Kitabı oku: «Let Your Light Shine Before Men», sayfa 2

If you did not go through the process to get it, you do not have the power to keep it. If you did not earn it, you do not own it. What comes around goes around. You do not have to knock anyone off their game to win yours. So be careful you do not throw people off of a roof that you should be lowering them through. “The Lord will repay each man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I refused to stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 26: 23)

All of us get broken in some way, but what really matters is how we get back up and put the pieces back together. There are indeed times when we can actually feel we are off course. This is when the enemy is at his depraved best.

However, no matter what comes your way, stay positive and stay grateful. Never lose hope and never stop fighting for what you believe in. Just hold on long enough, because sometimes the situation seem much difficult but better in the morning. When the sunrises it gives hope. “Weeping may endure through the night but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

What kind of person are you to someone who has fallen, the kind that you will run to when you fall? Well, every person is on a journey here on earth. Do not judge people on where they are today because that is not where they are going to end up. There are no guarantees in life, but it is a sure thing that you will get back what you give. When you really have nothing left to give any more you are at peace.

That is when you realize that is all what you need. And be thankful that you have a glass and grateful that there is something in it. It does not matter if the glass is half empty or half full. For a genuine gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to invite more goodness into your life. “But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.” (Ecclesiastes 9:4.)

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*Motho ke motho ka batho, *Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu

Did you ever write a really long message and about halfway through you are like “you know what, I do not even care” and end up deleting it. Sometimes it is easier to pretend you do not care than to admit it is killing you. It is also ironic how you can smile on the outside, but die on the inside at the same time. Everyone always asks “are you okay?” for the sake of asking but no one really cares enough to see through the all “I am fine” lies.

It is easier to say “I am fine” when somebody asks if you are okay because sometimes it is not possible to explain why you are not. Sometimes when you say “I am okay”, you want somebody to look at you and say, “I know you are not.” That is what true love and caring is all about. However, part of caring for the loved ones is respecting their own free will to fail and to get hurt. Offer help, but allow them to live their own lives. Acknowledge that you cannot always be there for them.

Instead do what you can, plant the seed and then fall back to allow them to grow on their own even if it hurts. For “It is not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What is important is that God makes the seed grow.” (1 Corinthians 3:7)

Can you see eye-to-eye with someone not to agree, but to care? Not until you look into the eye of that child, neighbour, nanny or stranger do they turn into a human being. There is no reason to be hateful towards someone just because you disagree with their life choices, decisions or religion. Love them where they are at.

Generally, a person will only argue with someone she or he truly love and care for. Arguing less occurs when one is less interested. So practice forgiveness daily. Forgive others and forgive yourself. Allow yourself to be happy. Thus, practice does not make perfect if you are doing it wrong.

Sometimes it is hard to be honest and do the right thing, but do not give up… Unfortunately, just because you “forgive” someone does not mean they would not continue to affect you or piss you off. Sometimes it is not enough to do our best; but we must do what is required. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;” (Luke 6:37)

Time spent alone with yourself is never as fruitful as time spent caring and sharing with others. You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life. For no one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else. What we do for ourselves dies with us but what we do with or for others usually remains.

So, each person should do as he has decided in his heart not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others”. (2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT)

Somewhere someone is looking for exactly what you have to offer. Every single prayer matters. Every single word to God counts. A prayer can change everything. Do not give up hope.

Bless others in private, without any expectations. Everyone does not need to know what you do for others. You are called by God to pray for others that you may not even know. But not all are listening for His direction. Hence, direction is more important than speed. There are a lot of people going nowhere fast.

So, nothing is worth more than this day. For you cannot relive yesterday. Tomorrow is still beyond your reach. So, this is the day, this in the hour, this is the moment to turn to someone and say, “God loves you so much.” You may not be aware or even feel like it, but the reality is someone need it. You never know what a person is going through behind closed doors. The most important thing we are reminded of about God in the midst of trouble is that we are loved.

