I first intended to talk about love today. It is a little bit related to love, but I think it is better to see it as testifying.
Sometimes in my life, I wish I could be a model to people I love. I wish I could bring them on the right path, show them what it is to do what is wrong so they do not make the mistakes I made in the past. I wish they could see my footsteps in the sand or in the snow of my life (maybe both) and be aware of traps but also safe ways. I am going to be very honest with you: I think my family is one of the most wonderful in the world, that is without thinking about all of my friends I grew up with. In African families, specifically in my father's tribe, they are not familiar with the words “uncle", "aunt", "cousin" . Instead, they have “father", "mother", "brother" and "sister”. I am not saying that to criticize anything in the world’s former cultures, but because I have a point to make here. I grew up in that way of thinking, that I have many parents and way more brothers and sisters. This would happen even though I did not know them all and I did not have the opportunity to spend the same amount of time with each and every one of them. However, no matter how long I saw them, I loved them from the bottom of my heart, as if we all grew up together. They all mean a lot to me, and everything I t you before also applies to them (no matter how much older or younger they were than me). To be honest, I think I could give so much of myself for them. At least, it feels like it as I am writing. However, nothing can make me that strong. And as I just told you, that would not even be good for them, because they need experience. They need to live a life that is going to build them up in another way -- a life that will, hopefully, take them to a better place. And if not, to a worse one, but I have no power over it. The strength of my faith in God is that I know he does it according to his will. It is also that he wants me to love my family, and that they all get saved and know God. But it even goes further, that same God wants me to love everybody in a similar way that he loved me and still loves me today. Jesus said there is no greater love than laying down our own life for our friends (in John 15:13), and that is the kind of person I want to be. I want to be able to do ANYTHING to keep them safe. But more than that, I want to be that person that would be ANYTHING for Christ’s cause. Through Paul (in 1 Corinthians 11:1), God urges us to imitate Christ. And Christ died for his friends -- every human being on Earth. He did so because he wanted, and still wants now that he is risen, us to live with Him forever and ever. Loving our family, our friends, our neighbors is the best way to imitate him. You might never be asked to literally give up your life for them, nor for Christ. But to change, to become a better person. I cannot bear all of my family’s suffering on my shoulders, because it would not be good for them. I cannot tell them, “believe me I know what I am telling you is right, because I have been through it a while ago. So, trust me because I do not want you to suffer the way I did” (actually, I tried, but you can ask my sister. It did not go well in our relationship right after that). However, I can let them know what I have been through. I can tell them my experiences, how it took me further in my life, in my path with God. And I can love them with everything I have and prove it to them. What I want to tell you today is that we cannot do all we wish we could to save our family or our friends. The truth is, we cannot save them. Jesus only can. However, it does not mean we cannot drive them closer to God with loving them and praying for them. And the thing I know is that my family and my close circle is awesome. I am so blessed I am surrounded by these people. Even if sometimes we do not agree, we fight, I know God placed me here for a reason. So, I just have to be that person who serves God in her very close circle, who makes them feel like there is something different, something that sets me apart from anyone and everyone else they may know. It would be way greater if they all knew Jesus the way I know Him, or even more. This is my job. I am far from being perfect, believe me, I have many things to change, but who better than my family to notice these changes? That is all I was thinking about lately, I really needed to share it with you. May God bless you and make you become a better person, a better witness Do (Corrected by Jane)
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I believe there are a few things more difficult to do, before men, than to forgive someone who excuses himself or herself. This demands effort, audacity, humility, love, patience… all that we tend to not be or have naturally. However, as children of God, that is what we are supposed to do. Why? That is the question I would like to answer today and I would like to invite you to discover it with me.
