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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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Stepping Out of a Traumatized Past Into the Now

Restoration is in Christ

The daily price we pay to stay in the moment is sometimes all too high. And for those of you who are suffering from a vividly painful past, you are not exempt from the joys of life. That is going to be the topic of this post as we explore PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and as to how one should overcome it. So, to find out what it takes when stepping out of a traumatized past, continue reading.

The Pain Behind the Trauma

PTSD is a real issue in a our society. No doubt about it. When people go through painful and horrifying experiences, it does, at times, leave a scar. And that’s the thing about mental health; it’s just as real as your physical health. So, I believe that God cares for your mental health just as much as He cares for your physical health.

3 John 2 World English Bible (WEB)
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers.

God outlines the importance of your soul. And your soul is your mind, will, and emotions which includes your mental health.

Continuing on, these mental scars come in the form of things like PTSD. Now, PTSD is a disorder where people see hallucinations or dreams reminding them of their terrible experiences, or where people avoid socializing so that they do not encounter anything that might trigger memories about the painful event. Overall, it’s a terrible disorder that induces anxiety because of horrible experiences.

The things that tend to cause PTSD within people are really terrible events such as the following: natural disasters, military conflicts, assaults, accidents, and more.

And so, I do acknowledge that there is a deep pain or terror that lies behind the issue of PTSD. People go through things God never meant for them to ever go through, as human beings.

God never intended for these things to occur. We live in a fallen world, and in a fallen world, there is pain.

So, if you’re suffering from PTSD, I cannot understand the pain you’ve gone through as I do not know it or have probably not experienced it, but, I do know that your pain is real. Your hurt is real. But, there’s a way out of it, there is a solution.

The Weight of Trauma; the Height of Suffering

Now, I believe the solution is Jesus Christ. I did say I cannot understand the pain you’re experiencing as it does not relate to my own experiences. But, there is one who does understand how you’re feeling. God understands your pain, more than you think He does.

He not only knows it out of his omniscience, but He knows your suffering out of His experience. He knows the grit and heart-pounding terrors which you have experienced. He’s felt it all. Whatever sexual abuse or military battle or car accident haunts your memory, is a pain which God relates to.

He does not deny your pain, He does not ignore your pain, He feels your pain.

Isaiah 53:3 King James Version (KJV)
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

If your experience is something out of hell, Jesus’ experience is out of a deeper hell than that. He was physically beaten, stripped out of his clothes, scourged, had to carry a wooden cross up a hill, and was then pinned to the cross with nails in His hands and in His feet. He can relate to your hell, but, you will never be able to relate to the extent of hell which He endured. It is beyond human imagination to suffer a fate worse than His.

Furthermore, Jesus is God, who came to Earth in the form of a fragile human being to redeem/save humanity. And a symptom of PTSD is the stress or anxiety one feels when remembering a traumatic event. But, I believe Jesus was experiencing a form of PTSD before His traumatic experience even happened.

That would be because He is God and He knew every single detail that would outline His suffering the next day. And when He remembered the future should He choose to save us, He started sweating blood. And sweating blood is a medical condition where people experience severe stress. So, Jesus felt severe stress or anxiety about the suffering He was going to endure, on the night of His arrest.

Luke 22:44 World English Bible (WEB)
44 Being in agony he prayed more earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.

Stepping out of the Trauma

Jesus knows how you feel. You can be sure about that. But, is stepping out of a terrible experience possible? Are you capable of stepping out of PTSD? The answer to these questions is a resounding “yes.”

Jesus does not have PTSD, now. He did what He did with a purpose. And He accomplished it. That purpose was to experience our hell, so, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, He saves us.

John 19:28-30 World English Bible (WEB)
28 After this, Jesus, seeing that all things were now finished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty.” 29 Now a vessel full of vinegar was set there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop, and held it at his mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.

Jesus recognized how His pain ended, and how His pain had a purpose. And three days later, He rose again victorious and alive. He rose again so that you would also have the benefit of a resurrection where you are a new, whole creation.

Romans 6:4 King James Version (KJV)
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

But now, in the case of your life, how do you step out of a traumatized past? You give it to Jesus.

Remind yourself that you are not the product of your experiences, but instead, you are a child of the Living God! When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, He makes you His redeemed child. You are a beloved child of God.

Furthermore, enjoy your family life. Let God walk you each step of the way through your path to recovery and restoration.

Overall, when it comes to stepping out of your trauma, recognize Jesus’ immense suffering, realize that He rose again victorious, and surrender your pain to God. He is there with you, pray to Him to heal you and read His Word in pursuit of the life-changing truth of Jesus Christ in our lives. Paying a price to enjoy every moment of your life, is not yours to pay, Jesus already paid for it. Therefore, through Christ Jesus, stepping out of your pain is not impossible.

By Andre Wijesekera

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Brokenness in the Eyes of the King in Purple

Jesus crucified for me

The focus of this post deals with the issue of brokenness. It is quite easy to adapt the belief that restoration is impossible. And that leaves many of us in brokenness or despair. Those who see themselves as permanently broken cannot progress from their depressed state. That is why we’ll be exploring a new angle on the mental health issue of depression, and despair, in this post.

The Purple Robe

To approach this issue, I must start at the cross. In the landscape of the Biblical narrative, there is one event that ties EVERYTHING together. That event is the cross of Calvary where Jesus Christ was crucified.

