There are some days when life is difficult or when problems accumulate that become very trying. During those types of days, I wanted to throw in the towel. Today, however, I just rely on God for strength in such trials and tribulations. I would like to convince you on the many reasons why you should trust in God in these hard circumstances, but that would take up too much time.
Testimonies of those around you can inspire you or catch your attention when it comes to your faith and belief in God. They can lead you to know him further and to encourage you in your walk with God. This is why I would like to share the main reason why we as Christians trust in God, the reason we are able to go to Him. Human beings were created to have a relationship with God the creator, to interact with him, to be made in his image. It's a beautiful thing! This means he wants us, and this has been the case years ago and also when you were conceived. However, the first humans ever created, sinned against God, because they disobeyed his commandments, which separated them from him unto generations after. David said, “purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7 Amp), which similarly applies to anyone nowadays. In fact, the problem is that sin is in our nature. So, when Adam and Eve sinned, there was a separation between God and between themselves, which became our ‘inheritance’ that also separates us from God. It is this separation, the fact of not being in a permanent relationship with the Lord, that inevitably brings us to do bad and act in opposition to him. To reconcile to him or to be forgiven of your sins, God first had to institute sacrificing of animals, but he knew that would not be a sufficient, long-term solution. A pastor has very recently said that the reason why Jesus came on Earth to sacrifice himself is because forgiving is a painful act for all to do, as we spoke about in previous articles. And as an imperfect person committing an imperfect act, demands a lot of effort. So, the idea of a perfect God without sin, forgiving us also requires a huge sacrifice. What bigger sacrifice is there to take on all of the world's sins to forgive us all? In 2 Corinthians 5:21, the Bible states that “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” I believe this scripture summarizes this part well enough. Therefore, to choose to give one's life to Christ, to believe in him, is actually to choose life. In fact, through the forgiveness of sins, God allows us to live with him for eternity. This is the point Jesus is trying to get across in this verse: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Finally, in living with Jesus, I can assure you that you will obtain peace, joy, confidence and love. I doubt that you would find a life of a believer to be a serene, perfect life, and it may not always go smooth. Sometimes, we may question our walk and journey with God. Our battles can be very tiring and difficult, getting the impression we will never be able to overcome such obstacles. However, the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell in us once we are born-again, gives us these benefits: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23 esv) to also transmit to others, which he also stirs up in us. Many people pray that God fills them up and that their life overflows with him (mentioned in Psalms 23:5). What I personally understand is that the Holy Spirit must first fill us up in order for us to share and transmit the gifts and fruits of the Spirit to those around us. This, giving your life to God assures you all that I have spoken above. In conclusion, I could never be able to force you to believe in God. Nonetheless, I can give you all of the facts on him, and affirm to you that God offers us a more full and better life with him than one with battles we must suffer alone. The choice is yours, so choose your destiny. Hoping you have a wonderful week, Do☺️ (Translated by Jane)
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A few years ago, before I decided to commit my life to Jesus, one of my goals was to be accepted by everyone around me. I used to have different faces in my life, depending on the person I was interacting with, always changing my attitude to fit the situation. However, when people that belonged to different circles spent time together, I had trouble being coherent with the face each of them were accustomed to. It took a while before I changed my ways.
When I decided to follow Jesus, I did not think about changing this habit immediately. I can say that I was a Christian with Christians and someone else once I stepped out of the church and conversed with someone. No matter what I heard, or what people around me would tell me, I had yet to change that about myself. Yet, Jesus says in Luke 12:8 - 9, that “[…] whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God”. For a long time and for a reason I cannot explain, I was conscious of my lifestyle, but I made no effort to change it. Through my experiences with God, I realized that leading this double-life was not helpful, and could even cause me some trouble. We already talked about the importance of testifying and being a witness of God throughout our lives. Therefore, you can understand that my attitude back then and the life God wants me to live were in complete opposition to one another. When I received this revelation about myself, I decided to have one way of living, no matter where I was or who I was with. I understood that it would keep me from danger and inconsistency, for example when people from different parts of my life would meet. All the while, I allowed myself to be more Christ-like. To be authentic, to be true, is very hard and requires a lot of effort. It took me almost three years to realize that it was a problem in my life and that my behaviour had to change. I relied on God; what happened after this decision was very striking. Suddenly, people I met kept telling me that I was the kind of person they wanted to spend time with, who had a positive influence in their life. Month after month, the people around me began to trust me more than beforehand. Your authenticity can bring you closer to God, but also allows people to trust you. Today, my open heart allows people to trust me and to know that they will receive honest answers. To be brief, seeking to be more like Christ, takes us on the road to becoming a more authentic Christian. That mentality and lifestyle draws in the people who need it; making them able to trust someone who they know can be honest and truthful. This is an incomparable testimony. Wishing you a blessed week, Do 😊 (Translated by Jane) |
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November 2021
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