Hey there…Have you ever met some sad-faced guy in a pensive mood somewhere? Did you ever bother to ask them why they were so down in the spirit? Ok…Let me guess; you didn’t…I think I know why; you were scared that your enquiry (however good your intentions might have been) would only add insult to injury, right?
Truth be told, in life, many a times we end up getting discouraged/sad/bitter due to unfavorable circumstances; some serious, others trivial. It could be a broken relationship, a shattered dream, a lost loved one, a business deal gone sour, poor results, a sudden ordeal…The list is endless.
Nevertheless, it is at such times that we as Christians must train ourselves to look up to God for true joy. Because guess what? True joy and peace of mind is not about the bountifulness of our material possessions or having countless pals or spouses or anything of the sort. True riches, unlike the earthly wealth that fades, is kept in heaven! You need a true friend? Jesus is the best friend ever. He’s so unlike our earthly friends who will betray and hurt us, leaving us to wonder just how false they were!
I like the book of Job because it couldn’t have brought out my message in a better way! Job loses his five hundred yoke of oxen, seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred she asses, a very great household and most of his friends in a single day. He goes from grace to grass, fame to shame, something to nothing in less than a day. Yet when all evil has befallen him, his first words are so astonishing: “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”-Job 1:21. Wow. How so Godly! Here was a man perfect and blameless before God, yet praise, and not questioning God for his circumstances, was his priority even in the phase of tribulation. Surely, how much more does God expect from us today: food for thought…
Just like Job, instead of placing our joy and happiness on the things of the world, we must learn to focus on Jesus. We must learn to carry all our burdens to Him and let Him have His way. We must learn to rejoice in Him above all our hearts’ desires; to make Him our friend and only Messiah. He must be the core of our reality, and only on His name must we call in all instances. We must make Him the centre of our universe; our little globe must spin around Him.
Even though we wake up on wrong side of bed every day, He must be the reason that we strive to do it right all day. Let’s always call on His name in all situations, and we’ll surely get His reply. Let’s seek Him in truth and we will find Him. Believe you me, despite the stumbles and summersaults, He’ll give us the strength of ten to rise again! Despite the heart breaks, heart aches and lodes of pain, He’ll give us a million reasons to smile again! After all, He’s the father to the hopeless, the healer of souls and mender of broken hearts! In Him is love everlasting and joy never ending!
Shalom.
-By Rodgers Eulem
-Editorial Ministry