Jesus Christ is God and He came down to Earth in the flesh as a human being with one purpose in mind. His purpose was to provide an atoning sacrifice for mankind. You see, humanity is flawed. And we have all sinned or done something which isn’t right.

And so, to accept an imperfect, far from godly-natured, beloved people into God’s presence in Heaven, is impossible without an atoning sacrifice. That is why Jesus Christ made it His mission to experience the hell which we deserve, on the cross.

Now, pharisees and religious leaders pressured the Romans of that time, to crucify Jesus. They could not help but be jealous of His perfect nature, and persisted in the belief that they are good enough to enter Heaven, all by themselves.

They detested change, and so, the same devil who tempted mankind in the garden of Eden, inspired a hellish hatred within the hearts of the people. But, God used that hatred to His advantage as the devil could not understand how Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for those who are lost.

And so, it is with this premise, that I want to introduce the below scripture to you.

John 19:5 King James Version (KJV)
5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

The Brokenness Behind the Crown of Thorns

So, as the above verse now states, Jesus stood on the platform after a cruel scourging. And as He stood, He wore a crown of thorns embedded into His skull, along with a purple-dyed robe.

Furthermore, the verse offers quite a few surprises to those willing to dig deeper. I looked at the HELPS Word Studies on the Greek word used for “purple” in this verse. The Greek word used for “purple,” transliterates as “porphurous.”

The interesting part of this word study is the conclusion that porphurous is a word describing a purple-reddish dye or cloth. So, this purple cloth was a mix between purple and red. And in the culture of that time, purple symbolized royalty. Whereas, red represents His sacrifice, His blood shed for you.

Even more, I believe God is communicating to us a message through this scripture. The message is that He let himself become physically BROKEN for you and for me. And to further emphasize His brokenness, I must call to remembrance a verse from the Old Testament of the Bible.

Numbers 4:13 World English Bible (WEB)
13 “They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it.

In the time of the Old Testament, the priests were responsible for taking away the ashes from the altar after a burnt offering. Then, they’d spread a purple cloth over the altar. God instructed more steps as to how they should conduct the burnt offering. But, for the sake of this post, I am referencing only this scripture from the chapter.

Nevertheless, I believe God was instructing Israel to do this seemingly strange act to symbolize the way in which He’d come to actually atone for us, permanently, as Jesus Christ. He was symbolizing how He’d be in ashes as the burnt offering when He wore a purple robe.

His instructions would serve as a prophetical image of the future, one-time, burnt-offering sacrificed for the people who’d choose to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

The Living God Among Us

And so, if you haven’t already, I urge you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. But, the point of this examination of the scriptures is to really carve a proper understanding of the brokenness of Jesus at the cross.

As I mentioned earlier, many of you are suffering from depression, despair, brokenness, and more. You might just even feel like you’re in ashes. And I sense a very similar vibe through the picture painted of Jesus in the scene of His crucifixion.

Jesus became physically broken. He was in ashes. And He died, He actually died on the cross. But, that’s not the end of the story. After three days and three nights, Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. He physically resurrected.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 King James Version (KJV)
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

What am I getting at, then? I’m getting at the vivid picture of His resurrecting power! You may feel dead and in ashes, but, there’s always a chance to rise. I am declaring to you that there is life in the Christ.

You may have an excuse to despair or to sulk in depression, maybe it’s some kind of terrible experience or it could even be as petty as a mood swing. But, that’s why the cross is about dying to one’s self. And by dying to one’s self, I mean to put an end to the beliefs or mindsets which ruin your life.

Put depression to death, put negativity to death, put fear to death, and put the selfish appetites or behaviours to death! Furthermore, as Christ rose again, so also you rise again. You are a new being in Christ Jesus, and not even depression can stop you from being the child of God who Jesus loves.

Romans 6:8 World English Bible (WEB)
8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him;

Therefore, Jesus Christ calls the brokenhearted to Him. He does not delight in your suffering, He delights in you realizing that you are His child. And that you’ve always been His from the day He let those rusty nails pierce Him to a cross, and even before then, in eternity, when your lovely image pierced the tender heart of His imagination.

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Reflecting on What God Has Made!

Jesus is the Latter Rain!

The importance of reflecting on one’s self is very significant. There is no telling in the results of an individual who reflects on how they can improve. In fact, many of the issues we face today, such as the stigmatization of mental illnesses or the guilt-laden youth, arise from a lack of self-awareness and self-reflection. And even the Bible supports reflecting and being aware of one’s condition, as it guides us to do it in the right way. Because anything good done in the wrong way could end up in unnecessary disaster.

Self-Awareness in the Bible

It is quite apparent when reading the Word of God, that when God uses people, they tend to be self-aware. And what self-awareness really means is that a person is capable of analyzing where they’re at in life, and that they understand who they are in the context of their situation.

An example of this from the scriptures is Peter, who is one of the twelve apostles of the early Church.

1 Peter 1:24-25 King James Version (KJV)
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

As you can see from above, Peter was aware of his state. He recognized that we are all people, and as with all people, we are immensely fragile.

Psalm 103:14-16 World English Bible (WEB)
14 For he knows how we are made.
    He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass.
    As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone.
    Its place remembers it no more.

