Security in Uncertainty!

 

The daunting truth that rules our day-to-day life is fear of losing certainty while being employed and in a secure position. You will notice even a person with a regular source of income is scared that at some point he/she may lose  the same. Insecurity develops not only when one is employed, but even while one is unemployed. In order to hold on to his security, compromises and adjusts himself to the good and the bad things variably.

There is nothing in this world that guarantees a 100% secured job, perfect business plan or great income generation model. All decline at some point of time. The wisest king Solomon states this life philosophy which is recorded in the Bible, "What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.". Human beings are temporal, existing the earth for a very limited period and soon vanish.

There was a  period of time when I was going through serious hardships and crisis. It looked like it is never going to end. All hope of being saved was lost. And during that period of time, I leaned to put my trust on God and experience Him in a newer way. This increased my faith and love for Him. The promises Christ made came true in my difficult moments, especially when my financial commitments were overwhelming. If there is ONE single fact in support of my belief, that would be His resurrection, the validity of scripture that Jesus is resurrected and is alive. And what Jesus claimed became real to me which said, "because I live you will live also.". Historical, genealogical, and geological proofs back up this truth. I recommend “Evidence That Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell if you’d like to see all the evidence compiled in one place.

Hope is something that I did not find when I had a guaranteed employment but found in the lowest point of my life. The Bible states, "Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.". You cannot go unnoticed or you can disappear from His sight. When you trust in the Saviour you remain secure. Remember this, you did not just appear in this earth due to a chemical reaction or coincidence. You have been planned by God to appear in the times that you are currently in. Believe that you are strategically positioned. Accept Him the Lord of your life by commiting your life to Christ.  The providence of God in your life is limitless.

Resources:

THE FOUR

Making a commitment 

 

 

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The Loop of Unfinished Tasks!

 

An article I was reading revealed a fascinating fact of how our mind has the capacity to replay things. Sometimes its those songs that keep playing in loop on our mind that can move us to the point of annoyance and hard to get rid of it from our heads. The reason maybe because they have a catchy tune or rhythm, but the fact is scientific.

 

Dr. Roy Baumeister explains that if you “listen to a randomly chosen song and shut it off halfway through...the song is likely to run through your mind at odd intervals. If you get to the end of the song, the mind checks it off, so to speak. If you stop it in the middle, however, the mind treats the song as unfinished business….And that’s why this kind of ear worm is so often an awful tune rather than a pleasant one. We’re more likely to turn off the bad one in middle of the song, so it’s the one that returns to haunt us.”. 

 

However, neurologists explain that this phenomenon is not restricted only to songs but even with unfinished tasks and unfulfilled commitments in life which nag our mind. Our decisions are often changed with priorities that need our immediate attention. The trivial ones do linger in our minds, but it is those matters of the soul that have a major impact if we fail to address them completely. We may have started on some important life changing decisions but would have abandoned them halfway through. These are the ones that keep repeating in loop in our minds which cause anxiousness and restlessness.

 

I often tell people that life is an indivisible whole and it is holistic. We cannot address it in separate parts. For example, when our connection with God is distorted, it reflects in our physical or socio-economic areas. The world is full of cares. Hence, it becomes even more important to set our relationship with the true living God. When we fail to do this our life will be haphazard where restlessness and pain becomes a normal way of life.

Jesus claimed that He came to give abundant life that provides absolute peace and joy. There is no need to go back and forth and live with regrets. The only solution is to submit one hundred percent of your life to the Savior who has the power to forgive your sins and make you clean. He will help you live a guiltfree life. Total commitment to life is not just visiting a religious place regularly and meeting all the rituals and obligations, but it is between you and God. Finding the truth which Jesus Christ offered is the greatest accomplishment of life. 

Resources:

THE FOUR

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Stop Hurting!

 

We live in a world where on one hand is full of opportunities and on the other hand rampant with failures. Smiley faces hide heartbreaks. Hence, we need to be conscious when we encounter people that we don’t hurt them with our words and actions. This quote is a reminder of this, ‘Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something.’

In the book of Proverbs in the Bible the author states this poignant observation “even in laughter the heart may be sad, and joy may end in grief.”. That’s true of so many people in this world who are hurting, grieving, bereaving and lamenting in disappointment. They wish life can be different and good to them and more importantly fair to them. Philip Yancey in his book ‘Disappointment with God’ states this powerful statement which says, “we tend to think, ‘Life should be fair because God is fair.’ But God is not life. And if I confuse God with the physical reality with life by expecting constant good health for example- then I set myself up for crashing disappointment.”

The best place to find your purpose and meaning in your life is at your lowest point in life. We are tempted to conclude our story with analogies and theories. However, we need to observe that there are many good things happening for our well-being that our eyes fail to see it. One for example is our immune system which protects the body against illness and infection that bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites can cause. It is a collection of reactions and responses that the body makes to damaged cells or infection, which is called the immune response. The sovereignty of God is beyond our comprehension. The Bible reminds this beautiful fact. He is the creator of the universe, and He does what is good. Just because we fail to see His goodness in our context and situation, it does not mean His goodness ceases to exist and has plans to harm us. Please remember His plans are always good.

Don’t give up when things don’t go your way. The Bible says, “all things work together for good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” . If this statement is still difficult to understand, it’s good to look back and see why you are in this situation today. I guarantee, you will find the pattern of the Lord in the direction of your life. Just learn to trust God and be with company who can encourage you through the process or better still someone who has seen God’s hand and leading in their disappointment. D L Moody, a great evangelist advises, “Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; trust in money, and you may have it taken from you; trust in reputations, some slanderous tongue may blast it; but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity.”.  Jesus is the only living Savior who went through the extreme suffering on the cross, buried  and raised from death. You have all the reasons to trust Him and cast all your burden on Him. He will surely help you and guide you.

 

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Surely Goodness and mercy shall follow all the days of my life!

 

Blessings, promises and assurances are always music to our ears as humans. In a world which is full of uncertainties, failures and disappointments these words bring hope and happiness. Things usually don’t happen as we anticipate. Therefore, we are taught to plan well, focus, use the right connections, work hard, use the right skill to achieve what we desire. Yet, it still does not guarantee 100% accomplishment.

We use religious quotes to achieve what we desire. For example, there is this famous verse in the Bible which assures us of God’s comfort, provision and supervision. This is memorized by every Christian. It’s the psalm of King David who acknowledges God’s sovereignty and starts by stating, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I have what I need.” During tough times Christians bring this verse to remembrance and recite it. But does this really make their crisis vanish automatically? It doesn’t.

We tend to use God as a spare tyre in a vehicle or as a parachute for emergencies, hoping that they will never have to use in their lifetime. We wish to live life in our terms, and brazenly demand that God aligns to it and ensure that He guarantees success. Martin Luther condemns this state of mind as an heresy. “The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has every plagued the mind of man, was the idea that somehow he could make himself good enough to deserve to live with an all-holy God!”  

It is written in the Bible “whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” We understand this more on the context of wages we receive for the work we do. But in the spiritual realm the compensation for all the mess we contribute, may not necessarily come in fixed intervals but as the Bible states  we all have to reap what we sowed. Sometimes when we are expecting good we are experiencing disappointment. God has orchestrated the whole thing in such a way that we either demonstrate our fullest commitment and experience His blessings or live in our terms. The psalmist David in the Bible, ‘Surely Goodness and mercy shall follow all the days of my life!’ will happen if we live in His terms. God is a gentleman. He never forces you to accept Him. It’s your choice. C S Lews puts it beautifully, ‘There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will  be done.”. All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek shall find. Those who know it is opened.’

 

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