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The Privilege to Live Eternally in Heavenly Places

You have the privilege to always be with Jesus Christ

Eternity is quite the word. It means “never-ending time.” And that word, that concept is quite the shock when you actually think about it. To believe that time will never cease can hugely affect your perspective on life. It raises a very intimidating question that overshadows your existence. The question which eternity poses, is “Where do I fit it in the context of eternity?” So, in this post, we’ll be exercising the privilege to explore eternity and what that means for you.

The Corruption of Eternity

As made clear in the introduction, time will never cease. But, when did it start?

Genesis 1:1 World English Bible (WEB)
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

And a verse from the New Testament of the Bible says…

John 1:1 World English Bible (WEB)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

So, as we can connect the two verses above, time began a very, very long time ago. In fact, God does not clarify how long He waited before making humans. God was uninterested in writing a science textbook, but, He was interested in reaching out to us through the Bible.

As a matter of fact, many of the confusions concerning the accuracy of the Bible arise from the flimsy presupposition that the Bible was meant to be a scientific journal or something like that. God was talking to ancient people who did not want to even change their lifestyle, let alone their knowledge of the world around them.

Nevertheless, getting back to the point of this blog, God created time. And so, after that point, if you read Genesis 1-3, you’ll find out that He made the Earth, He made animals, and He formed the first two humans: Adam and Eve. He told them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:17 World English Bible (WEB)
17 but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”

But, they disobeyed God’s warning by listening to a fallen angel known as the devil, and they ate from it.

Genesis 3:13 World English Bible (WEB)
13 Yahweh God said to the woman, “What have you done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

This event is when eternity shifted gears. God told them that they could eat from any tree in that garden, but they chose the one that God specifically told them not to eat from. And that knowledge of good and evil redefined the human mind, allowing for mental illness, sickness, and more. This is where hell on Earth started.

The Death of the Eternal One

Now, as humanity proceeded down the course of time with a knowledge of good and evil, every single person experienced that knowledge of evil. Knowing that there’s evil means that there’s evil. This accounts for diseases, for natural disasters, and for anything and everything that threatens human life.

So, did God leave us in this place? No, He came down to the Earth in the form of a human being.

John 1:14 World English Bible (WEB)
14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Word, also known as Jesus Christ, is God in the flesh. And it was this very same Word, who the Bible says was with God and was God at the same time.

So, He took on the form of flesh to experience what it means to be human. Yet, He never sinned as other humans would because unlike normal human beings, He is mature enough to handle that knowledge of good and evil.

2 Corinthians 5:21 World English Bible (WEB)
21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Moreover, the religious leaders of Jesus’ time were jealous of His goodness and led the people to sentence Him to a gruesome crucifixion, but, it was God’s plan.

Jesus had to die on the cross so that when Jesus, the Eternal One, the one who made time, itself, dies on our behalf for our sinful knowledge, we would receive the privilege to call God as our Father just as Jesus did when He was on Earth.

John 1:16 World English Bible (WEB)
16 From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.

Jesus rose again after three days!

The Privilege to Live Eternally

Now, as children of God, you can live forever and not fear it. You don’t have to be unsure of what’s going to happen with you in the future. You just need to trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, God forgives all your mistakes and sins because that belief in Jesus Christ credits all your evils to the punishment which Jesus Christ received.

Ephesians 2:4-6 World English Bible (WEB)
4 But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Now, you have the privilege to live together with Jesus Christ and the privilege to sit with Him in the heavenly places. That means even if you die on this Earth, you will remain alive with Christ Jesus because your spirit is safe and secure in His hands. But, this means you have all the more reason to live on this planet.

Whether you suffer from mental illness or physical infirmities, Jesus Christ promises to heal you.

1 Peter 2:24 World English Bible (WEB)
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds.

Furthermore, you can face eternity without worry because you’re not alone. For all of eternity and in the ages to come, He will always be by your side.

Therefore, believe what Jesus Christ says and let the knowledge of His love and grace transform you. He has given you the privilege to never cease existing and to enter a relationship with Him because He is always with you, whether that be on Earth or in heavenly places.

Jesus loves you for eternity

By Andre Wijesekera

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Telling the Truth to Those Who Seek It

Jesus is the Truth, the Way, and the Life

Truth is a vast topic. And to live a mentally healthy lifestyle, I believe it is absolutely necessary to have a healthy understanding of what truth means. Because sadly enough, truth holds varying and inconsistent opinions by most people, today. Thus, it is good to ground yourself in the essence of truth so that you properly grasp your identity. So, in this post, I’ll be telling the truth to those who seek it.

What Does Truth Mean? And What Does It Have to Do With Mental Health?

This first subsection is going to deal with truth’s value, because I know that in your head, the gears must be turning and you may be asking, “So what?”

First off, you’ve got to ask yourself what does it truly mean to be mentally healthy? Well, it means that you can function in life, properly. Furthermore, it means that you can live a life where you’re happy with yourself and you can maintain healthy relationships with people.

But, to live a mentally healthy lifestyle, your mind demands a firm grasp on the truth. If you are going to establish and maintain relationships, people will want to know that you’re telling them the truth. And if you want to consistently be honest with others, you must first understand truth and be honest with yourself.