Furthermore, King David, another significant character from the Bible recognized his status when compared to God’s status. He acknowledged himself as grass compared to God, and was self-aware even as the King of Israel. And so, when you are aware of how fragile and how small you are in comparison to God, you start to realize that life is not only about you. It’s about the One who created you.

You may be the toughest person on the planet, with a cold heart, an unbreakable will, and a stubborn attitude, but you are still a human being. Nothing less, and certainly, nothing more!

Reflecting on the Fragility of Man

After world wars, civilizations rising, societies crumbling, and all the likewise, God stands tall above it all. He is the God who blessed Abraham, He is the God who delivered Israel out of Egypt, and He is the God who came to Earth in the flesh as a human being to die on the cross at the hands of His own people, both for you and for me.

Romans 5:17-18 World English Bible (WEB)
17 For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.

Jesus Christ died on the cross to take the punishment for your sins and died a cruel, hellish, death, but, after three days, He rose again victoriously so that your salvation would be justified. And I urge you today, if you have not already, to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

I cannot imagine a better outcome in my life, if I had not accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. Why? Because there are countless times from the day of my birth to the day I write this blog where God has intervened in my life only to bless me and to guide me. He is my Lord because my life belongs to Him, and He is my Saviour because He paid a heavy price to save me.

Once you’re aware of that, there’s meaning in your life. You’re not just a random product of time plus matter plus chance. Ultimately, with God in the picture, you become a sacred being.

So in the example of your case, you must ponder where you’re at in life. You can ask yourself, “Am I happy with where I am in life?”

If happy, do you believe your life has any meaning and can you justify that? I believe the only coherent justification to a life with meaning, is only possible through Jesus Christ. If you’re unhappy with your life, or mental health for that matter, why? And, how can you fix it?

As I said earlier, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Whether happy or unhappy, read the Word of God and commit yourself to prayer. God will hear you, and He cares for you. And as you walk with God, you will feel a comfort and love like never before. So, be aware of your limits as a human being, but recognize also that God still cares for you!

1 Peter 5:7 King James Version (KJV)
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Self-Reflecting in the Bible

Now, if self-awareness is the bread, then, I’d say self-reflection is the butter. Self-reflecting is identifying what you’ve done wrong and as to how you can improve yourself.

This is very different from guilt. In fact, self-reflection relies on conviction whereas guilt relies on condemnation. Now, the only one who can really convict you, is Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:25 World English Bible (WEB)
25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit.

And Holy Spirit is the spirit of God (Jesus Christ) who comes to guide you and lead you once you accept the atonement work of Jesus. He does not condemn you, but, He does convict you.

Godly conviction, furthermore, is when God aids your heart in identifying where you’ve gone wrong and as to how you should do better. On the other hand, condemnation is a fallen nature which punishes your conscience for the ways you’ve erred.

John 16:8 World English Bible (WEB)
8 When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;

So, throughout your life, allow Holy Spirit through prayer and through reflection on the Word of God to convict and correct you so that your life and mental health aligns with His love. This is the self-reflection which God wants. Spending your time reflecting on Him allows you to improve and to make yourself more like your Heavenly Father.

Therefore, trust God that He forgave you, and through time spent with Him, you will face a life saturated with blessings. God’s very spirit will guide and convict you to be the best person you could possibly be. And be aware of yourself in God’s eyes, don’t be proud, but, be humble and have faith in the love of God in Christ Jesus. The key to self-reflection or self-awareness is in reflecting on the love of God.

By Andre Wijesekera

Posted on

Recognize Yourself in the Grand Weaver’s Picture

Life is full of changes!

The reality and society in which we live in, is driven by a variety of factors that are totally out of our control. There are some things you just cannot stop or change. And these changing factors can lead us to feel as if we’re out of place. Whether it be in your workplace, your home, or any other environment, it is very difficult to feel as if you don’t fit in. And to deal with that, the topic of today will be on how to recognize yourself in the bigger picture.

Who’s the Grand Weaver?

Life is not just a combination of chemistry, biology, physics, and chance. It’s more than that. There’s intention and design to how we work and to how the world works. It was not random.

I believe that someone weaved all of this together. Hence why I call Him the Grand Weaver. For me, I can only see Jesus Christ as my Lord, God, and Saviour. The reason being, is that He’s kind, He’s wise, He’s my guide, He cares for me, He sets a line between what’s right and what’s wrong, and He orchestrates everything with purpose.

Colossians 1:16 World English Bible (WEB)
16 For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him.

More specifically, there is purpose in you, there is purpose in me, there is purpose in the cross, and there’s purpose in everything that He initiates.

Even more, the Grand Weaver, God Himself, is not excluded from what He orchestrates. He’s always at work, in fact, 2000 years ago, He came in the flesh as Jesus Christ to die on the cross on behalf of you, so that the punishment of your weaknesses, mistakes, and sins would be upon Him as the Lamb of God. After three days, He rose again, and now, He is known as the Lion of Judah!

Revelation 5:5 World English Bible (WEB)
5 One of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome: he who opens the book and its seven seals.”

Therefore, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. That’s the best thing I’ve done in my life and I’ll never regret it. And the same goes for you, it’s the best thing you could possibly do. I talk more about it in this post.

