Just thinking

You are having one of the most stress-free days of your life and you feel glad about it thinking that everything is going just the way you want them to. You feel light-hearted and blessed. There is this sense of serenity and peace that seem to linger in the atmosphere despite the chaos that is ever present in your surroundings. This is usually the type of day that is followed by a night which is contrary to what you have experienced just a few hours back. Just because you were having a good day doesn’t necessarily mean that the rest of the human populace also went through the same. It is even worse when people that surround you who are stuck in their own problems and insecurities drag you down with them. You get reprimanded for the slightest mistake. It would then seem that you should feel guilty for having such a good day while they went through hell. It is as if you aren’t allowed to laugh while the rest of the world is crying, or at least someone else is. It is in moments like this when you are left with no choice but to be quiet, for whatever you say would still be taken against you. It is in times such as this that locking yourself up and escaping from the harsh realities of life appear to be the best solution. Be grateful for moments like this. These are exactly the instances when you can fully understand the true essence of patience and empathy.

Me? Really??

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Wow! Mother Teresa eh? That's a compliment.. :)

Bring Me Back to You

I have been struggling with my doubts, fears and anxieties for the past few months. I could say that for a long time, I have allowed myself to be carried away by the heavy outpouring of lies and deceit that the enemy has planned on using against me to shake my faith, which I believe was built on firm foundation. I gave him a stronghold- a way to defeat me, and for the past months or so, I was definitely losing the battle which was already won for me by Christ in Calvary. I was led astray by false accusations made by the enemy. I was made to think that I am not worthy to come before God because sin has gotten in between us. I fell right into the trap. I ran away from God because I became a victim of Satan as he used his very powerful device- a magnifying glass! (I am not joking.) He used it to make my problems look bigger, and thus, he got my undivided attention. I wasn't looking at how big my Father is anymore, but on how overwhelming my circumstances were. I wasn't focused on His forgiving and loving nature anymore, but on how big my sin is, how unforgivable, how shameful. The magnifying glass has done its miracle.

Broken, that is what I was. With the realization of my brokenness, it became easy enough to acknowledge my need for the only One who could make me whole again. As I inch a bit closer to Him, I realized that nothing could ever separate me from His love because there is no degree of sin that His love cannot forgive. As I took a step towards Him, I knew I could never be the same without Him. And finally, as I held out my hand to Him, I acknowledged that He is all I want or will ever need.

Yesterday was Sunday, and for the first time in months, I went to church.

The Difficulties of Life

Kids suffering from child labor; women battling with breast cancer; families hardly eating three full meals a day; people trying to cope with poverty, suffering from the loss of a loved one, and struggling against life’s bondages.

The world is full of this and more, so it is of little wonder why a lot of people refuse to believe in the existence of a good and loving God. Someone once asked me why God would create me, my dad and cancer and require us to ask Him to heal it. Shame and guilt overcame me as I realized that I didn’t have the answer to this question. My mind raced and quickly went in search for a useful passage in the Bible. To my great dismay, my mind went absolutely blank. I kept pondering on the question, but with my own strength and wisdom, I couldn’t seem to form an answer. I asked some people I know about their opinion and here are some of what I got:

· God never promised us a rose garden.
· God didn’t create suffering and pain, Satan did.
· We live in a fallen world. People suffer because of the consequences of their sins.
· Suffering and pain are sent to test us.
· It started when Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden. It was sin that brought about suffering and pain. It is a result of man’s choice.
· God allows such because He is mean and He loves seeing people suffer.

I came across this email from a friend, which seemed to answer the question. Ok, I think I’ll post it next time so as not to bore you.

This morning, as I opened my reading for the day, here is what I found:

The question of God’s allowing pain and suffering has plagued man’s heart since the beginning of time: If God is a good God, why does He allow bad things to happen? God always has a purpose for allowing the difficulties of life:

Spiritual cleansing. Nothing exposes sin like pain and suffering.

Companionship. God is not the author of evil, but He uses it to bring you into a closer relationship with Himself.

Conformity. C.S. Lewis once commented: “Prayer does not change God; it changes us.” Adversity purifies your motives and strips away the dross in your life so that you reflect His love to others with an even greater brilliance.

Conviction. After Christ’s death, the disciples had to hold fast to what they believed concerning God’s Son. In the end, the adversity they faced led to an increased joy that came through the reality of living in harmony with the Holy Spirit.

Comfort. When God becomes your only Source of comfort in times of trials, you will experience an inner peace like nothing you have felt before. (Into His Presence by Charles Stanley, 2000)

I posted this blog so I could use it as easy reference the next time I am faced with the same question. We are all entitled to an opinion, so I’m open to hear some more thoughts on this.