Be grateful for what is there

There are times in our lives when we do not appreciate the blessings God has given us because we focus on what is not there rather than what is there. We observe the lives of others and it would seem theirs are better than ours. We realize that they have some blessings that we do not have. We become blind to the fact that God has also blessed us in numerous ways if we just become grateful for what is there.

Truly, comparison robs us of the joy that we ought to experience if we are just to be grateful for the blessings we have received from God. Let us discipline our hearts to see God’s hands of favor in everything rather than to sulk over the things that God has not given us.

God sovereignly superintends by His hand of providence everything that is happening to our lives. There are so many blessings I ought to thank God for: from the moment He wakes me up until He lets me sleep, for the safety of going to work and coming back home, for the daily food for me and my family, for the shelter, for the clothing, and most of all for the wonderful gift of salvation that I have through Christ. God is working so many things in our lives, yet we are only aware of very few of them. So, let us develop hearts that are better aware of God’s kindness towards us by being more attuned to His works and ways in our lives.

And as I focus on being grateful for what is mine, the blessings of God become more valuable and the Blesser becomes more gracious. So, let us train our hearts to focus on what is there, knowing that God has richly provided all we need. Let us make it a habit to be intentional in saying a prayer of gratitude every day for the ways God has graciously blest us, especially the greatest blessing that we could have: eternal life through faith in Christ.

Instrument in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul Tripp (Part 1)

In Chapter 1, Paul Tripp wrote about the greatest problem that we face every day. The greatest problem is not outside of us but inside of us namely our sinful hearts. He gave real-life examples of how sin affects the way we live. He also expounded on the consequences of sin in our lives. That is why, we need a Redeemer who will rescue us from ourselves. Fools become wise by relying on His wisdom. Self-absorbed people become humble by being awe-struck by His grandeur. Autonomous people become submissive when they realize that God’s boundaries are the safest place to be. All of us are helpless and hopeless that is why all of us need Jesus. Let us share Jesus to others. In Him alone is lasting change. In Him alone is true rescue not just from sin’s penalty but also from sin’s power.

In Chapter 2, I am reminded of the 3 amazing overarching themes of Scripture, namely: sovereignty, grace, and glory. As we minister to others using the word of God, we should be grounded in these 3 overarching themes. The sovereignty of God reminds us that God is in control of everything. Therefore, we need not establish our autonomy. We should be daily dependent on Him. The grace of God reminds us that we do not deserve anything. We should be gracious people who have experienced the grace of God. People always fight because we think we are entitled to something. Lastly, the glory of God reminds us that we should not be on center stage. It reminds us to deflect glory to Him rather than rob Him of the glory due to His name. Living a life in light of God’s sovereignty, grace, and glory will make us dependent, kinder, and humbler people.

In Chapter 3, I have learned 3 important things about us, namely that we are: revelation receivers, interpreters, and easily blinded by sin. God made us to live in a way that is dependent on His revealed truth. We can never live a life designed by God without it. We are also interpreters. We act out responses in accordance to our interpretation. That is why, we should be soaked with the word of God and not listen to other competing voices that spurt out lies into our hearts. Lastly, because we are still blinded by sin, we need the ministry of others to help us who we truly are and where we have erred. We need each other every day to prevent our hearts from being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. In light of that, we need to humbly and patiently point out sins in the lives of others and also exude an aura of approachability so that others would not be intimidated to point out sin in our lives.

In Chapter 4, I am reminded that the goal of counseling is not about behavior modification but heart transformation. We should be vigilant to whatever rules our hearts because what rules our hearts inescapably influences everything we think, say, feel, and do. In this chapter, Tripp mentions two analogies, that of trees and that of treasure. The bad tree produces bad fruit. In the same way, our behavior is a result of our innermost being which is our heart. What we treasure also directs our lives. So, it’s important to value God above all so that we would also have God-directed hearts. This chapter is practical because it reminds us to look out of the things that capture our hearts. It points us to the root of the problem rather than the fruit. May our hearts be ruled and captured by our awesome God alone.

When We Blame God

There are times in our lives when trials, sufferings, distress, and injustices fall upon us. Sadly, when this happens, there are times that we ask God, “Why did you allow these bad things to happen to me?” The even sadder reality is when we blame God for allowing these things to happen to us. We think that we know better than God. We think that this should never happen to us because we think we deserve better. We think that we have attained immunity from external problems because we have attained a certain level of goodness.

At moments when we think God is the One to blame, let us pause and think it over again. Is God really the One to blame? Sin is responsible for the trials, sufferings, distress, and injustices we experience. Sin has infected everyone and the world we live in. Because of sin, people hurt people. But God, out of His grace, devised a plan to save His people from sin’s penalty, power, and presence. He did this by sending His Son as Savior of the world. Through faith in Christ, we receive forgiveness from sin’s penalty. God also gives us the Holy Spirit to say no to the power of sin in our lives. In God’s appointed time, in His second coming or when He takes us home in our death, we will be freed from the presence of sin. What a great salvation we have in Christ! So, when we feel the urge to blame God for our situation, think first of the great things that He has done to rescue us from the real problem: sin.