But, the point is that you are part of a tapestry weaved by the hands of the very living God. This does not mean your sufferings are initiated by God, there are multiple reasons why we suffer at times, yet, God is never responsible for unjust suffering.

However, God, being as good as He is, desires to weave your life into a good life, and He will mend out the sufferings until they become part of the beauty of His tapestry, until they turn out for your good!

Psalm 104:24 World English Bible (WEB)
24 Yahweh, how many are your works!
    In wisdom, you have made them all.
    The earth is full of your riches.

So, your first step is recognize and acknowledge the Grand Weaver.

Recognize Yourself as He Does

Now, the next step is to recognize yourself as God does. Unfortunately, many people don’t have a good view of themselves. You ought not to compare yourself with others. You should not compare your physical appearance with those in magazines or with other people.

Deuteronomy 5:21 World English Bible (WEB)
21 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. Neither shall you desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Furthermore, you should not compare yourself with other people with greater academic ability or financial power. If you compare yourself with others, it will only be disadvantageous for yourself, because it will never allow you to recognize what God has given you.

As a matter of fact, God never intended for us to compare ourselves with others in any way or manner. Moreover, the same God who made you, also made everyone else. And He has assigned different purposes along with different plans for each and every one of us.

You must recognize that He has given you something unique to do, so, do everything that you do for His glory.

He sees you as His. And that’s all which matters. As the famous poet and playwright, Oscar Wilde, said, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken!” At the same time, I do not quote this to state you can do whatever pleasures you, as that is not the you who God intended you to be.

So, remember this, God has assigned a unique identity to you with your own personality and strengths. Trust God with everything you’ve got and recognize that you are part of His tapestry.

1 Peter 4:10 World English Bible (WEB)
10 As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms.

Recognize Yourself In Him!

As said in the introduction, our world is full of changes. And there are many of you out there who feel like the times are changing too fast. Technology is developing, it’s impossible to keep up with cultural trends, and more.

As a matter of fact, this can be a serious issue as it affects many people, today. People who served in the army know how painful it is to fit in modern society, especially after all they’ve faced in harsh environments for lengthy period of time.

Obviously, life is not easy. But, if you have that feeling of loneliness, as you experience different but extreme changes within your environment, I want you to know there is one constant through it all.

In a life full of variables, there is always this one constant. That one constant precedes all the variables. Your relationships may change, your workplace might change, and even you might change, but there is one who will never change.

Isaiah 41:10 World English Bible (WEB)
10 Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God.
    I will strengthen you.
    Yes, I will help you.
    Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.

Moreover, that one constant is God. He is with you through the storm and through it all. Subsequently, you don’t need to feel lonely, just be still, and know that you are never alone. He is with you through all of the changes around you.

Hebrews 13:8 World English Bible (WEB)
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Enjoying the Beauty of the Grand Weaver’s Tapestry

So, take a step back, and soak in the beauty of His tapestry. As God, the mastermind behind it all, weaves your life into His big picture. Be what He calls you to be, love others and love Him with all of who you are.

Matthew 22:36-40 King James Version (KJV)
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Furthermore, your life should not center upon self-esteem, it should center upon how much you esteem God in you. He is the Grand Weaver, and every relationship, every person, every gift that He puts in your life is a blessing to thank Him for. And each situation He provides for you, is an opportunity to show that God-given love to others, to not act selfishly, but to act out of sacrificial love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 World English Bible (WEB)
4 Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, 5 doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; 6 doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

In conclusion, do not forget His kindness, but instead, count your blessings, and commune with Him. Read the Word of God (start with the New Testament first, because that’s what He says to you as part of His Church), discover what He says about you, and spend some time in prayer.

Luke 11:11-13 World English Bible (WEB)
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he won’t give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, he won’t give him a scorpion, will he? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

By Andre Wijesekera

Posted on

Acceptance and Tolerance of That Which Is Sacred

Give it to God!

Sacredness and humanity is something that goes hand in hand. But, how do you view yourself? We often talk about issues dealing with how people view others. Yet, we mustn’t forget that to enjoy a good life, you must first deal with how you view yourself and inner-acceptance. Food-eating disorders, low self-esteem, and many mental health issues which our society faces, relate to how a person views himself or herself. So, to find out what’s the right way to deal with the matter, continue reading.

What is Sacred?

The acceptance of that which is sacred first starts with what you define as sacred. To be sacred means to hold a divine purpose. And so, do you hold a divine purpose? Has God willed your life into being?

These are all valid, thought-provoking questions which one must answer in order to live a life worthwhile. I believe God assigns everyone a divine purpose. And God created you with the intent of you bearing His image, to represent Him.

Genesis 1:27 World English Bible (WEB)
27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.

You are sacred. I placed a period directly after the previous sentence because it is a fact and there’s no way to argue the contrary. God intends for you to be in His image because you are a sacred individual.

Now, just because you hold divine purpose, doesn’t mean that whatever you do is divine. In fact, your lifestyle might be as far apart from divine purpose as the East is from the West. But, there is a way to come back to your divine purpose.

When mankind rejected God, the devil found a way to ruin mankind’s perception of its own sacredness. You could read more about that in Genesis 3 of the Bible or in this post.

Thank God, He (God) came in the flesh 2000 years ago as Jesus Christ and died on the cross to take your sins and my sins upon Himself so that He may restore us to our divine purpose and in His image; after 3 days, He rose again to fully justify your salvation.