The first thing, is that, as children of God, our heavenly Father has all forgiven us first. We have seen that through the blood of Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven of our sins if we repent. So, if this God who is so great, so perfect, so marvelous who loves us despite our faults, forgives us, how much more do we - - imperfect creatures have to forgive one another? In plus, God asks us to do so! Therefore, in forgiving, we are obeying Him! It is what is written in Colossians 3:13: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” The second thing is that, in refusing to forgive, we put ourselves in a position that does not belong to us: that is God's. This means, the refusal to forgive is a form of judgement and also of condemnation toward the person who offended you. Furthermore, the Bible says God is the just judge (in Jeremiah 11:20). Thus, may we put away our pride and decide to forgive others like we would ourselves. There were times where I hurt someone dear to my heart. I did not really think about the damage it would do, and I was very strong in my remarks without even wanting to come across as rude. However, after talking to a friend, I realised the degree in which I was hurtful. As I have said, it was unintentional, but I quickly became aware that I hurt this person. That is what lead me to contact her to ask for forgiveness of my actions. It is then that the worst thing happened to me: during our conversation, I realised that it was not the only time I had been awkward. I asked God to forgive me, but I was questioning myself even though this person forgave me. Throughout a whole week, I tortured myself as I rethought about all the people I had hurt with my words and attitude in the same period of time. I really wanted to ask for forgiveness from these people, so did I. But this was not enough to end the feelings of guilt I was feeling (even though everyone forgave me). At the young adults gathering that followed, we had a time of prayer where we prayed for one another. I explained the burden I was holding onto to two persons there, and one of them told me it is prideful to not forgive yourself, which is an unhealthy behaviour: in refusing to forgive myself, so in judging myself, I tried to take the place of God. Nonetheless, if God has already forgiven me, who am I to condemn myself? Especially as a child of God. In the book mentioned last week, Jean-Claude Florin and Dominique Mourot also added that forgiving is a way to come closer to the image of God, to be in communion with him and to be liberated of certain torments. They explain that the refusal to forgive ‘infects’ our friendships and that forgiveness leads to reconciliation. For a better understanding of these points, I highly encourage you to read this book (if you understand French, I do not know any in English, but we can try to find one if you need so). To finish off, I wanted to add that, just before writing this article, I was reading, without even looking for it, on a well-known social network, that we must all forgive since we all make mistakes. What I understood from the post is that, refusing to forgive is a way of forgetting that we are not better than one another… I would like to let you ponder on all that was said above. I invite you to learn to forgive, to choose forgiveness. As a Christian, God will give you the strength to do it. And if you have not given your heart to God, today is not too late to do so! God wants to forgive you and have a relationship with you. You only need to say "yes" to Him and ask Him to come into your life. Have a nice week, Do 😊 (Translated by Jane) Before we start, I would like to recap certain points discussed in previous topics. In my opinion, they are relevant enough to be discussed in this article for better comprehension of the subject that will be spoken of. If you need more information on what will be talked about, take a look at the Bible or at the past articles! It has been said that there are times when we all make mistakes and end up hurting others around us, as well as we have all suffered at the expense of one's shortcomings, and by our disobedience to God, we have all “wounded” Him too. I also started this website by saying both you and I are loved by God.
Since God loves us, He desires to have a relationship with us. In the beginning of creation, He had a relationship with Adam and Eve in the garden. After, they sinned and disobeyed God, which separated them from Him. From that point on, a covenant needed to be established: blood needed to flow in order for our sins to be forgiven. The old testament and particularly the book of Leviticus are full of such examples and rules on this theme. The main idea is simple enough in itself: when a member in God's people ( or a group of God's people as mentioned in the Bible) sinned and recognized it, they were obliged to present their son offerings to the high priests (at the tabernacle and later the temple once it was built) with specific sacrifices required by the covenant Law, to obtain forgiveness from God. The priests had to follow ordinances of God with utmost precision to complete the forgiveness process for the person in question. It was also necessary for the sinner to repent after asking God for forgiveness, which is to not make the same bad mistakes nor return to their old sinful ways. In the same manner the Israelites would depart from the ways of God, so sin, and in the same manner they needed to be forgiven in order to escape the wrath of God, we have similarly lived out, because in one way or another, we have disobeyed Him. It works out that, the closer we are to God, the more we will know the heart of God (i.e. what He wants from or asks of us). If you do not do this nor pay attention to Him, it will be easier for you to fall into sin. Once you give your life to God, you will make it more of your duty to please Him as a result of His work in you. However, the Bible says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Therefore, we all need an effective sacrifice for the remission of our sins. The good news is, about two thousand years ago, the perfect sacrifice who fulfilled all of God's commands, was given to us by Him! It is Jesus Christ who is the Son of God! He is more valuable than any animal, since He is a part of God. He is the most precious, most marvelous and the most long lasting than all the sacrifices. It is what verse 24 tells us: “and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] [a]grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus...“ The blood of Jesus flowed for you and I, and allows us to be forgiven of our sins today as long as we repent. This means He will forget our trespasses and He will choose to not make us pay the price for it since He provided the ‘payment’ through Christ. If you have not given your heart to the Lord yet, now would be a good time to do so. You just have to recognize Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, to ask for forgiveness and leave your sinful ways. This decision, which would lead you in the right direction, would make God very happy! As a matter of fact, “when you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[a] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:13-15). Thus, not only can you be forgiven, but also be made innocent before God through Jesus! I encourage you to take this step to forgiveness today. To you who have already given your heart to Jesus, know that none of your faults are unpardonable as long as you repent (excluding blasphemy of the Holy Spirit). The duration of your walk with God, your biblical knowledge, your shortcomings, your origin… nothing can prevent you from being forgiven apart from denying your sins. Two steps are fundamental to take to be forgiven: first, repentance, as I have explained to you, which consists of asking God for the forgiveness of your sins (all in changing the disposition and attitude of your heart), and the second is having faith in God that He has forgiven you upon request. What now? What will be your decision? I encourage you to choose God no matter how old you are, your profession, your identity, et cetera. You can be forgiven and see a transformation in your life forever. The choice is yours. May God bless you and keep you, Have a good week Do 😊 P. S. : I was inspired by the book “Le Pardon” by Jean-Claude Florin and Dominique Mourot that you can get a hold of online if you so desire. It is more detailed of course, and has also inspired me for the subjects to come for this blog. Unfortunately, it does not exist in English... There were times where I thought about all the errands I had to run and things I had to buy, and how unpleasant it was to complete these tasks. This was up until I realised completing them were critical in order for me to eat healthily or to have the resources to dress warmly for winter (Yes, it was a while ago, aha). Also, I found myself pondering on how exciting it would be to shop with my friends, and how much more fun it would be to go grocery shopping with company instead of being alone. As I was thinking about this, an idea came to mind: ‘There is another thing you rather do when you have the desire to instead of when you just have to do it.’ I did not know from where this thought came. I had even asked myself the question for two good minutes, without understanding what that thing was. After, on my way out of my bedroom door, I asked God to help me to go through the day. And I understood: in fact, this thing was simply talking to God! Do not you happen to have those moments where you just want to speak to God because He is your friend and confidant? And other moments where you feel uneasy because you get convicted to pray? In the church I grew up in, during our time together, the pastor would often ask someone to pray out loud for God to bless our gathering, and then to guide each one of us on the road back home (and I think he still does it). Between you and I, it was the moment where I would lower my head so that he could not see me or at least so he would think I was already praying quietly... but, on the other hand, I could have prayed out loud if I desired to, in a orderly manner, at any of the gatherings in which I attended. My only “condition” was that he does not designate me to do the praying. What I am basically trying to say is, there are moments where you may simply and really want to talk to God, and sometimes even feel like you need to. Other times it is the opposite where you do not feel like doing it at all. Truthfully, if you have given your heart to Jesus, if you identify Him as your Lord and Saviour then you will always have to look more like him. Therefore, there is no better solution than to be close to him in order to obtain such an objective. There is only one thing that will allow it to happen: learning to know God more and more. There are many different possibilities amongst others to accomplish this like reading the Word, which is the surest way and by far the best to know God’s will, equally as much as in prayer (it is in these moments where you can receive revelations from the Holy Spirit), having conversation with trusted and mature people in the faith, praising and worshiping the Lord, or even spending some time in his presence in silence. In the same manner that I felt uncomfortable praying when asked to, I cannot feel comfortable when I have to pray or talk to God. If you have given your life and started your walk with Him, have you yet thought: ‘I have to pray, because it is the rule’ or ‘the moment to do so’? Let me tell you something: I believe that the best way to spend time with God is to understand and accept that in fact, you should always need to speak to God. One day, someone I know told me, “I would really like to permanently have God on the other end of the line.” I think my response of today to that comment would be “read His Word, speak to Him and allow Him to speak to you.” I know it seems easy to say and much more complicated to do. It is not always simple to understand God’s will nor to decipher what He is saying. There is a huge variety of videos and articles on the subject that one can find online, as well as a great number of books. One simple thing, before going back on the main point: make sure that these supplementary sources are based on the Bible, which is the reference that you absolutely need. What the Bible says and what truly got my attention, on the topic of how God speaks to us is: “For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it” (Job 33:14). This scripture makes the point that we must be attentive to what we hear -- listen and hear. When I say, “pay attention to what you hear”, I mean to also remember the sermons you heard in Church. Sometimes, you may get the impression that you are receiving nothing, but believe me, during the gathering, you will hear at least one word from God, concerning you. So .... pay attention! I do not want to be too long today, so I will summarize the main points I am trying to make in this article that are very crucial:
To finish off what I was saying earlier, I believe that when I will return to my hometown this summer, I will no longer have a reason to hide, because God has clearly explained to me that I must talk to Him at any given moment. In this type of situation -- when someone prays out loud, he or she has to represent the prayer of everyone there. And because I want to speak to God,because I need to, it is reasonable to share this with other believers! Of course my prayer may not be as beautiful as others’, it may not be as long or structured, but my heart will be thirsty for God, and I will always learn more on how to speak to Him. That is the most important. To have a relationship with God is to walk daily with Him, just like other relationships. But the most beautiful of things is that God will always be available for you. May God bless you and instill a greater hunger and thirst for him and his word in the days to come, and forever. Do P.S. : We sang this song frequently when I was in France, and it means a lot to me. I hope that the Lord will encourage you to ask God to help you be closer to Him, and if needed, to place such a desire in your heart to begin with. I do not know any English song that have a content similar to this one so, I will translate the lyrics in another post! Enjoy! (Translated by Jane) Doubt is defined as a state of uncertainty in the mind of a reality of a fact, of a truth of a spoken word, of the drive to accept it in a given situation. It is a feeling in which we have all experienced at least once, no matter how old we are. Doubt can occur in any kind of circumstance, including in decision-making and/or regarding our trust in someone or something. Doubt is the enemy of our faith. It questions the things concerning God since our walk with the Lord is based on the faith we place on him. Thus, doubt can become a barrier to our daily walk with Jesus.
To better explain this theme, let us look at Matthew 14 verse 22 to 33. In this passage, after having send back the crowd, Jesus sends his disciples to cross the body of water in the boat, as he withdraws to pray. He later returns back to the disciples by walking on water. The men become frightened, but Peter decides that, in order to prove that it is Jesus who is in the midst of the rough waves, he himself would also have to walk on the water by faith. At first, Peter walks with peace, but in verse 30, it says: But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" We see that Peter fixed his eyes upon Jesus to begin with -- he focused on the objective. However, as he looks away and focuses on the strong winds, the rough waves, he starts to become fearful -- to doubt. In verse 31, Jesus asks him a question: Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Before doubting, Peter had broken the eye contact with Jesus by diverting his gaze. This is how I perceive the situation: Peter represents each and every one of us when we try to keep our eyes on Jesus to stay connected to him and to know where to go. The wind symbolizes challenges and conflicts we have to face throughout our whole lives. We often look at the circumstances that surround us then doubt. We lose our faith in the process, which hinders us from clearly hearing God. It seems as though God has left us at that point, when in fact, he is still there. There is one thing we must remember: “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” (Romans 8:28 NIV). No matter what issue we are dealing with, God is present and has the solutions to the problems. We just need to look at him instead of at the dire circumstances. Doubt can lead us in the direction of hitting rock bottom if we let it, because the more we give it space in our hearts, the more the sin will separate us from God. When I was nineteen, I had lost a close friend to suicide. It was a shocking and painful news. It lead to depression for four months, and in this time, I asked myself where God was -- had he forgotten me? Why is he allowing me to go through such grief? And lastly, I asked: did he really exist? One evening during a meeting at a youth camp, as I was contemplating on commiting suicide myself, a word was spoken that touched my soul in such a profound way. I just knew God was speaking to me in that moment and in that place. I then realised that God loved me, that, yes, he does exist indeed. He did not abandon me and what I had planned to do in my life in that point in time, he had not planned out for me. I only had to tell him how I was feeling, to reestablish our connection, to gaze upon his face and from there, things would start to straighten out. The day of my friend’s death, I was aware that in cutting the connection I had with God, I was simply drowning out his voice from my heart. In focusing on the circumstance, I had lost sight of what was really important: Jesus. When we doubt, we may not realize how much God is present in our lives. I cannot tell you that since this experience, I have never doubted again. There will always be some times where I doubt. Nonetheless, I have learned to give all things to God and to no longer focus on my negative circumstances. I believe that once I lay down my burdens at the feet of Jesus, they are no longer mine and that it is him who will take care of it all. Once they are laid down, there is nothing that seems impossible to overcome and doubt no longer has its place in your life as you control it. I will leave you with this scripture: "Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them” (Mark 11:23 NIV). Little Feet (Translated by Jane) |
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