Also, there are times when we think that this should not happen to us because it’s against our expectations. At these moments, we play as our little gods, who think we know better. But this is so far from the truth; God is infinitely better than us. God says in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” He is perfect in knowledge, wisdom, love, and sovereignty. He knows what’s best for us, desires what’s best for us, and has the power to give what’s best for us.

Let us be humble enough to acknowledge that what seems best for us is not truly what’s best for us because it’s not what God wills to happen. Let us also not forget God’s goal in all things that happen to us, His glory and for our Christlikeness. Having God’s goal in mind would align our self-absorbed hearts to the heartbeat of God.

Also, there are moments when we think we deserve better. We become self-entitled. We think we merit God’s favor because of our goodness. This is also farther from the truth. We deserve nothing but punishment. That is why we should always meditate grace in our hearts. We deserve nothing. Everything is a gift from God. We should remember that anything that is not hell is still mercy from God because hell is what we truly deserve. Let us cultivate grateful hearts instead of bitter hearts by thanking God in all circumstances.

Gazing at the Night Sky

Usually, it’s part of my routine for the week to gaze at the night sky while walking. This activity has proved beneficial to my soul. The vastness of the night sky always makes me think how small I am in comparison. It shifts my mind back to God who is the center of the universe. Everything revolves around Him. It’s all about Him and Him alone and not me.

Gazing at the night sky also stirs up awe in my soul knowing that it is God who holds everything in the palm of His hand. It’s comforting to be reminded that the God who sustains the universe is the same God who sustains and guides me. He has the power to hold the moon and the stars in its place and it is that same power that holds me. The vastness of the night sky speaks of God’s glory. The night sky is meant to remind us that we ought to live for His glory and not ours.

This experience also calms my soul because I am reminded of how great my God is. Since, my God is so great, I have no reason to be afraid and dismayed. My God is not just a God who sits, relaxes, and watches from heaven but He is a God who is intimately acquainted with His creation. He sustains, directs, and governs every detail that is happening. And since this awesome God is the one responsible for this, our hearts should be at peace knowing that our lives are in the hands of our loving Father.

Sanctification is an Uphill Battle

Sanctification is the process of being more and more like Christ. In this process, we actively participate with the help of the Holy Spirit as we pursue holiness. We just don’t passively sit and wait to grow in Christlikeness. We actively pursue it by doing what the bible commands us to do with the help of the Holy Spirit. We do God’s commands not just in deed but also with the right motive. We ask God every day to create in us a pure heart as we live lives pleasing to Him.

As I seek to participate in my sanctification every day, it dawned on me that sanctification is an uphill battle. The moment we stop moving upward, we fall back and dwindle. The world, the flesh, and the devil will drown us with its raging tides. We need to resist, stand firm, and always move forward to achieve progress. Otherwise, we will just regress in this uphill battle.

There are moments in my life when I become complacent. I get satisfied with the things I do for the Lord, and then I try to be lax in the battle that I have against my flesh, the world, and the devil. In these moments, sin subtly creeps into my heart until it becomes too observable to be noticed. Praise be to God that I could just come to Him as I honestly admit my sins against Him. Though that is the case, I have learned that we should be really diligent in daily disciplines that we ought to maintain to be a fruitful Christian. Complacency should be replaced with consistency and we could have consistency with the help of God.

Cultivating Divine Awareness

“He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9)

Joseph was being tempted by the wife of Potiphar to have an illicit affair with her. Her consistent offers were rejected by Joseph. For me, the key in Joseph’s victory over the temptation that fell upon him was that Joseph cultivated divine awareness. Joseph knew that God is watching him and that nothing was hidden in the sight of God. Joseph knew that committing this sin was against Potiphar, his master, but he knew it was primarily a sin against God. Joseph cultivated divine awareness. He knew that nothing is hidden in God’s sight. He knew that his life was completely laid bare in the eyes of His omniscient and omnipresent God. Out of his reverence towards God, it was unthinkable for him to commit this great evil against God.

This is one of the valuable lessons that I have learned in the life of Joseph. He lived a life of integrity before God. Divine awareness is something that we should cultivate. We know that God is omniscient and omnipresent but there are times that we live as if it is not true, consequently, it results to the committal of sin.

Let us cultivate divine awareness by acknowledging God’s presence everywhere we are. Let us pray to God that we will be able to live a life that pleases Him because He is always watching. Let us be mindful that our loving Father won’t tolerate sin and would discipline us concerning the wrong things that we do. Let us live like Joseph, who was constantly aware that a holy God watches over him. In so doing, he live a pleasing life before the eyes of the God who looks after him.