LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, BEHOLD I'M DOING SOMETHING NEW!!!
Posted by: Rev. Charles King on Sun Jan 10 2010
At the beginning of every year, we make resolutions and hope to keep them. Unfortunately, many of those resolutions do not see January 2nd; some of us resolve to lose weight, to save some more money, to be better spouses, to spend more time with your families or to be more diligent at work or school. We make such resolves because we envisage a better future and desire to forget a bitter past. We want to move into a realm God is carving out for us and experience progress and not retrogression.
A few things however barricade us from moving forward:
1. Worries - We are worried about tomorrow, we worry about things that have not even happened. We develop high blood pressure from what our 'experience' (click here to view full message)
most probably dictates 'might' happen. We worry about school grades and exams, shrinking budgets and the pending interview. We worry about our present jobs and worry about the possibility of facing foreclosure. We sometimes worry so much that our faith, however strong, screeches to a devastating halt. Fear takes over and then we fall into the spiral of self-pity and anxiety. The spiral ball just keeps on rolling. But someone said worrying is like a rocking chair, it takes you back in forth in a restricted space, but never carries you anywhere.
2. Failure is the second deterrent to realizing the new things God has in store for us. Our attempts at something without the results we expected is not a reason for not making further attempts. What we might define as a 'failure' may not even be the case; it might be the application of an unworkable method; the seeming failure will therefore open up another perspective and method of doing things for you.
But there are actual times when we all fail; in relationships, in school, in saying what we really wanted to say thus causing a situation we did not anticipate. There are times we fail in fulfilling a duty or promise. We feel guilty and embarrassed, we feel as if we've disappointed others, but that is not the end of the road. God always gives us more chances to make good what we might have failed to do. Do not put a period where God places a different punctuation mark!
3. Loss: Losing something or someone is painful and can lead to mental, spiritual or psychological breakdown. The good news of Jesus Christ though is that YOU ARE STILL ALIVE and God's purposes for you did not go away with what you lost. Wake up to this reality and experience a new horizon in your life. Have you lost someone you loved? Maybe someone you've been married to for a long time? No one can begin to understand your pain, but don't hang on to that which you cannot reverse! The memory of the person you've lost will linger on for a while, but don't sacrifice your energy, your time and resources into living as if the lost one is alive; you may even feel guilty and remorse because you failed to love or care for someone who's now gone ahead. You still have no control over what is past. Leave what is past to the place it really belongs - THE PAST!!!
Maybe you've lost a job that provided resources for your family, resources to keep your beautiful home and maintain a lifestyle you were proud of. Listen, the loss of that job is one reason you should begin to ask questions:
God, how did I glorify you through that job? Did I give back or support ministries in my church and community with all I made? Did I save enough for an unknown future? Did my work take so much of my time to the point that I left no room for God? What was my attitude towards Church activities? Was I too tired after a long day's work? These are thorny questions that don't go down well for people of some standards. Your loss of that job may be God's way of drawing you closer and preparing you for a different level where you will develop and sustain a renewed relationship with Him. Why would God use such a method? I don't know, all I know is that His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Maybe you've lost a friend. Maybe that friend was walking on a different path that would ultimately lead you astray, implicate you or even cost you your life. Don't sit glossing over the times you spent together if you've made all attempts at bringing that friend over. Move on with your life because God is doing something new for you. There's a nostalgia for the past because the past is familiar, comfortable and known. But that nostalgia is like driving and focusing on your rear view mirror. You're sure not gonna make it to your destination, but you'll further endanger your life and that of others. The rear view mirror only mirrors what you've left behind while the bigger windscreen in front of you shows you what lies ahead. Focus on what God has ahead, and let the past be where it truly belongs, IN THE PAST!
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