Build someone up today. Pay them a compliment. Remind them they are amazing. It costs you nothing, but to them it may mean everything. Be the type of person that no matter where you go, you add value to the lives of those around you. Always have something to work on. God will show you what it is and how to do it. If He does not give you it is because you do not need more than what you have right now. For the steps of the righteous are ordered by the LORD: and he delights in his ways. (Psalm 37:23)

Love, empathy and forgiveness have no season, nor expiration dates. You need to express and experience them daily. Forgiving someone is a great way to show love, and forgive yourself too for the hurt you held onto far too long. Just because you have made some mistakes in your past does not mean you should feel humiliated for the rest of your life. Do not get stuck in this circle of guilt, judgement and self-pity. You are not the first person to wake up one morning saying “I have messed up big time.”

Everyone makes mistakes, but that does not necessarily make them bad persons. But when you cannot own up to them, that is another story and that is when people starts to judge. Admits that you were little off the mark and ask for forgiveness. “May the Lord have mercy on you according to His steadfast love and blot out all your transgression” (Psalm 51:1)

One of the best things in life is seeing a smile on a person’s face and knowing that you put it there. Every time you make somebody smile, compliment someone or simply acknowledge their innate divine beauty, you are celebrating God.

So, be nice, even to strangers because some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Someone you are going to cross paths with today needs you to be filled with joy, unconditional love and acceptance. An Angel from God may cross your path today. “May grace and peace be granted to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:2)

3
DO NOT JUDGE

Imagine how your life would be different if you stopped making negative judgmental assumptions about people you encounter. Sometimes our light goes out, but got blown again into instant flame by an encounter with others. So, let today be the day you look for the good in everyone you meet and respect their journey. “Give therefore to everyone what you owe: taxes to whom taxes are due; customs to whom customs; respect to whom respect; honour to whom honour.” (Romans 13:7)

Be there for others, but never leave yourself behind. People tend to love you when you have your life together. But nobody likes it when the strong one breaks. When you are everyone’s therapist, you are not allowed to make mistakes. You do not have to worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and start with the person nearest you. But be careful that when you help someone with a need that you do not present yourself as the answer. As long as they think you have the answer, they would not look to God.

Sometimes, the way you think about a person is not the way they actually are. Besides, behind every person, there is always a reason why they are the way they are. Never judge someone without knowing the whole story. You may think you understand, but you do not. And just because you do not understand something, does not mean it is wrong. The way you do things might not always the only way to do them.

So, respect other people’s way of thinking. Do not judge a person based on what you heard and assume things. Sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you are down will be the ones to help you get back up. Better judge someone based on the experience you have had with that person, not based on what others have said about him or her. And do not believe everything you hear. Because there are always three sides to a story: yours, theirs and the truth. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

Do not judge the path of others if you do not know their journey. God forgives, and that is a fact. If you criticise someone else’s path, well, I guess you forgot how and where God met you at. It is not our job to judge a path another person decides to take just because it is different than ours or what we think is right. Just because something is different does not mean you must label it as right or wrong good or bad it is simply not the same.

It is not our place to determine what someone does right and wrong, it is our calling to demonstrate what is right and wrong. “… The Lord will not reject His people, because the Lord was pleased to make you His own. (1 Samuel 12:22)

If you want to know something, ask and do not assume. That is how drama starts. It is easy to have a wrong opinion about people’s lives when you are on the outside looking in. If your view only has the ability to see what people are not you will never receive what they are. Hence people have a lot to say, but they do not open up to just anybody.

Sometimes the only thing that people see is what you did when in fact one should be looking at why you did it. You cannot judge my choices without understanding my reasons. We judge ourselves by our intentions but we judge others by their behaviour.

As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, (1749—1832) the poet once said if you treat a man as he is, he will stay as he is. But if you treat him as he ought to be, he will become bigger and better man. So, “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2)

Since life is not always friendly, learn to smile and see it from the right angle. Be humble, kind and be wise. Never underestimate anyone. For everyone is given something that which other people do not have. The person that you look down upon and take for granted today is the very same person you will be looking up to begging for their help.

An arrogant person will tell you what he is got. But a humble person remembers who helped him, and never judges anyone by what they have. If you did not go through the process to get it, you do not have the power to keep it. If you did not earn it, you do not own it. What comes around goes around. You do not have to knock anyone off their game to win yours. So be careful you do not throw people off of a roof that you should be lowering them through. “The Lord will repay each man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I refused to stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 26: 23)

People matter to God. No matter who they are or what they’ve done; and because they matter to Him they should matter just as much to us. When you treat people as if they do not matter until you need them to, you are also telling God he does not matter until you need him to. So, appreciate the people that God has placed around you. Do not take them for granted. You do not have to agree with everything they do in order to accept them, they have a right to be who they are, and it is their choice.