So, if you haven’t already, please acknowledge with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Saviour.

The Hideous Made Beautiful

Furthermore, there are those of you who hate your physical appearance or hold what many people and psychologists call a “low self-esteem.” This is why many people, especially women, seem to hold eating-disorders such as anorexia or bulimia.

Anorexia is when one has a severe fear of gaining weight even when unhealthily skinny. And bulimia is when someone binge eats unhealthily but then tries to purge what they ate, or fasts for a while through unhealthy means.

Now, scientists and doctors relate the causes of such eating-disorders to a combination of biochemistry and environmental factors. Whatever the cause is, I know this is a fallen world where things don’t function the way God intended them to. And what I need… is a solution.

I believe that solution is, in the case of people with eating disorders, in taking your eyes off magazines along with media that limit a person’s worth to their physical ideal, and to realize that God loves you just as you are, physically. And to really drill the right idea into your head, read the Bible (start with the New Testament) and commune with Him.

If you want to be physically healthy and fit, then follow a proper, healthy, nutritionally-sufficient diet and exercise at a moderate level. Just don’t forget that God loves everyone, fat or skinny, poor or rich, black or white, and He will always considers you as sacred.

Colossians 3:9-11 World English Bible (WEB)
9 Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, 10 and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator, 11 where there can’t be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, or free person; but Christ is all, and in all.

Jesus is the key to a healthy lifestyle!

When in Christ, there is no factor by which one is worth less than another. You are all created for God’s glory in the way God calls you to be. So, read the Bible, pray, and worship Him. When you do that, you will automatically renew what you know of His image so that your life will closely resemble His perfection. There’s power in acceptance of who you are in Christ Jesus.

Acceptance of the Temple of God

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 World English Bible (WEB)
19 Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

There’s a stark reminder in the Word of God that you do not belong to yourself. When you make a paper airplane, does that paper airplane belong to itself or to you? It belongs to you, and in the same way, God made you and He owns you. You were never supposed to belong to yourself. It’s just not possible to live a life of purpose in a life not surrendered!

Your body is sacred and holy to God. It’s a living temple which His Holy Spirit inhabits. Moreover, I can argue that not only are you sacred but that you are sacred on top of sacred. You are the pinnacle of sacredness of all creation to God.

And that’s because God made the animals and all nature, for your existence, which He subjects to you. So, those things are sacred, but they are sacred because they were made for you! Thus, making you a divine purpose of purposes.

Genesis 1:28 World English Bible (WEB)
28 God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Surrender your everything to God before it’s too late!

Even more, whether you look good on the outside or not to yourself, God is pleased with you when you surrender your physical being (alongside your entire self) to Him. If you want to be healthier, you can workout and eat healthily, but, do it for the glory of God, not out of fear or unhealthily obsessive conditions.

1 Samuel 16:7 King James Version (KJV)
7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

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Adjust and Adapt to the Carpenter’s Vision

We're part of His heart!

In this blog post on Latter Rain, we’ll explore the importance of obedience as to how you grow and change. A magnificently large portion of your mental health relates to your spiritual health. Purpose, lifestyle, and feelings are all connections between your spiritual health and your mental health. How you view certain aspects of life as a spiritual being impacts the way you experience life in your mental health. So, if you want to learn why you should adjust and adapt to how God calls you to live, continue reading.

Visiting the Carpenter

First of all, you must know what is a carpenter. A carpenter is someone who constructs and repairs wooden structures. They envision a wooden structure like a table or a chair, and then, they set out to build the thing. And the unique thing about carpenters is that they first start out with nothing but with some materials. At the beginning, there’s no table, no chair, there’s nothing, but, there’s a vision of a chair or table in their head.

Now, God came in the flesh as Jesus Christ and before He started His ministry with signs, wonders, and miracles, He worked as a carpenter.

Mark 6:3 World English Bible (WEB)
3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended at him.

As Jesus Christ’s ministry unfolded, the crowd in the above verse could not understand who stood before them! Unfortunately, they did not realize that Jesus Christ was a carpenter to prove a certain point.

1 Corinthians 15:46 World English Bible (WEB)
46 However that which is spiritual isn’t first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual.

Why did He do it? I’ll tell you why, He did it to let you know that God can take your nothing and make it into His something. Moreover, God was proving a point through the natural means as a carpenter so that He might prepare them for the spiritual means. He’d shown Himself as a physical carpenter so that He might prepare them to behold Him as the spiritual Carpenter of carpenters, soon enough.

Just as a carpenter starts out with nothing but a vision and some materials to bring about something useful, God only needs a vision to make you into something glorious! That’s just the way God gets things done.

And there isn’t a single person who can get in His way until He’s done what He’s set out to do.

Isaiah 22:22 World English Bible (WEB)
22 I will lay the key of David’s house on his shoulder. He will open, and no one will shut. He will shut, and no one will open.

When a carpenter pulls up his sleeves, bears the pinches of splinters in his palms, and gets to work with his hammer, that pile of wood ought to become what the carpenter wants. In a similar but heightened manner, the Carpenter of carpenters, Jesus Christ, pulled up His sleeves, carried a wooden cross, let the splinters of hell tear at his back, and bore the flesh-splitting pinch of nails in His hands and feet. Your life ought to become what He sees in His vision for you.