John 8:32 World English Bible (WEB)
32 You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Psalm 119:45

Therefore, the stability of your mental health is founded upon truth. Even more, God confirms this attitude where He wants us to tell the truth and to be honest, for our own good.

Proverbs 12:19 World English Bible (WEB)
19 Truth’s lips will be established forever,
    but a lying tongue is only momentary.

And God shows us that if one is wise, it is essential to be truthful, hence why He says to hold onto truth as much as you would in seeking wisdom, which I talk about in another post.

Proverbs 23:23 World English Bible (WEB)
23 Buy the truth, and don’t sell it.
    Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.

Talking to the Man Whose Name Is Truth

Now, before anything and everything concerning the topic of truth, you must first meet Him. Truth is not only an abstract, it’s a person.

John 14:6 King James Version (KJV)
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

And if you want to live a truthful life, you must first be honest with yourself. Do you want to seek the truth? As Jesus says in the above verse, He is the truth. Everything He does and says is true and there is no falsehood in Him.

If I must compare Jesus to anything, it’s a door. Not just any door, but the door to salvation.

John 10:9 World English Bible (WEB)
9 I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.

So, when you connect the above two verses, you see that Jesus Christ is the truth and the door to everlasting meaningfulness. The Heavenly Father is on the other side of that door and when you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, who died on the cross but rose again after three days, you receive the privilege to be His children.

2 Corinthians 6:18 World English Bible (WEB)
18 I will be to you a Father.
    You will be to me sons and daughters,’
says the Lord Almighty.”2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8

Therefore, as children of God, you gain the rights to commune with God and for Jesus Christ, who is truth, to live within you. This is the key to living a life full of truth and meaning; this is where you start if you want to be truthful to others.

John 14:23 King James Version (KJV)
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Telling the Truth and Living It at the Same Time

Telling the truth to others is not easy at times, as deceit and lies may be very tempting in hard times. But, as children of God, you must walk in truth, no matter what. Let your life be exemplary. And see what John wrote to the Church concerning his Holy Spirit-inspired joy over their truthfulness.

3 John 3-4 World English Bible (WEB)
3 For I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and testified about your truth, even as you walk in truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this: to hear about my children walking in truth.

Honesty is an admirable trait and for your own good, for the sake of your mental health, I urge you to refuse dishonesty. God even says that He’ll release a special blessing on those who walk in the truth because after all, He is the truth and by walking in the truth, you show that you are His children.

Psalm 24:3-5 World English Bible (WEB)
3 Who may ascend to Yahweh’s hill?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart;
    who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood,
    and has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a blessing from Yahweh,
    righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Therefore, be honest with yourself, be honest with others, and be honest with God. Moreover, God has made you His righteousness so live up to what He’s called you to be by following Him, and lying will become foreign to you.

Follow and seek the Truth!

2 Corinthians 5:21 World English Bible (WEB)
21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

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The Joy of Release Upon The One Who Releases

The Joy of Release

Everyone in this world has been wronged at some point of time. Now, the majority of people struggle with an emotional dungeon within. And the reason being is that many cannot release those who’ve wronged them from their emotional dungeon. But, I am telling you for your sake and for the sake of your mental health, the one who wronged you is not in that dungeon, no matter how much you believe it. The one in that dungeon is actually yourself and as long as you hold unforgiveness, you prolong your jail sentence. So, in this post, I’ll be discussing the joy of release which comes with forgiveness.

Forgiving Those Who Want Forgiveness

In the following passage, Jesus says something about forgiveness…

Luke 17:3-4 World English Bible (WEB)
3 Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

In this passage, Jesus clearly talks about someone who returns to you and asks you for forgiveness. And when Jesus mentions the number of seven, He uses it to point out something.

Genesis 2:2-3 World English Bible (WEB)
2 On the seventh day God finished his work which he had done; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. 3 God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy, because he rested in it from all his work of creation which he had done.

If there’s one thing about Jesus, it’s that God doesn’t do coincidences. Everything He says, has something deeper within it. And when Jesus says that if someone wrongs you seven times, you must forgive him/her of everything, He is using seven as an indicator of rest.

When God made all the world, He rested on the seventh day. So, when you forgive someone who’s asking you for forgiveness, you put yourself into a restful position in life. God wants you to forgive because when you forgive, you are releasing not that person, but yourself.

Resting in His forgiveness means to forgive others, too

That’s why there’s such a unique joy of release upon the one who releases. When you release someone from their wrongs, you release yourself and you put yourself in a position to rest.

Forgiving Those Who Don’t Ask for Forgiveness

Now, you may be saying, “Hah hah, Andre, in the verse you gave above, Jesus said you must forgive if they come and repent before you, but He didn’t command us to forgive if they do not ask for forgiveness!”

That’s an interesting point to bring out but you must still remember the allegory of the dungeon. Whether the person you keep in your dungeon of unforgiveness asks to be released or not, that person is actually you! And the reason being is that when you hold unforgiveness, it hurts you.

Matthew 18:19-22 World English Bible (WEB)
19 Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the middle of them.”
21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.

In this verse, no one mentions anything about granting forgiveness only to those who ask for it. Jesus just raises the bar a bit higher by saying you must forgive a person even 490 times in one day!