Judge them not. For you are not called to pass judgement. But to teach others the word, to love your neighbour, and glorify God. Leave judgement for the Real Judge, God. The more you judge, the less you love. Therefore, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged” (Matthew 7:1-2)

Disrespecting people is actually disrespecting God who created them. The problem is same people do not even realize there is spiritual warfare. They do not see where the battle in their lives is really taking place. It is like when a train goes thru a tunnel and it gets dark, u do not throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul…” (Matthew 10:28)

If you have something kind, uplifting, or empowering to say, say it. Do not be afraid of being judged. Most of us does not live an authentic life for fear of judgement by others. You have to speak up when you have something to say. Do not hide your thoughts and feelings, especially when your voice can make a difference. We have grown in a society that says, “If you need people, it is a sign of weakness”. When God calls us to confess to one another… (James 5:16).

So you cannot do it by yourself, “everybody” needs “somebody”, do not suffer in silence talk to somebody. Do not keep your pain all to yourself, you will feel a lot better when you have someone to share it with; someone you can trust.

Do not judge anyone because you do not know what they are going through. “The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.” (Proverbs 22:2 KJV)

You need to love yourself, and others, the good, bad, and ugly, and accept everything. Even if you do not agree with the way people live, what they say…what they do but you can still love them. I mean truly love them. That is the Jesus kind of love.

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Dear Lord I thank you that “You have put gladness in my heart, more than when grain and wine and oil increase.” (Psalm 4)

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*Motho ke motho ka batho-a person is a person because of people

*Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu-a person is a person through other persons.

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4
CRITISISM

Do you ever pretend you did not see something to make the other person feel less embarrassed? Before you open your mouth to comment on someone’s flaws, take a look in the mirror and make sure you are perfect first.

All of us could take a lesson from the weather; it pays no attention to criticism. We do noted to be perfect, we just need to be real. Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Laugh when you can, apologise when you should, and let go of what you cannot change. “Calmness can lay great offences to rest.”(Ecclesiastes 10:4)

There is always people who want to see you sad simply because they never find happiness in their lives. Some are emotionally overly dependent on other people for their happiness. Plant your joy and happiness in The Lord. People cannot neither give nor take that away from you.

Sometimes you can become so critical that you critique everything and end up enjoying nothing. Every time you miss your share of happiness, not because you never find it, but because you did not stop criticising and enjoy it. “It is better to listen to wise people who reprimand you than fools who sing you praises.” (Ecclesiastes 7:5)

As a person, servant and child of God, accept both compliments and criticism graciously, knowing that it takes both sun and rain for a flower to grow. However, every compliment is not intended to build you up. And every criticism is not intended to tear you down. Someone somewhere is winning with the same hand you are discouraged and criticised about.

So, do not wish it was better. Stand up and make it what it can be. Though everyone else may doubt your ability to recover, you cannot. You have to surprise all those who wrote you off. Believe that your future is greater than your failure. Folks do not expect you to rise from that bad situation, they did not expect Jesus to rise from the grave either. Ignore the crowd. Before you can “possess the land” you must take a stand.

Do not follow the crowd. The crowd wants *Barabas, not Jesus. As the scripture clearly states that you are joint heirs with Jesus and whatever He has, you get. But you have to take it by faith, which means you believe it before you see it. It is part of your inherited, blood-bought right through your relationship with Jesus Christ. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…” (Jeremiah 1:5)

There is a saying that “A dog who brings a bone will also carry one as well,” which simply means that a person who brings you information about someone else will take your stuff to others as well. Most people simply do not deserve information. Even if they are willing to pay for it. There has to be right of passage. Such people are highly skilled at re-entering your life, sneer at your standards and expectations.

My attitude is, if someone is going to criticise me, tell me to my face. If you have a problem with me, tell me. Not everyone else. Open rebuke is better than secret love. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” (Proverbs 27:5)

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“Where there is strife, there is pride, wisdom is found in those who take advice.” (Proverbs 13:10)—————————————————-

*Barabas - A noted robber in Christ’s time, who was imprisoned and awaiting death for the crimes of sedition and murder.

(Matthew 27:16)