A Vision and A Purpose

As a person, made in the image of God, God has a vision and plan set out for your life. You do not need to fall into depression or extreme lows, because God went to the lowest possible point of human experience to give you the greatest experience a human being could ever enjoy!

So, whatever trauma you’ve been through, whatever hell you’ve experienced, Jesus knows it all! He knows it to an extent you could never dream of imagining.

Isaiah 53:3 King James Version (KJV)
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Jesus experienced social rejection, He experienced physical pain of the highest order, and He died on that rugged, wooden cross. As a matter of fact, when you look at the above verse, they called Jesus Christ, “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.”

According to the verse, people associated grief and suffering with Jesus Christ. He suffered to such an inhumane extent that whenever people would think of the person of Jesus Christ, they’d have to think about suffering, too. But, you see…

He had a vision.

This vision was not anything to laugh at. This vision was pulling Him to embrace His suffering and to keep on going. He didn’t die on a wooden cross, humiliated and despised for nothing. I’ll tell you what He saw… It was you.

Hebrews 12:2 King James Version (KJV)
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He saw you as you were called to be, as a victorious, blessed, joyful child of God. There ain’t a carpenter like Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 World English Bible (WEB)
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

Adjust and Adapt to His Vision

Jesus Christ died on the cross so that by His suffering, you would not have to suffer as He did. No one but Jesus Christ is perfect. We’ve all lied, we’ve all stolen, we’ve all done things which are far from moral perfection.

Romans 3:23 King James Version (KJV)
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Furthermore, the only way for a morally perfect and upright God to excuse us from the punishment that awaited us, was to unleash His fury upon a perfect individual. That perfect individual was Jesus Christ, God Himself, in the flesh as a human being!

If you still do not comprehend as to why Jesus Christ died on the cross for you, visit this post, which might shed more light on the matter.

But, for those of you who do understand, and who have not accepted Him already, I urge you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

Matthew 11:29-30 World English Bible (WEB)
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

For those of you struggling with depression, God deeply cares for you and wants you to listen to His plan for your life. To those struggling with suicidal thoughts, Jesus Christ died and rose again for you; His will is for you to live for Him. For those of you who can’t seem to take your mind off grief and trauma, I advise you, to think about the suffering Christ whose suffering makes you whole. And to those who are happy with their life as it is, I tell you that without Jesus Christ, your life will never be complete.

Your life is not meaningless, it is not purposeless, it is not the by-product of a purely naturalistic reality. There is meaning within you. Your life is His and His alone.

Ephesians 2:10 World English Bible (WEB)
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

Therefore…

Allow the Carpenter of carpenters
to bring about His vision
so that the life you indeed hold
will become something glorious to behold!

By Andre Wijesekera

Posted on

Observing the Beauty of His Holiness

God shares His beauty with us!

The attraction to beauty in this modern age is undeniable. Beauty attracts eyes and ears like how lights attract flies. Humans love the act of observing the beauty of art pieces, movie cinematography, literature, and more. But, what is it that draws people to entertain their imaginations and natural delights with these things? And in this post, we’ll be looking into how beauty can help us to understand God.

The Beauty Around You

As I mentioned earlier, beauty is highly accessible in this day and age. Many embrace the thing called, “Art.” The reason that is so, is because people love to feast their eyes or ears on beautiful things. We, as a human race, adore beauty and want to see pretty things.

That is why there is a business for graphic design and advertising. Our human nature recalls beauty in its most primordial instincts and desires. The human heart loves observing the beauty around us.

As a matter of fact, you may enjoy rap songs, paintings, drawings, sketches, poetry, or anything else art-related. And I encourage you to enjoy art so as long as it fits within God’s boundaries for beauty since it can be very good for your mental health.

But, the main idea of this post is that beauty surrounds you. You don’t need to go to an art gallery to see beauty. Beauty is in the flowers of your garden or in the vastness of grand, ancient mountains. Wherever you are, there’s some sort of beauty surrounding you because at the end of the day, God’s an artist!

Psalm 19:1-4 World English Bible (WEB)
19 The heavens declare the glory of God.
    The expanse shows his handiwork.
2 Day after day they pour out speech,
    and night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language,
    where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voice has gone out through all the earth,
    their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,

Every scene from nature seems to be a divine masterpiece!

Observing the Beauty of Holiness

Psalm 96:9 King James Version (KJV)
9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

The Bible says to worship God in the beauty of holiness. Now, worship, if you don’t already know, is the way or the attitudes by which we exalt God in our lives for who He is. So, singing to God out of our love for Him can be a way of worshiping Him. Or giving to the poor because of our love for God, is another way of worshipping Him.

But, the Bible instructs us to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. Why? What does that mean? First, you’ve got to wrap your minds around what holiness means.

Holiness is the way in which we set things apart for very particular purposes. In the context of the Bible, to be holy means to set apart one’s life for God.

So, when the Bible talks about worshipping the Lord in the beauty of holiness, it means to lift Him up in your life by admiring how He is set apart. He is set apart from every other individual on the face of the planet because He is God.

Taking communion’s also an act of worship!

And He, being God, came in the flesh 2000 years ago as Jesus Christ so that He may die on the cross with the punishment for your sins along with my sins; then, He rose again from the dead after 3 days to fully justify our redemption in Him. I talk more about it in this post.