And I believe by the grace of Holy Spirit, God did not attach a need for the wrongdoer to ask for forgiveness in the above verse.

So, the truth is that you are obligated to forgive others not for their sake, but, for your sake. God never designed you to hold a dungeon of unforgiveness within your heart, He designed you to be a forgiving person!

The Joy of Release

So, I plea to you to release everyone and anyone from your unforgiveness because you are not only releasing them, but you are also releasing yourself. If you remain in unforgiveness, only you will suffer, and God cannot make a testimony out of one who holds unforgiveness forever.

Ephesians 4:32 World English Bible (WEB)
32 And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

To enjoy the joy of release, you must release the ones you find hard to forgive. You just have to make the decision to forgive, you don’t have to feel it, but you must decide it.

Paul was talking to the Church of Ephesians in the above verse and He said to forgive others as God forgave you. So, when you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour who died on the cross and rose again after three days for your salvation which I talk about more in this post, God has automatically enabled you to forgive others.

Forgiveness is a decision and when you decide to forgive, God loves it. You don’t need to fast or beg God or do anything extreme to forgive, you just need to let go. Because once you’ve let Jesus rule in your heart, He already enables you to forgive, you just need to act upon it.

Therefore, this day, choose to forgive everyone who has wronged you whether they’re sorry or not, and taste the joy of release that comes with it! Walk by trusting in Jesus and decide to forgive, do not walk by your feelings to hold unforgiveness.

2 Corinthians 5:7 World English Bible (WEB)
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Luke 23:34 – Jesus forgives

By Andre Wijesekera

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The Uncomfortable Vice of Jealousy

God's grace will set you free from the vice of jealousy!

Have you ever felt the intense spirit of jealousy grip your heart? Jealousy is a common issue which people face in life, however, its implications differ from person to person. It is never comfortable and is not good for one’s mental health, yet, people entertain its spirit within their minds nevertheless. That’s why this post will deal with the vice of jealousy and how to revolve it.

What Type of Jealousy?

Firstly, there are several types of jealousy. The jealousy this post will deal with is the type of jealousy that yearns for the possessions or achievements of others. Now, examples include those who are jealous of others who are rich, own property or things that they don’t, and more.

So, if you are struggling with the vice of jealousy in that your mind always reminds you of how you really wish that you had another person’s yacht, or something like that, it’s time to renew your mind.

Romans 12:2 World English Bible (WEB)
2 Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

God wants you to renew your mind so that it synchronizes with His good, well-pleasing, and perfect will. And God wills for you to live in peace of mind. He doesn’t want your mind to wander in constant reflection of how you desire somebody else’s belongings. Jealousy is simply a waste of time and energy.

Moreover, God outlawed the action of jealousy by prohibiting the action of coveting. To covet is almost identical to what jealousy means in that it means to yearn for what someone else has.

Exodus 20:17 World English Bible (WEB)
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

The Old Testament law proves that God sees coveting as wrong and that’s why you should not act jealously. Jesus never coveted because He knew who He was. He knew that He owned everything in the universe and that He is the King of Kings!

But, how do you resolve that vice of jealousy in your own life?

Dealing with the Uncomfortable Vice of Jealousy

Now, there’s someone famous in the Bible who you must know if you are struggling with jealousy. And that famous somebody from the Bible is the one and only Apostle Paul!

Apostle Paul tried to deal with the issue of coveting and jealousy by himself and through obedience to the law, but here’s what he has to say about it.

Jealousy distracts us from what God gives us!

Romans 7:7-8 World English Bible (WEB)
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting, unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21 8 But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

Paul says in the above verses that the law of the old testament helped him to identify the issue of coveting in his heart. But, it did not and could not provide a solution to change his heart. Instead, the knowledge of what he was doing as wrong only made the issue worse.

So, how did the Apostle Paul find freedom from the urge to be jealous or to covet what others own? Let’s jump further down God’s letter to see what He says about it.

Romans 8:2 World English Bible (WEB)
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus overrules the law of sin and of death as Holy Spirit says through Paul. But, to abide under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, you must first accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

The Final Blow to the Spirit of Jealousy

Furthermore, when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, and ask Him to forgive you, everything changes. God takes all your guiltiness along with your past sins (including jealousy) so that Jesus acts as the atoning sacrifice for you.

The law of the Old Covenant demanded that you be removed from God’s holy presence if you broke it in any way. But, now Jesus Christ satisfied that demand when He was crucified for your sins and rose again after three days.

Hebrews 10:19 World English Bible (WEB)
19 Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

God is so wonderful that if anyone turns to Him no matter how many times they’ve messed up, He will provide grace. Look at Paul if you need an example, he used to destroy churches and kill Christians out of his obsessive hatred of Christians.

Acts 26:10 World English Bible (WEB)
10 I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

However, when He asked Jesus for forgiveness, God accepted Him as a son. Jesus will forgive anyone who asks Him to forgive them because God is kind.

1 Timothy 1:16 World English Bible (WEB)
16 However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.

So, when you become a child of God, God will grace you to overcome the vice of jealousy. As soon as you’re under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, you’re saved. Therefore, thank God for what you have and what He’ll continue to give you. Overcome the vice of jealousy by abiding under His Holy Spirit and asking Him to give you the grace to renew your mind.

