This morning I decided to take a self-inventory of all that
I have obtained and/or incurred during my “Followship”
with Chris. There have been some positive achievements, and some negative,
there are highs as well as lows. Overall, I can say that I’ve been disappointed
and also a disappointment.
There are often days when I don’t feel like a child of the
Most High God, and even less than a Minister of the Gospel. I used to think
that living the Christian life was a steady flow of basking in His glory,
lifting the name of the Lord in praise. I was led to believe that my life as a
believer was untouchable then one day I heard a horror story.
It seems there was this guy who truly lived a life of honor
and integrity; a man that reverenced God morning, noon, and night. It was said
of this man that he hated evil with a passion and always sought to do good in
the sight of God. He was a man of great wealth; in fact it is believed that he
was the wealthiest man on the face of the earth. Suddenly one afternoon while
he was tending his own business and his children were feasting, a messenger
rushed into his dwelling. Out of breath the messenger said, sir; while we
tended to your livestock thieves snuck up on us. They rustled your oxen and
donkeys, then killed every field-hand, I barely escaped with my life….
Before he could finish his report another employee ran in
and reported. Listen boss, this may sound crazy, but while your sheep were
grazing a meteor fell from the sky burning the entire flock and my fellow
co-workers; it’s a miracle that I was able to get out with my life… Right in
the middle of his report came a third person; hey chief, you’re not gonna
believe this, but a band of raiders rushed us, they got away with your heard of
camels, then the bullets started flying; everyone except me caught it…
His report was immediately followed by a fourth messenger; “Oh
my goodness!” I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news boss, but your children were
all together enjoying a feast prepared by your eldest son when all of a sudden
there was this huge explosion, the house where they all were was completely destroyed
and there is no sign of life.
This man was very heartbroken, but somehow he found a way to
glorify God right there in the midst of his devastation. Wow, he lost
everything he possessed, even the lives of his children. Sadly enough his
turmoil didn’t end there, a few days later he became very sick and diseased. He
had puss-filled boils all over his body, lost his appetite, and had no money to
even purchase medication. First his wife decided to bail-out on him, and then
three of his so-called friends paid him a visit only to judge him as an
evil-doer because of the situation he found himself in. This man whose
name means persecuted and hated, was prepared to give up on his life. He even
questioned how God could allow such upheaval to happen in his life. After-all,
he lived a godly life and made sacrifice to the Lord daily. After a harsh
rebuke from the Lord, this fellow repented and was promptly blessed by God to
receiving more than he’d lost. (Reference
Job)
We are living in the age of “Apostasy” or the great falling away from Christian doctrine; a
condition by which the weak-minded church goer will easily give up on God
because he or she is temporarily positioned in a very low valley experiment. It’s particularly strange to
me that when things are going well, people have no problem praising God, but
praise is easy seeing how everything that breathes is commanded to praise Him. Those
who truly love the Lord are in that intimate place where no matter how
difficult times are they’ve developed a “for God I’ll live, and for God I’ll
die” outlook on their situation. It’s because they realized “…that all things work together for the good
of them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose”. (Romans
8:28)
Losing loved-ones, a home, employment, and material wealth
in chain-reaction like fashion is a lot
of stuff; enough to make the average person surrender and succumb to
defeat. But you my friends are not average:
“But ye
are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people,
that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of
darkness, into his marvelous light”. (1st Peter 2:9)
Just like God in his infinite wisdom chose Job to endure
hardship, he’s also chosen you for the soul purpose of demonstrating that his
power is at work in you, enabling you to perform exploits in his name. We are
encouraged to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might… (Ephesians
6:10)… because, when you’re at your weakest moment, Gods’ strength is perfected
in you.
So remember; you may be made to suffer through a lot of
stuff, but it’s all working out… for you.
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