So, if you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, please do so, now. When you accept Him into your heart, His life flows through you, and you can truly recognize His beauty everywhere you go. Whether His beauty manifests through the creatures He’s made or the natural laws of the universe, His beauty is there nonetheless.

Living a Beautiful Life

Furthermore, there’s another reference to the beauty of holiness in the Old Testament of the Bible.

2 Chronicles 20:21 King James Version (KJV)
21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.

The verse above is a specific situation where singers were chosen in ancient Israel to praise God’s beauty of holiness. Again, there’s a beauty in the fact that He’s set apart from the rest of this world. But, this time, instead of worshipping God for that, they praise Him.

This is different because that means they’re giving thanks to God for the beauty that He’s unique. They’re not just exalting Him in their lives because of their love for Him, they’re thanking Him for the fact that He’s set apart.

So, God puts such importance in His individuality or His uniqueness. He is not like the other kings of this world who demands things from us for their selfish ambitions, He is the one King who cares for each of the people who serve Him and who loves each and every one of us.

Moreover, God has called you to be holy like Him. He made you in His image and now that you believe in Him, He calls you to live a life where your beauty is inwards not just outwards.

1 Peter 3:3-4 World English Bible (WEB)
3 Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing; 4 but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

You are set apart for God once you accept Him into your life and that means you don’t enjoy profane forms of art, but instead, art which glorifies the attributes or nature of God.

1 Peter 1:16 King James Version (KJV)
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Make His Word, your life source! Be holy as He is holy…

Therefore, live a beautiful life by following the footsteps of God. He is beautiful because He’s not like the others in this world who seek things selfishly and entertain insatiable yet carnal appetites. And so, as He is, so are you. You are holy when you live the life God paid for on the cross. You are truly at your most beautiful state, when you are holy for God. So, don’t stop observing the beauty of God.

By Andre Wijesekera

Posted on

The Life-Giving Power of Listening to Those Who Care

The Life-Giving Power of Listening

Your words have tremendous potential and impact. There’s no doubt that your words can either bless or destroy a person. But, in this post, we’ll be discussing the power of listening to life-giving words! Listening is a key part of living a life worthwhile, and if you want to experience the wonderful benefits that comes to those who listen, then, read this post as I hope this will profoundly bless you.

The Life-Giving Power of Listening to Those Who Care

Listening is etched into every single person’s life. It could be through audible words, books, or sign language, but, everyone needs to receive words or things they can interpret so that they may function in everyday life. If you have a job, you need to listen to a specific set of instructions or if you’re a student, you need to listen to what the teacher says. Otherwise, your life’d be in chaos!

But, first, you’ve got to realize the undeniable, life-giving power of words. Because without the proper understanding of what words can do in your life, there’s no need to listen to what really matters.

Proverbs 18:21 King James Version (KJV)
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

The power of life-giving words is unpredictable!

If you love life, then loving the life-giving power of words is a no-brainer. If you don’t love life, then I advise you to read this post. It concerns the One, Jesus Christ, who being God, came in the flesh as a human being 2000 years ago and received the divine punishment for your every sin and mistake; He then rose again after three days so that you may be justified, redeemed, and blessed before the judgement throne of God. He did this because He believes your life holds significant value.

Romans 10:9 World English Bible (WEB)
9 that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

There’s a power in accepting words that are meant to uplift you. Receive life, not death.

Proverbs 4:20-22 World English Bible (WEB)
20 My son, attend to my words.
    Turn your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from your eyes.
    Keep them in the center of your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them,
    and health to their whole body.

Listening to the God of Wisdom

How many of you out there, know that God thinks? God is a thinking God. He has emotions, He has a personality, and He made you in His image. Even more surprising, God thinks about you.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 King James Version (KJV)
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Seek Him!

God is thinking about you and His sole intention is for your good. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a mess of a person or a philanthropist, God loves you. And He revealed that when He came as Jesus Christ. He revealed that when He let Himself be skinned alive by whips and nails, all for your sake.

Jesus Christ did it for a reason, and I won’t be able to cover everything in this blog, but that’s why you’ve got to call upon Him, read His Word, pray to Him, and you’ll find out.

Furthermore, God is wise, He made the heavens and the Earth. He knows you inside and outside, so, if you want words that matter, words saturated with life, meaning, and hope, visit the Word of God.

John 6:63 World English Bible (WEB)
63 It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life.

God is telling you, today, to listen to Him. Listen to what His Word says because what He says matters! And He has nothing but good things for you.

The Prince Who Opens the Ears of the Deaf

Matthew 11:5 World English Bible (WEB)
5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear,Isaiah 35:5 the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.Isaiah 61:1-4

Back when Jesus Christ walked the Earth, He performed so many miracles. One of the main things He did was that He opened the ears of the deaf. God’s Word has so many layers and His Word can apply to the physical and figurative senses at the same time.

So, from a figurative context, if you have trouble with listening to the Word of God, ask Jesus to heal you. He will because He never denies a prayer in search for Him. If you’re physically deaf, ask Jesus for healing, He still performs miracles, even today, including the miracle of opening deaf ears. I talk more about it in this post.

Nevertheless, listen to what God has to say. And He’ll talk through the Bible, He’ll talk through men/women of God, He’ll talk through your parents, He’ll talk through your loved ones, and more.