His Grace is so beautiful!
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Freedom to Live Victoriously and Not as a Captive

Freedom to live with Jesus!

True freedom. The freedom to enjoy life is such a lovely thing and it is truly tragic when someone goes through the sways of life but is never able to enjoy freedom in its entirety. God designed human beings to enjoy freedom. It is in your nature to be free and to pleasure in the benefits of liberty. That is why I am taking the time to dedicate an entire post to the topic of freedom to make you understand its nature and enjoy the freedom to live, so continue reading.

Captivity and Its Deceptive Borders

One can live a life of normality and still live in captivity. Captivity is sometimes not as obvious as it seems. It is not always a dirty dungeon, it can be one’s fears, strongholds, and more, which makes it very hard to identify. An example of this is a rich man reaping a six figure salary yet unable to enjoy relationships out of fear that someone will take his money.

Similarly, Jesus also told a story of a greedy man and exposed the vanity of greed.

Luke 12:20 World English Bible (WEB)
20 “But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’

God reminded the greedy man when he died that his money will only stay with him so as long as he’s alive, but, as soon as he dies, he cannot enjoy that money. That man was a slave to his financial fortune.

Freedom to buy anything you want but to be enslaved by your love for money is not true freedom. True freedom as the Bible puts it, is to enjoy life and God’s gifts in the way which God knows is best for us.

And the border between captivity and freedom is very hard to pinpoint. Many have the freedom to eat anything their heart desires, but they are captive to their addiction to food. Others have the freedom to exercise like anything, yet, they remain captive to their obsession over public image.

I am not saying money, exercise, or tasty food is bad. What I am saying is that there’s a multitude of things which can enslave us as human beings and you just have to ask yourself, “Am I really free? Is there anything that enslaves me?”

Liberating the Captives

And if you know deep within your heart that you are a slave, reach out to God. Jesus offers you the promise of freedom. Freedom to enjoy your life in all its entirety.

Matthew 11:28 World English Bible (WEB)
28 “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 

Over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ, being God, came in the flesh as a man and took the punishment for your sins along with the whips reserved to make you a slave, and He bought you freedom to live as children of God.

Three days after, He rose again from the dead and is now alive, forevermore. This is the gospel of freedom which the Bible is all about and I talk more about it in this post.

Luke 4:18 World English Bible (WEB)
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the broken hearted,
    to proclaim release to the captives,
    recovering of sight to the blind,
    to deliver those who are crushed,

Jesus said that He is here to proclaim release to the captives. When Jesus says that He has come to “proclaim release to the captives,” the Greek word used in the Gospel for the word, “release,” is “aphesis.”

Aphesis almost always translates as meaning forgiveness in the other verses mentioning it but in this case, God uses it to mean release or freedom from captivity.

Therefore, I believe freedom starts with forgiveness. And whether you’re struggling with addiction, pride, greed, or whatever else enslaves the human mind, you must first understand that when you turn to Jesus Christ, God forgives you.

Ephesians 1:7 World English Bible (WEB)
7 in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Experience His grace!

Freedom to Live a Life With God

Therefore, God has purchased and redeemed you with His blood and has forgiven you as soon as you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. If you were a slave under the slave owner named, “Pride,” or “Greed,” or “Addiction,” Jesus Christ is your new master. He alone is your Lord and your God.

When He purchased you through His sacrifice on the cross, He decided to no longer call you a servant, but as His friend.

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.

Even more, He not only calls you His friend, but calls you into His family where you can call Him as your Heavenly Father. God grants you the privilege to be His beloved child.

1 John 3:2 World English Bible (WEB)
2 Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.

And so, you have the freedom to be God’s child and to be friends with Him. You do not need to be a slave to evil passions or sinful desires but now you are led by Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of God. So, come out of the darkness and into the light to enjoy your relationship with God. Freedom was never cheap. Someone had to pay a heavy price for it.

But, since Jesus already paid for our freedom, it is now free for you to access. Now, it’s up to you to experience the freedom which God has granted to you.

John 8:32 World English Bible (WEB)
32 You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Psalm 119:45

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Finding Meaning Where To Least Expect It

Finding meaning in Jesus Christ

Everyone wants to find meaning in life. Purpose is fundamental to how people work. The means as to how to do something is exponentially easier when one knows the purpose behind what’s being done. Our mental health is wired to have a purpose; without purpose, we collapse. But, what seems to be the obvious answer to many is very deceptive and can make a wreck out of the one who actually believes it. That is why this post will be talking about finding meaning, so, continue reading to find out.

Where Meaning Seems to be Obvious

I want you to ask yourself, “Where do I find the purpose to live?” Lots of people live for the sake of pleasure. Another group of people go through life for the purpose of enlightenment and finding out what’s within themselves.

Furthermore, some other examples of this mentality could be that many find purpose in their friends and friendships. Others find meaning in their spouse or children. Whereas others find meaning through helping people who are struggling and through altruism. But, to all the above answers as to how to find meaning and purpose in your life, those answers are incorrect.

