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The Best Life You Could Possibly Imagine

Many of you believe your life is not ideal, let alone “the best” life you could ever imagine. But, that is why this time on Latter Rain, the post will be discussing what “best” truly means and as to how we should perceive our own lives. Because the way you make use of your own life is imperative to your mental health and every other aspect of your life. So, continue reading to learn more.

A Choice to Make

The “best” life you could possibly imagine is often far from what we actually imagine. Our imaginations often host a multitude of possible scenarios which we so yearn to be ours. But, our lives usually don’t end up the way we envision things. That’s just the way life works.

Some issues we face in life are the results of our failures whereas other challenges come our way regardless of the actions we take. Again, that’s just the way life works.

However, in this post, I propose the idea that your life can at any point of time become the best life you could possibly imagine. Now, I know that is a difficult notion to believe wholeheartedly. Nevertheless, this is what the Christian worldview supports.

It is your choice to make, as to whether you want the best life you could possibly have, or if you want something less than that. It is up to you.

So, let the scriptures do the talking. During Jesus Christ’s ministry, as He was walking with His disciples, He came across a man born blind. And Jesus’ disciples ask Him a very odd question.

John 9:2 World English Bible (WEB)
2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

The reason as to why this question is so ridiculous and yet, captures human nature so well, is because it deals with judgement and irrationality. Concerning judgement, people want to assign a blame to a particular being when dealing with a mess, hence the question. Concerning irrationality, how in the world, could a man commit a sin so that he is born blind? If he was born blind, he did not even have a chance to commit a sin to earn him the blindness!

Continuing on, let’s see Jesus’ response to this question…

Shifting Gears from Earth to Heaven

John 9:3-5 World English Bible (WEB)
3 Jesus answered, “This man didn’t sin, nor did his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

As it turns out, no person is responsible for the man’s suffering. His condition is not divine retribution for an error on his part or his parents’ part. Instead, Jesus says that the works of God should be revealed in him.

So, does Jesus mean that He (God) made the man suffer blind his entire life just so He could heal him? I don’t think so. I think this man’s blindness is traceable to the fall of Adam and Eve, the fall of humanity where mankind opened the door for sickness to ravage mankind.

But, Jesus, being God in the flesh, made it His mission to reverse the curse. He went about healing the sick, delivering the captives, and forgiving the sinners. He was revealing His love and these were the works of God which were being made manifest.

We should not look at the mess in our lives and play the blame game. Instead, we should realize the model Jesus Christ left for us. He said in verse 5, that He is the light of the world while He is in the world. And the role of light is not to find out why darkness is darkness, its role is to light up its environment, to eliminate the darkness. So now, our responsibility is to be the light He calls us to be.

Matthew 5:14 World English Bible (WEB)
14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.

The Best Life in Front of Us

If you really, really want to find a reason as to why bad things happen, then assign it a new purpose. Say to yourself that the purpose for your mess is so that God can clean it up and be glorified. That’s what Jesus did.

John 9:3 World English Bible (WEB)
3 Jesus answered, “This man didn’t sin, nor did his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him.

The last thing God wants to do is to play the blame game. Humans are very fond of that particular game because of the wicked human heart.

Jeremiah 17:9 King James Version (KJV)
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Thus, how do you be the light Jesus called you to be, when your heart is desperately wicked? The solution is to surrender your heart and all its desires to the Lord Jesus Christ. All you need to do is to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart (to redeem it) that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Saviour.

Now, something I did not mention earlier was that the religious leaders did not like it when Jesus healed this blind man. They missed the entire picture and these same people later on, urged the Roman government to execute Jesus in the most inhumane way, crucifixion.

Matthew 27:35-36 World English Bible (WEB)
35 When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots,36 and they sat and watched him there.

And even though, Jesus, being God, could have stopped it, His crucifixion was part of His mission, so that as He died and rose again, His life could enter you and the divine punishment for your mess ups would be on Him, instead. Now, His light is in you. I talk more about it in this post.

Matthew 5:16 World English Bible (WEB)
16 Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Therefore, don’t exhaust your brain with the various reasons as to why you or someone else is suffering. Instead, seek your Heavenly Father, and love Him. If you want a reason for your temporary suffering, then make it a purpose that God will intervene and make some good come out of it. And just be the person who, like the formerly blind man, worships Jesus in appreciation, admiration, and love for being the compassionate God He truly is. A life with Him is the best life you could possibly imagine!

John 9:35-38 World English Bible (WEB)
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”
36 He answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?”
37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you.”
38 He said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped him.

By Andre Wijesekera

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Never Idle: Keeping Yourself Active No Matter The Time

Never be idle!

