You are not alone when you are suffering!

Man, in search of answers to life questions, has interpreted things based on his personal background, belief system and religious platform that is more suitable to him. Globally people are fighting against each other to prove one’s creed to be true and right based on how popular it is and how large it is in their community or country. More people are suffering and are killed each day on account of religion today. Global headlines include the rising crimes and war in all parts of the world in regard to breaking and making of religious places. Sadly, people are fighting on behalf of God and for his existence.

The people who are in crisis and suffering wish the true loving God, if he exists, would reach them at their point of need. Most of the time people are not able to make the connection with the divine supreme God in a personal level. it is seen they are only conscious to ensure they meet the religious requirements, fulfilling all the rituals and possibly visiting all the famous shrines, hoping the suffering to disappear.

We are experts in creating and making God based on our own imagination and understanding and customize him to our specification and finally, become saviors for Him. And when we are in crisis and suffering, we want the same God to help us. The good news is God exists and understands your pain and suffering. It just matters how we understand the claims of God.

Most of the time we even make a business transaction with the almighty, example, if our needs get met, then we promise our money or a visit to the religious place in return. A true God cannot demand your wealth or mandate you to be a martyr by blowing yourself and killing others, but demands your heart and expects you to be an embodiment of love and kindness. Find a God who is not dead or fictional but resurrected and live to reign in your hearts and help you in your suffering.

Friends we do not exist like any other creatures with no purpose and meaning to life. There is so much to our life and it can only make meaning when the claims of a true God enlighten our hearts and fills with peace and at the same time, we have the ability to love others and be loved. He understands your pain. In Holy scripture it says like this, “Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest”. Suffering is real and not fictional, so you need a God who is not fictional but real. 

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Living with double standards!

I want to quote a story by Zig Ziglar (leadership giant & Motivational speaker) in his book “See you on the top”; ‘A baker suspected that the farmer who was supplying his butter was giving him short weight. He carefully checked the weight and his suspicions were confirmed. Highly indignant, he had the farmer arrested. At the trial, the judge was satisfied and the baker annoyed at the farmer's explanation. He [the farmer] had no scales, so he used balances and for a weight he used a one-pound loaf of bread bought daily from the baker. The major difference between a lot of men and women who have served time, as opposed to those who have not, lies in the matter of getting caught.’.

People expect to be differently treated in fact with all honesty and sincerity when they fail to offer the same. Jesus emphasized on this by saying “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.”. We constantly live in double standard with our family, community, workplace and every other place without even realizing it most of the time. Most of us have the audacity to demonstrate their double standard by giving advises and instructions to their children, to loved ones and exactly do the opposite. We may name it smart life skill, but for certain our children get mixed messages and ready to replicate the same double standard confidently.

Don’t you think we are all setting ourselves to operate from a complete selfish zone, ‘only I should live and me alone’. One great tragedy of selfishness is that, the more we yield to it the less capacity we have to enjoy anything else. Stephen Covey who is known for his bestselling book “The seven habits of a highly effective person” puts it this way, “The more people rationalize cheating, the more it becomes a culture of dishonesty. And that can become a vicious, downward cycle. Because suddenly, if everyone is cheating, you feel the need to cheat too”. Life is sacred and has a purpose and meaning unlike animal kingdom and that unfolds, when you find a savior who can sanctify our hearts and make us a sane human being.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zig_Ziglar

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Taking things for granted!

Do you realize, too often we tend to take things for granted in our day to day life? That can include work areas, relationships, honoring parents, dealing with friends, in the way we communicate, in financial transaction, the list can go on. As long as it doesn’t affect us or our family, we think it is fine.

Let me take your attention way back to a serious incident that was in the news and the documentary televised by National Geographic team too. I am referring to “Texas City Refinery explosion” occurred on March 23, 2005.  It killed 15 workers, injuring more than 180 others and severely damaging the refinery. The Texas City Refinery was the second-largest oil refinery in the state and the third-largest in the United States with an input capacity of 437000 barrels (69,500 m3) per day as January 1, 2000.   

Soon after, several research agencies took up the study to find the cause of this heinous disaster and found it was due to human and organizational error. There is something called the “Root cause analysis” which determines the cause of any breakdown are, due to one or more of the three areas and they are 1. Physical causes, 2. Human cause, 3, Organizational cause. In this case it was purely Human and Organization who are to be blamed. Let me put the finding:

>Safety procedure was not completed.

>In addition, there were a number of serious issues with items of safety critical equipment which had not been resolved prior to the start-up

>The Day Supervisor arrived late for work and did not have a hand-over with the night shift.

>The second Day Supervisor was told that the start-up procedure should not continue, but this information was not passed on.

>Organizational failings included corporate cost-cutting (25% cut in the operational cost).

>Poor communications between individuals and departments

Have you noticed most of the findings are related to lack of responsibility, communication and also due to some who took things for granted? It is possible to have all indicators to signal danger - a siren, an alarm system and yet make no sense if somebody chooses to evade from their responsibility because of their selfishness.

In real world too, we either take things for granted or just don’t care if it is going to affect someone as long as we are safe and happy. In the Bible it is written “Love others as you love yourself”, the golden commandment of Jesus. Bring God into every paradigm and you will be entirely a different person. Taking people for granted is something that need immediate attention, if unaddressed soon will have a serious effect on everything especially on your family too.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_Refinery_explosion

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Extended life!

Yet another year full of opportunities and blessings of the Almighty ahead. The opportunities we want to grab will depend upon the purpose, the ethics we attach to our living and the hope we cling on to. Mark Twain remarks, "Purpose in life is far more important than property or possessions. Having more to live with, is no substitute for having more to live for. The two greatest days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.". 

The New year or months don't bring fortune to us, though we may want to place importance of the day or a particular month we encountered success. It is the divine God who designed and orchestrated the universe and filled with resources for us is the one who sustains you and me. We live beneath the protective palm of a sovereign King who superintends every circumstance of our lives and delights in doing us good. Nothing comes your way that has not first passed through the filter of God’s love.

C. S. Lewis once stated that, “when a ship is on the high seas, it must answer three questions. The first is how to keep from sinking—personal ethics; the second is how to keep from bumping into other ships—social ethics; and the third is the most important of all, to know why the ship is out on the high seas in the first place—the essence of ethics.”.

Some of you in the year 2018 might have encountered serious challenges that crushed all your hopes and filled your heart with disappointment and now you are apprehensive how this year would look like for you. I encourage you not to give up, not to lose hope and at the same time, also not to take things for granted. Many who expected to see this year have passed away. Through the grace of God the Almighty we are here today. Life is a miracle., therefore have the sense of gratitude. It is said, "When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.".  G.K. Chesterton.

Every human being has the right to choose between life and death, good and evil, or success and failure. The choices people make determine their destiny. “God is in the business of redeeming expectations! He’s in the business of reviving hope. In their magnitude and beauty, His expectations for our lives have much more in common with our childhood idealism than with our adult realism; they look much more like what we once dreamed of than like what we now settle for.”.  The Scripture says. “I came that they may have life and have it in abundance.”. Don’t give up but trust God. Wishing a great year ahead!

Happy New Year 2019.

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