The Missing Piece in Your Life

If life was a jigsaw puzzle and you were a child trying to finish it, each one of those answers which I listed above would seem to fit as the last missing puzzle piece, but, in the end, it would never really fit.

Ecclesiastes 2:17 World English Bible (WEB)
17 So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

You would find that each one of those puzzle pieces would be too round or too little or too long, yet, not one of those pieces would fit in as the last missing piece. No matter how hard you pushed them into the puzzle, it would just not fit!

And the frustrating truth is… the jigsaw puzzle never came with all the pieces. Maybe there was some defect but whatever happened, that missing puzzle piece never came with the puzzle. So, what do you do? You call the man who designed the puzzle and he delivers the last puzzle piece which was supposed to be part of the box. And he gives it to you.

That’s how life is. You will never find meaning in the things you do, in the people you love, or the pleasures you seek. Purpose never came as part of what you can do. Only the one who designed life, can give you what you know is missing.

And the one who designed the puzzle of your life, is God. When you call on Him, when you call on Jesus, He will answer and He will satisfy you with a life full of meaning! You were never meant to find meaning in yourself; your meaning is outside of yourself, it’s in Jesus.

Romans 10:13 World English Bible (WEB)
13 For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”Joel 2:32

Jesus Christ is your missing puzzle piece!

Finding Meaning Outside Yourself

So, I urge you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and as your Saviour. When you call on Him, you will find meaning because only He can fit that purpose to live. He made you and He formed you in the womb. He knit you together and knows your strengths along with your weaknesses.

Psalm 139:13-14 World English Bible (WEB)
13 For you formed my inmost being.
    You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to you,
    for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful.
    My soul knows that very well.

God designed you and He made you for His purpose. You must accept Him if you want to find true meaning. He not only formed you but He took your sins and your mistakes and received the punishment for them when He came in the flesh as Jesus Christ. That is why He was beaten, crucified, and rose again after three days. It was all for you. I talk more about it in this post.

Above all, know that He loves you.

Psalm 139:17-18 World English Bible (WEB)
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
    How vast is their sum!
18 If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand.
    When I wake up, I am still with you.

His thoughts for you are more than there are grains of sand!

And when God is thinking about you, He is thinking about how to guide you, how much He loves you, and anything good He can possibly think for you.

Jeremiah 29:11 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.

Therefore, finding meaning is only in the hands of God. Your purpose is in nowhere else other than the love of God which should drive and guide you. He is the answer to your why. And if you know your why, you can accomplish almost any how.

The Implications Behind Finding True Meaning

So, now that you know your why, let’s discuss the how. How do you go about living your life now that you know Jesus is your purpose? Well, enjoy your freedom as a child of God!

And by freedom, I mean freedom from your past, freedom from your guilt, freedom from vanity, and freedom to enjoy God as your Heavenly Father.

Romans 8:13-15 World English Bible (WEB)
13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God. 15 For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

The word “Abba,” which is used in the above Bible verse is a term of deep affection from a child to his or her father. It’s like the English way of saying, “Papa,” or, “Daddy,” which means God wants you to be close to Him.

At the same time, this reminds me of another Bible verse. It reminds me of one of the 2 other times, this term is mentioned in the Bible.

The Redeeming Blood of Jesus Christ

Mark 14:36 World English Bible (WEB)
36 He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Please remove this cup from me. However, not what I desire, but what you desire.”

When Jesus was at the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed to the Heavenly Father. Now, one thing to understand is that Jesus is God in the flesh. And He did this so that we could learn from His example as to how to live victoriously as children of God.

Also, prayer is not asking God for things. Prayer is communion with God. And Jesus, being God in the flesh was in communion with God the Father.

Now, getting back to the point, when Jesus used this term, He was expressing how He felt that taking the cup of suffering was too much for Him to bear. However, He did not stray away from the will of God the Father. He stuck to what God willed as His mission.

Furthermore, God did not answer His own prayer for your sake and this was so that one day when you call God as “Abba Father,” He would be able to answer your prayer. That is why as He prayed this, He sweated blood so that the blood of Jesus would redeem that promise of God to answer your prayers as your Heavenly Father.

Luke 22:44 King James Version (KJV)
44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

So, now that through suffering on the cross and receiving your hell, Jesus Christ has given you the same privilege to call to God as, “Abba, Father,” you must also ask God to use you for His will. He will guide you, but, always remember that God loves you very much.

In conclusion, finding meaning is only possible if you live with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Enjoy your life with God because He is your missing puzzle piece.

Follow God’s path…

By Andre Wijesekera

Posted on

Staying Humble In A World of Idolized Pride

Don't be a proud pomeranian

The world makes it very easy to retain pride and to not stay humble. And one of the greatest temptations a person can face is to allow pride to fester in their lives. Pride is harmful and can destroy relationships, progress, and the people who hold onto pride. It is vital for the sake of your mental health, to let go of pride but that isn’t so easy. So, continue reading to find out what the Bible says about staying humble and how God wants us to forsake pride.

Why Pride is a Dangerous Game to Play

You must know that pride is a horrible and rigged game to play. You cannot expect to hold onto pride and success at the same time. You’ll have to drop one or the other in order to retain what’s more important to you. The reason why I talk about this topic is because its danger seems so subtle, but, it’s so damaging and destructive to one’s mental health in the long term.

