the hedge of protection around us (Job 1:9) so that we face the stress of daily living and grow to trust in Him.  The Bible is a very realistic book.  In John 16:33, Jesus said that in this world, you will have trouble.  But take heart, Jesus has overcome the world so that in Him, you will have peace.

2.         “In Him” peace

Notice the words “in Him”.  Jesus is not talking about just having inner peace in the midst of troubles.  If that is so, then we are no different from worldly teachings that emphasize certain practices that calm the body and then the mind.  Such teachings bring temporary relief but they rely on human strength.  However, for the Christian, we rely on Jesus and find our peace when we believe in His words and promises.  This is the “in Him” peace that He offers us.  It’s not peace which the world offers (John 14:27).  It’s peace based on a person, not on a conjured feeling.

3.         Focus on the outcome of the pain

What attitude should we have when faced with trouble?  James 1:2-8 gives us the answer.  James said that we should consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds.  He is not masochistic.  He does not mean that we should thrive on pain.  Instead, he asks that we look at the outcome of the pain rather than the pain itself. 

He said that the testing of our faith develops perseverance which in turn makes us mature (verses 3-4) when God allows troubles into our lives, it is to make us grow in character and not to build in us a higher threshold of pain.  We learn to see that troubles in our lives will make us better and not bitter persons since it is our character (Romans 5:3-4) which God wants to shape through our faithful response to the trails He allows in our lives.

4.         Seek understanding

When faced with trials, we tend to seek relief.  However, James advises us to seek understanding.  He said in verse 5, “if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to Him.  But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt (verse 6).  James understands that we can be rather confused and unstable in the midst of our troubles.  Things don’t make sense and we find that despite repeated cries for help to God, nothing much seems to be happening.  The solution is not within sight.

It is in moments  like this that James tells us to turn to God and believe He is with us.  Our God is not a God who removes troubles.  But He is a God who goes through the troubles with us.  In Isaiah 43:2, He promises, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”  When we seek to understand God’s heart , then we can understand His hand which sometimes seems to lay heavily on us.

In our next blog we will see how the cycle brings us to a situation of triumph and develops a heart which trusts in God.

The 4 “T’s” Cycle (A)

1.         ‘Grow “In The Lord’

As Christians, we go through the 4 “T’s” cycle.  What’s that?  The 4 “T’s” stand for Testing, Trouble, Triumph and Trust.  The 4 “T’s” cycle helps us understand how we grow in the Lord.  It’s not just grow but to grow in the Lord. 

 (a)       Human Spirit is strong

What do we mean grow “in the Lord.”  We have often come across this term “in the Lord” and often skip over its significance.  If we leave out this term “in the Lord”, we can still grow.  But it is growth of a different kind.  It is growth based on our human strength of will to persevere in the midst of our difficulti

(b)       Acknowledge God in your growth

The human spirit is strong and can be stirred up to new heights.  You can drum up mental strength to overcome your problems.  But you will also burn out in the process as the results of such growth by human strength has its limitations.  It fails to acknowledge that God is with us and therefore depends on our ability to cope with the stresses.  It makes us no different from the non-Christians who through self help aids strive to master the challenges in life.

Any growth that leaves God out is focused on self.  However, growth that acknowledges God is the author and sustainer of the growth will enable us to grow not just mentally but also spiritually because our growth is anchored on God.

2.         God tests us

The first “T” is Testing. It is a fact of Christian life that God tests us.  Even as He leads us, He wants to humble us and test us in order to know what is in our heart.  He would cause us to feel that we lack something eg. lack of love, respect, money, acceptance etc.  This feeling that we lack something drives us to seek Him or shun Him.  When we seek Him, He meets our needs.  If we shun Him, we will feel a greater lack (Deuteronomy 8:2-3).

(a)       Change our perspective

God tests us to teach us that we need Him.  He wants us to have an eternal perspective and not a temporal one.  In Colossians 3:2-3, we are told “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

When we are faced with a test that threatens us, it forces us to view our circumstances differently.  We see that life on earth is temporary.  What can be seen eg. cancer, divorce, retrenchment, a wayward child etc is temporary in the light of eternity.  What cannot be seen is eternal.  God tests us to change our perspective.  The tests we face forces us to fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

(b)       Your character & not your comfort

I don’t know what God is putting you through right now.  But the Bible tells you “do not lose heart though outwardly, things seem real bad.  Yet inwardly, God is working in your spirit to fortify you.  He is using the troubles you now have to achieve something better for eternity (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

God is more interested in your character than in your comfort.  He wants to shape your character and he uses testings to achieve His purpose for you.  There is no short cut.  He loves you too much to let you waste your life focusing on temporal matters.  Before the world was created, He thought of you (Ephesians 1:4).  God thought of you in eternity.  He doesn’t want you to be lost in eternity.  Because you matter to Him, He will do His utmost to secure your eternity.  If  it involves testing you, He will do it. 

In my next blog, we will talk of the second “T” which is “Trouble”.