Job 33:14-17 World English Bible (WEB)
14 For God speaks once,
    yes twice, though man pays no attention.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
    when deep sleep falls on men,
    in slumbering on the bed;
16 Then he opens the ears of men,
    and seals their instruction,
17 that he may withdraw man from his purpose,
    and hide pride from man.

Be willing to let God change your mind…

God will try His best to speak to you, whether it be through a vision, a dream, or through people. But, don’t be like an ordinary person and ignore what He says as the above verse states. Listen to your Heavenly Father and heed His advice as any child would do.

Therefore, trust God and trust that what He says is the way to go. If He tells you to start showing more love towards others, then do it. If He tells you to be more organized, then do it, if He tells you to take a risk, then do it. Seek God and ask Him for His advice, let His life-giving words minister to you and obey them no matter whoever God uses to speak to you.

Romans 10:17 King James Version (KJV)
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

By Andre Wijesekera

Posted on

The Seemingly Endless Potential of Growth

The seemingly endless potential of a path walked with God!

Growth is life’s tool to carve you into what God wants you to become! To become mentally healthy, you must make it a goal to grow. And growth can be a wonderful thing, but, it can also be a very painful thing. The choice as to whether you’ll love growth or not is up to you and so is the decision to grow. In this post, it is my goal to clarify the importance of growth and as to how you should unlock the seemingly endless potential of growth within your life!

What’s Growth?

The quick and short definition of the word, growth, is the progress we receive as we continue on life’s journey. And the thing about growth is that it can manifest in a multitude of ways.

Sadly, many people dislike the concept of growth. They just want to stay as they are and to avoid who they’ve been made to be. Furthermore, God has left the power to make that decision in your hands. He will not force anything upon you, but, He wants you to obey His voice.

Proverbs 18:2 World English Bible (WEB)
2 A fool has no delight in understanding,
    but only in revealing his own opinion.

Some examples of when you must decide as to whether you should grow include the following…

You must decide on whether to read the Bible and to actively commune with God or to spend that time watching TV. It is your decision to focus on your job or to slack off and watch YouTube videos on your phone. You must decide on whether to study for your upcoming test or watch a movie on Netflix. It is yours to decide on whether to spend half an hour exercising or to pop open a bag of Cheetos for your hourly snack.

These are all decisions where you make the decision to grow. And God is gracious enough to leave the seemingly endless potential of growth as something which you alone must decide to pursue.

1 Timothy 4:15 World English Bible (WEB)
15 Be diligent in these things. Give yourself wholly to them, that your progress may be revealed to all.

The Seemingly Endless Journey of Growing

Now, growth sometimes feels like the end of a rainbow, but, I like to think of it more as a juicy fruit at the top of a tree. And if you want to actually grow as an individual, then, that means there is potential for you to grow. The end result of your growth is not something which you cannot obtain but something which you can obtain through the help of Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 11:1 World English Bible (WEB)
1 Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.

To grow in the best way possible, it is absolutely necessary for you to trust God. You have to have faith that God will take you to the place you want to be. But, if you have not yet taken the step to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, do so now.

God’s got your back!

When you accept Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh, the One who died on the cross as the punishment for your mistakes and sins 2000 years ago, and rose again, Jesus puts His Holy Spirit within you. I talk more about it in this post.

Romans 8:11 World English Bible (WEB)
11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

So, if you believe that Jesus Christ rose again from the dead and now His Spirit lives within you, what is impossible for you? The seemingly endless potential of who you can be is now a reality, as God, Himself, wants you to be who He has called you to be.

Let God grow you in your spiritual life, in your emotional life, and in your physical life. Allow Him to help you to become the best person you could possibly be and just do what you know God wants you to do. Don’t hesitate on what God tells you to do, especially, if God is calling you to do something great!

Luke 9:61-62 World English Bible (WEB)
61 Another also said, “I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.”

Growing in Christ

The seemingly endless potential of who you can become is only possible if you walk with God. However, I warn you to not do things by selfish ambition and through trying to build a legacy for yourself.

Philippians 2:3-4 King James Version (KJV)
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Be active and do things for God’s glory! When you accomplish something, give the credit to Christ Jesus who lives within you. God did not create you to revel in your success but to do as much as possible for His glory. He wants you to be healthy in your mental, physical, emotional, and most importantly spiritual life.

Psalm 35:27 World English Bible (WEB)
27 Let those who favor my righteous cause shout for joy and be glad.
    Yes, let them say continually, “May Yahweh be magnified,
    who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!”

In the above Bible verse, God shows pleasure in the prosperity of His servants. This Bible verse is from the Old Testament of the Bible, so, how much more would He delight in the prosperity of His friends in the New Testament? Because now, you are His friend. Moreover, you are also His child.

John 15:15 World English Bible (WEB)
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you.

John 1:12 World English Bible (WEB)
12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:

Above all, seek Him as that should take top priority in your life. Do what you know God wants you to do although it might be difficult. If God wants you to do something for His glory such as studying or working, He will make sure that it is nothing more than Christ in you can handle. And if the Spirit of Christ within you rose people from the dead, I doubt there’s anything in your way except yourself.

3 John 1:2 World English Bible (WEB)
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you! – Matthew 6:33

By Andre Wijesekera