Don’t hold onto something which destroys you.

Proverbs 16:18 World English Bible (WEB)
18 Pride goes before destruction,
    and an arrogant spirit before a fall.

But, what’s pride? Pride is when a person sees himself/herself as better than others and sets his/her value on his/her accomplishments. And as you see in the above verse, God warns us through His Word that pride is a prerequisite for destruction and here’s why.

Firstly, pride disables a person’s ability to heed to wise counsel. What I mean by this is that when you decide to magnify yourself, it creates in you a newfound hatred towards the advice of others.

Ask yourself this question and be honest with yourself. Do you find it easy to reject advice which you know to be true but you reject it nevertheless? For your own sake, do what is wise, listen to what wisdom says.

Proverbs 11:2 World English Bible (WEB)
2 When pride comes, then comes shame,
    but with humility comes wisdom.

Secondly, pride ruins relationships. People naturally hate to see pride in others. So, when the closest ones to you see that you don’t listen to them or that you demean others based on your status, this makes them upset.

Proverbs 29:23 World English Bible (WEB)
23 A man’s pride brings him low,
    but one of lowly spirit gains honor.

And finally, pride distracts you from keeping your eyes on Jesus. When you focus on your efforts and yourself, this defeats the mission God has called you to. Jesus said that to follow Him, you must deny yourself. You must deny your pride to follow Jesus.

Luke 9:23 World English Bible (WEB)
23 He said to all, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me

Therefore, God does not like pride, people tend to not like pride, and you should not like pride because it does nothing but harm to yourself.

Staying Humble Before God

So, what is God saying in all of this, stay humble. Staying humble may be one of the most difficult things to do but it’s an essential step in everyone’s life. Because God makes it clear that if you hold onto how good you are and how successful you have made yourself, you leave no space for Him.

When one hosts pride and gives it a room to stay in his/her heart, it takes the whole space. It is a poison to your relationship with God.

Psalm 10:4 World English Bible (WEB)
4 The wicked, in the pride of his face,
    has no room in his thoughts for God.

And God paid a very high price to establish that relationship with you by coming in the flesh as Jesus Christ and dying on your behalf so that you would not be condemned for your past sins. If you have not yet entered that relationship with God, then accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour which I talk more about in this post. So, don’t jeopardize your relationship with God by idolizing pride. Give glory to God and not yourself.

Jesus calls you to live in a loving relationship with Him!

When you make lots of money or get good grades or win a friendly competition, stay humble and give credit to God in Christ Jesus. In everything, do not puff up yourself and how you did it but give glory to Jesus as He empowers you with the grace to live your life.

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.

The bottom line is to not stand in His way by living in pride but stand with Him as you stand with His humility.

James 4:6 World English Bible (WEB)
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Staying Humble Before Others

Furthermore, the Bible wants us to be humble even when we deal with people. Jesus demonstrated humility and stressed on the importance of staying humble. There’s a beauty to when you see someone who is humble. And I believe that humility is one of the reasons why Jesus is so beautiful in His personality.

Before Jesus went to bear the sins of mankind, He dealt with the issue of pride. He washed the feet of his disciples as if He was a servant and then He said something phenomenal!

John 13:14-17 World English Bible (WEB)
14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should also do as I have done to you. 16 Most certainly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, neither is one who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Jesus is our example!

Now, first get what God is not saying here. He is not commanding us to wash the feet of people, otherwise, the epistles and the letters from the apostles would have stressed on the practice of washing the feet of others. There’s no harm in washing the feet of others but the point Jesus was getting across was to be humble.

He gave us an example to be humble and He showed us that when we are humble with each other, there is a special blessing for that.

How to stay humble? It’s simple, surrender your pride to God and whenever you do something successfully, give the glory to God. When you deal with people, ask God for the grace to see them as He sees them and recognize that the same God who knitted you in the womb has knit them, too. Ask Jesus for the grace to love others and when you love others, pride will have no open door to enter your heart.

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.

Use His gift of grace to stay humble and enjoy your life with Jesus.

By Andre Wijesekera

Posted on

Refuse to Accept Anything Less Than What He Paid For

God will make all things work out for your good!

We’ve all got bad news. Sometimes, there are headlines in the news on top of each other which overwhelm us with bad news. This can cause one to feel tired and to feel like giving up. But, the Bible will always have a solution and that’s why I trust the one who wrote the Bible so much. Your life is to be full of ups and downs, sometimes, mostly downs. But, if you want to see a change in that, continue reading this post on when to refuse to accept our corrupted reality.

What is Reality?

Reality is by definition what makes sense and what is going on in the world around you. Reality has different aspects and forms. God made reality for our good. But, once Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, mankind corrupted reality. I talk more about it in this post.

Genesis 3:13 World English Bible (WEB)
13 Yahweh God said to the woman, “What have you done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

God asked Eve, “What have you done?” God became upset that mankind brought evil into this reality, thus, corrupting it forever. And ever since then, things have never been the same. It wasn’t God’s fault that all these evils came in to the world such as mental illnesses, natural disasters, diseases, heartbreak, and more.