It’s a universal belief that being unproductive is bad. If you ask most people if it is good or bad to be lethargic and inactive, most of them would say it is bad. I believe God has wired it into people to be productive. And no matter what our circumstances, we should be productive. Productivity is good for your life’s progress, emotional life, spiritual health, and your mental health. So, if you want to learn how to never be idle, keep reading.

Finding Productivity Purposeful

First of all, when it comes to being productive, you must realize something. God values productivity. He likes it when His children do what He wants us to do. And He likes it when His children are not lazy and never idle.

Proverbs 10:4 World English Bible (WEB)
4 He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand,
    but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.

God out of His wisdom advised us to not be lazy. Laziness is a major reason why some people are stuck in poverty, they refuse to change their ways and they don’t want to do anything with their God-given hands.

Now, I myself, have a confession to make. I have not always been productive. In fact, I find it very easy to waste a day and to not get anything done. But, I made it up in my mind not too long ago that I should be productive for the Kingdom of God and never be idle. And if you have already been a lazy person and you know it in your heart, make a decision to be the person with a diligent hand because no matter how much you want something whether it be financial freedom or academic excellence, God wants you to put in some work into it.

Don’t be a sluggard for your own sake!

Proverbs 21:25 World English Bible (WEB)
25 The desire of the sluggard kills him,
    for his hands refuse to labor.

God always gives you a decision and I don’t care if you’re reading this as a high school student or if you’re in your seventies, God can enable you to be productive. God called Samuel to be His prophet when he was around twelve years old, but at the same time, God called Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt when he was eighty years old, so, age is not a limitation when God calls you to do something.

Exodus 7:7 World English Bible (WEB)
7 Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Recognizing What God’s Given You

First off, you must start your day right. If you start your day without God, it is very hard to remember Him for the rest of the day. Furthermore, how you spend time with God at the start of the day is up to you and God. You can read the Bible followed by some prayer. Or you could start off the day with a moment of worship.

Spend time with God in whatever way possible

Whatever it is, start your day by doing something with Him.

Psalm 90:14 World English Bible (WEB)
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

When we are satisfied through time with God in the morning, it makes it easy to be glad all our days. Moreover, if you don’t have time, make some time. If it means that you have to wake up earlier to squeeze in some time to read the Bible then do it.

Next, ensure that you recognize your day is given by God and make that thought something you’re aware of. As soon as you wake up, say, “Holy Spirit, thank you for this day which you’ve given me.”

Remember, as soon as you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, a relationship is established between you and God. So, you can commune with God. I talk more about it in this post.

Now, when you tell Holy Spirit that you’re grateful for the day which He has given to you, mean it. And the reason why I say this is because those words are very meaningful. God has given you a day to be productive and He has granted you the freedom to do something good with that day.

How God Wants Us To Never Be Idle

You can workout, you can study, you can learn something new, and the list of opportunities are endless. So, when you thank Him, make it something which you mean because that in itself will help you to be active throughout the day and never be idle.

Even more, God is willing to give you the grace to do what He sees as good. But, you must follow His will. If you don’t do things His way and you do it instead out of selfish ambition where you want to prove something for your glory, that is not good.

James 3:14-16 World English Bible (WEB)
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.

And when you go to work or do whatever it is which you’ve set as a goal for yourself, do it for His glory. Do it in appreciation of what Jesus did for you, do it with Him and do it for Him because He loves you very much and He deserves the glory. He is the reason why you should never be idle.

1 Corinthians 10:31 World English Bible (WEB)
31 Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God

To Never Be Idle As a Child of God

Make sure to trust God with what you want to do and He will help you. He will give you the wisdom if you want to study. If you want to learn something like how to cook, God will make sure you are able to learn. If you need to workout, then God will give you the strength to push yourself to the limits. But whatever you do, do it with Him.

Philippians 4:13 World English Bible (WEB)
13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

When Holy Spirit was talking through Paul in the above verse, it was in the context of how He was withstanding persecution for being a believer in Jesus Christ. So, make sure that you are first and foremost productive as a believer in Jesus. Then, this productivity will reflect in the rest of your day if you trust Him.

Also, make sure these are goals which God wants and not sinful goals because God will not back you up if you’re planning to do something evil. Instead, you will fail if you are trying to do something evil after knowing that Jesus would not approve of it.

John 15:6 World English Bible (WEB)
6 If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Don’t be a withered branch!

And finally, stay sensitive and ask Him for the sensitivity to hear what Holy Spirit wants to tell you. Obedience is key when it comes to being productive. If He tells you to do something, do it. Whether it makes sense or not, be quick to do as He says.

Romans 8:14 World English Bible (WEB)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God.

In the end, being productive and never idle relies on your relationship with God and how you reach that goal for success.