God hates the ills that plague mankind but mankind allowed the devil to come into reality and mess it up. The devil is the one who brought sickness and death into this world.

Furthermore, what is your reality? For some, reality is what the doctor says. For others, it is a student loan they can’t pay off. And for some people, it’s both! But, I am telling you, there is a solution. The solution is to call what Jesus paid for as your reality.

Refuse to Accept Evil

God did not leave us in this situation. He came in the flesh as Jesus Christ and He died on our behalf so that our sins, our ills would be punished on Him instead of us. Jesus Christ took the hell reserved for us. He paid the price for our healing, restoration, and deliverance.

Romans 10:13 World English Bible (WEB)
13 For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”Joel 2:32

But, to inherit such wonderful promises, you must first accept Jesus Christ. When you accept Him as your Lord and Saviour, He then holds the right to save you.

Now, regarding your challenges and situations, I want you to trust Jesus with them. Whatever it is, whatever reality is underlying your issues and pains, I want you to entrust Jesus with those worries, too.

1 Peter 5:7 World English Bible (WEB)
7 casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.

You must cast the things that make you restless at night on Him. Why? Well, the Bible is simple. Because He cares for you! Even if the whole world hated you, including your family, God would love you because He’s that type of King.

People physically hurt Jesus to the point of not being physically recognizable as human. If He allowed that, there must be a reason. And the thing is that Jesus could have stopped it at any moment because He can call down angels to defend Him whenever He wants to. There’s a reason why He didn’t stop , it’s because He had to pay the price to save you and make you whole.

Isaiah 52:14 World English Bible (WEB)
14 Just as many were astonished at you—
    his appearance was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.

Refuse to Accept Reality in the Context of Faith

Reality as I said is not in the way which God first designed it. And as a believer in Jesus, there are still challenges that come our way. But, as a believer in Christ Jesus, you have to trust Him regardless of the outcome. If you believe, He will make sure that whatever bad things happens to you will only make things better.

Romans 8:28 World English Bible (WEB)
28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.

A good example of the above verse is Jesus in that He died in such a horrible way, but, if He didn’t die, He couldn’t have saved us and He wouldn’t be resurrected in such a glorious way.

Another good example of Romans 8:28, is the story of Joseph. I am now assigning you some homework to take some time and slowly read the story of Joseph which is Genesis chapter 37 followed by chapters 39-44. If you read that story, you will see how his brothers betrayed Joseph and sold him into slavery in Egypt out of jealousy. And then, as a slave, people falsely accused him and sent him to jail.

Being sold into slavery in Ancient Egypt is horrible in itself. But being sold into slavery and then being accused of something you didn’t do on top of that is even worse! Yet, read that story and see how God used that to make him become only second in authority to the Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.

Declaring the Promises Into Reality

And now, in the same way that God used Joseph’s sufferings to bring out a greater good in His life, I want you to believe God and allow Him to bring out a greater good out of your life.

You have to refuse to accept the reality of endless suffering and trust Jesus that by the price He paid, your reality will be changed for a greater good. He has healed your infirmities, He has restored your mental health, and you’ve got to declare that!

Read the promises of God and say aloud that those promises belong to you. God spoke things into being, He just didn’t think it. So, God wants you to imitate Him and speak His reality into being. Ask Him for His faith and believe what He paid for.

Proverbs 18:21 World English Bible (WEB)
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue;
    those who love it will eat its fruit.

Life is in the power of the tongue, not your thoughts. So, speak life and declare God’s promises so that you remind reality that it needs to change to what God wills.

Moreover, seek God with all your being, genuinely. When you seek Him, and you not only believe Him but you know Him, your reality is guaranteed to change! Spend time in His Word, ask Him to help you get closer to Him, and He will definitely answer. And when you’re with the King of Kings, your reality will automatically change.

Matthew 6:33 World English Bible (WEB)
33 But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

The King of Kings always wins!

Now It’s Your Turn!

1 Peter 2:24 World English Bible (WEB)
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds.

Whether you’re sick from corona virus or even a mental illness like depression, say aloud, “Jesus was wounded for my healing, I am healed.”

2 Corinthians 8:9 World English Bible (WEB)
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.

If you’re struggling with poverty or finances, declare aloud that, “Jesus paid the price by becoming poor so that I would become rich.”

James 1:5 World English Bible (WEB)
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

When you don’t know what to do in life or if you’re struggling academically, declare with your mouth that, “Jesus paid the price to make me wise and to know what He wants me to do in life.”

In conclusion, reality will change at some point when you hold onto the reality Jesus paid for. Just trust Him and regardless of the outcome, trust God that He will make it all work out for good so that your challenge(s) will become a testimony for His glory!

By Andre Wijesekera

Posted on

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

Underestimating The Crucified King Now Risen And Alive

Christ risen and alive

Many of us underestimate. We underestimate others, we underestimate ourselves, and so forth. But, if there’s one person we should not underestimate, that person is Jesus Christ. Many have underestimated Jesus, even those who believed in Him, but, God always makes sure that those who underestimate Him will come to a realization. It is my prayer that those of you reading this post will come to trust Jesus for who He is. In this post, I will talk about underestimation wherever it applies in life and how Jesus should not be underestimated for He is risen and alive.