By Andre Wijesekera

Posted on

The Raw Power of Godly Encouragement

Oftentimes, people do not appreciate or value the gift of encouragement. It is such a wonderful tool that can open up a door for hope. All throughout the Bible, there are cases where encouragement acted as the deciding factor for success. If you learn the incredible power of godly encouragement, it will change your life for the good!

Encouragement in the Old Testament

First, let’s define godly encouragement. Godly encouragement is when someone (which can include yourself or God) motivates you and points out that there is hope regardless of the situation because God is with you.

Now, the first instance in which God introduces encouragement into His wonderful Word is in the story of Joshua. When Moses prepares Israel with a lengthy speech, he talks about how he is not to enter the promised land and so, God appointed Joshua to lead the children of Israel into the promised land. It is in these moments that God instructs Moses to encourage Joshua for the mission which Joshua has ahead of him.

Deuteronomy 1:38 World English Bible (WEB)
38 Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

Joshua became responsible for leading a nation. I know you may have some pretty serious stuff going on in your life; but, leading an entire nation is quite the challenge! So, God wanted Moses and everyone to encourage Joshua which goes to show the importance of encouragement from God’s perspective. Now, keep in mind the Hebrew word for, “Encourage,” in this passage is, “Chazaq,” (I’ll be referencing this word later on).

This situation relates to you in that if you are expected to do something that seems nearly impossible, you need godly encouragement.

But, what if there’s no one to encourage you?

When There’s No One to Encourage You

God is so fair and so careful that He makes sure that His Word is sufficient for you. And so, God has provided us with an example of a person who did not need anyone to encourage him.

1 Samuel 30:6 King James Version (KJV)
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

The snippet of scripture above reflects on the time when the Amalekites robbed all of David’s possessions and wives; God knows what they were planning to do with all they had stolen! David’s men turned against him as they became upset that the Amalekites stole all they owned.

So, what do you do when it seems as if the whole world’s against you! You do what David did; you encourage yourself in the Lord your God!

Sometimes, you cannot rely on other people to encourage you. It is a sad but true fact and God knows that. You must learn to encourage yourself. That’s what it takes to be a king. And David was in such a horrible situation.

I mean think about it; his own people were going to kill him and bad guys took all he had. David was in a very, very tough situation during the time of this scripture. But, he still trusted in God and encouraged himself. If you’re in a situation where the stakes are high and you don’t seem to have any hope, encourage yourself in the Lord your God just as David did.

So, in the course of the passage, we read that David sought God’s guidance and God strengthened David along with his army to take back what was stolen from them.

1 Samuel 30:18 King James Version (KJV)
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

When you’re at wits’ end, you cannot encourage yourself in pride or selfish ambition, no, you must encourage yourself to trust the Lord your God just as David did. You must trust in Jesus who is the Lord your God. He is the God of David.

Also, as a side note, the fact that David married more than one person was never God’s ideal picture of marriage. But, God makes it clear in the New Testament that marriage is to be a holy covenant between two people.

Godly Encouragement and the Cross

Psalm 27:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

The above scripture written by David through the inspiration of Holy Spirit says to wait on the Lord and to be of good courage.

Now, when it says to be of good courage, the Hebrew word within the scripture is, “Chazaq,” which is the same word that was used when God told Moses to encourage Joshua.

Thus, this psalm is telling us to simply wait upon the Lord; encourage yourself in what He’s done for you and He will strengthen your heart with the courage to face your situation. That is the key to godly encouragement. It unlocks the courage within yourself to face the Goliath in your life.

If you cannot encourage yourself, ask God to encourage you; ask God to strengthen you. God will answer you; he will not let the situation eat you up. If hell’s against you, then remind it that Jesus already bore hell for you.

Romans 15:5 World English Bible (WEB)
5 Now the God of perseverance and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,

When you believe that Jesus died on the cross for you so that He could bear your sins, your shame, your loss, your suffering, and every hell centered thing in the planet belonging to you, He transferred His strength, peace, grace, and Holy Spirit to your spiritual account. If you have His loving Holy Spirit living within you, there ask Him as the God of encouragement to encourage you.

Even if you can’t encourage yourself, God will encourage you for Holy Spirit is also called the Comforter. He will strengthen your heart as David wrote in the Psalm.

John 14:26 King James Version (KJV)
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

In your time of distress, He’s there to comfort you because He loves you very dearly. And remember you have even better privileges than those in the Old Testament so enjoy your relationship with God.

Therefore, do not ever lose hope. Remember to ask God to strengthen your heart and so, encourage yourself in Him. Remind yourself that your God is big, that your God is the King of kings and the Lord of lords; remind yourself that He loves you and that He is always with you.

Joshua 1:9 World English Bible (WEB)
9 Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.”