The Nature of Man is to Underestimate

It is fundamental human nature to underestimate and that starts with ourselves. Sometimes people underestimate how good they are at playing a sport, and so, they just don’t try it at all.

At other times, people underestimate a business they just started and decide to not expand. The point is that it is intrinsically human to underestimate ourselves, but, sometimes God wants us to be more because we are His children.

Now, one key example of a person who underestimates himself in the Bible is Gideon. Gideon was a Jewish man who was not significant but God wanted him to free the nation of Israel from the tyrannical Midianites of that time.

Judges 6:15 World English Bible (WEB)
15 He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

However, like all human beings, Gideon underestimated himself and questioned God as to why He had made such a poor choice in choosing him. Of course, God never makes mistakes and once Gideon finally got his act together, God used him to lead 300 men to fight an entire army. Finally, Gideon won and Israel was liberated.

Another example of people underestimating was with Moses when God called him to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt. Moses tried to lecture God on how he could not talk properly, but God still wanted to use him.

Exodus 3:11 World English Bible (WEB)
11 Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

Despite Moses underestimating how God can use him, God used him nevertheless. So, if God calls you to do something, do it; do not underestimate what God can use you for.

Exodus 12:51 World English Bible (WEB)
51 That same day, Yahweh brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.

God splits the ocean in half as Moses leads Israel out of Egypt

Underestimating Others

Since we’ve now established the point to not underestimate ourselves, let’s see the other side of the coin. God also wants us to not underestimate others. And He makes that clear throughout His lovely Word.

The Bible says David was but a shepherd boy and when Goliath the giant Philistine warrior was challenging Israel, all of Israel was scared. But, David wanted to defeat Goliath because God was with him. Now, when God is with you, and you’re challenging giants, remember, God is always the bigger giant.

But, David’s oldest brother, Eliab, scolded David and underestimated big time.

1 Samuel 17:28 World English Bible (WEB)
28 Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the evil of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle.”

Eliab just couldn’t see how a small guy could defeat a behemoth of a man. Eliab was thinking that if he couldn’t fight Goliath, how could anyone else fight the giant? Maybe you’ve thought of someone in your family who’s had a bad past and you think they’d never change, but, I’m telling you, God can change and use any person for His glory! Or maybe you thought that a certain person is naive and will never be able to financially succeed, well, God is the God of wisdom and He can turn a naive person into a financial genius. And in this case, Eliab ended up horribly wrong when David defeated the prideful, cocky giant.

1 Samuel 17:50 King James Version (KJV)
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

Therefore, do not be like Eliab, instead, respect the anointing of others and don’t even think about underestimating what God can do through them.

Don’t underestimate those who trust in God

Risen and Alive Christ Jesus

I hope you’ve noticed by now that the prevailing theme throughout my post is not to underestimate anyone. But, now, I’m going to take it to the next layer of truth. Do not underestimate God. Throughout this post, I’ve used examples from the Bible of underestimated people, but, if you really think about it, the examples teach that people underestimate God.

Moses and Gideon not only underestimated themselves but they also underestimated God by asking Him how is it possible for Him to use them. Furthermore, Eliab heard David not boasting in himself, but boasting in how God can defeat Goliath and Eliab still underestimated God through David.

So, it is very easy for us to doubt and to underestimate what God can do. In fact, many people underestimated Jesus. When Jesus was on the cross dying for you and for me, taking on the brunt of hell with a crown of thorns, people underestimated Him. I talk more about why He allowed Himself to undergo the crucifixion in this post.

Mark 15:31-32 World English Bible (WEB)
31 Likewise, also the chief priests mocking among themselves with the scribes said, “He saved others. He can’t save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe him.” Those who were crucified with him also insulted him.

If you’ve felt underestimated before, then, Jesus felt it all the more. With ribbons of flesh peeling off his dying body, the thorns of a prickly crown swirling through His skull, people viciously mocked Him. They were mocking Him with the presupposition that He couldn’t do anything.

The Nature of God is to Defy Underestimation

They believed He died for nothing, they thought that once He died, He would stay dead. And that’s why they were mocking Him, my God, even the people crucified with Him started mocking Him. Jesus came to the point that everyone underestimated Him.

But, as He died for our salvation on Good Friday, He rose again risen and alive after three days and nights on Easter Sunday.

Matthew 28:6 World English Bible (WEB)
6 He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.

Jesus is alive and risen. He is the God of miracles and He will make a miracle out of you so don’t doubt the God who defies underestimation. Furthermore, the Bible says that He appeared after His resurrection to many people so as to proclaim that He is risen and alive.

1 Corinthians 15:6 World English Bible (WEB)
6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.

So many people were convinced they had seen the once crucified King now risen and alive. That is why they stood for the Gospel even though it cost many of them their lives. But this is the good news we now celebrate on Good Friday. Jesus’ sacrifice followed by His resurrection was so epic that it started the Church.

Thus, to witness and experience the power of God in your life along with the lives of those around you, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. He paid a heavy price on this Good Friday so He could put His resurrection power in you. Therefore, do not underestimate anyone, just trust Jesus, stay humble, and see what God wants to do in your life.

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.