1: The wind is coming
But the boat was already a considerable distance from land buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
Matthew 14:24 (NIV)
In Matthew 14:24, the disciples were in the boat going to the other side; and their boat was buffeted by the waves. There were twelve disciples and some few other people in the boat so it means the boat was big. It is only a strong wind that can cause such a boat to buffet because buffet means to be shaken violently. And I am sure that the people in the boat were concerned about the wind and hoping it would go away, but it did not. The strong wind shaking the boat must have been a problem for the disciples, not knowing whether the boat would capsize or not.
One of my favorite quotes is “The only man who has no trouble left in his life is a dead one.” It’s a quote that describes the fact that every human being is bound to face some form of adversary or the other throughout their lifetime. Whether we are rich or poor, young or old, we all have something that bothers us. I have heard different opinions about whether Christians should still be facing adversaries after accepting Christ. Many years ago, I was going through a hard time. I had fractured my leg, school grades were lower than I expected and I had just broken up with my girlfriend in an expanse of two weeks. It was shocking and devastating and I had a hard time dealing with it all. One day, a friend of mine who wasn't a Christian but knew what I was going through asked me “where is your God now?” It was a question that shocked me and I couldn't reply at first but I later said ”what do you mean by that?”
He replied “I mean where is your God, if he was true why would he let this happen to you?” I wish I could tell you that I quoted some bible verses and set him straight on, but the truth is I didn’t. I stood there in silence wondering what the right answer to the question was till he left. I am sure some of you have had someone ask you this question or you’ve asked it yourself. There are different opinions on the issue of Christians facing adversaries. There are those who think you shouldn't have any more problems when you become a Christian, they believe that when Jesus Christ died he took away all our adversaries. Others believe that we will always face adversaries no matter what. I agree with the latter because we will always face one form of adversary or the other, being a Christian doesn't give us immunity. I am yet to meet anyone who can claim they haven’t faced one form of adversary or other since they became a Christian.
Jesus faced adversaries throughout his time on earth whether it was in the form of temptation by the devil or mistreatment by the elders. The apostles and many prophets in the Bible faced many adversaries throughout their lifetime; so I don’t think we would be an exception.
In John 16:31-33, Jesus answered “but a time is coming and in fact has come when you would be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my father is with me. I have told you all these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Jesus was talking about the adversity he would soon be facing and how he would be abandoned by his disciples due to it. He said even though they would abandon him, his Father would not. Jesus seemed to have taken solace in the fact that God was going to be with him throughout the trials he was about to face, and asked his disciples to do the same when they face such trials.
Jesus informed his disciples that they would soon be facing their own adversaries but it shouldn’t bother them because He had overcome the world, and as long as they put their trust in him they had nothing to worry about. The disciples should take solace in the fact that He has overcome it, so that means they would be able to overcome their trials when it comes because he is with them. These verses remind us that we will always face trouble on this earth but we should be at peace because our Lord Jesus Christ has faced it and overcome it all. He faced temptation, death, and rejection, but He overcame it all, and as long as we put our trust in Him we can do the same. We should never be discouraged or afraid because we have a God who understands what we are going through. Isn’t it amazing that we have a God that understands our problems?
Hope
James 1:2-4 states “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you maybe mature and complete; not lacking anything.”
Facing trials is part of our Christian life and this is confirmed when James said “whenever we face trails,” he didn’t say “if” or “whether.” Trials are part of our Christian life and we must learn to accept them. Trials will test our faith, which will help us develop perseverance and perseverance helps us to mature in Christ. James also talked about how important trials are for our Christian growth, so we should be joyful when we face them. It is hard to be joyful when you are facing trials because all you want to do is overcome it as soon as possible. The opposite of joy is likely what’s going through our hearts when we face trials, but the joy James is talking about is the joy in the Lord. A joy that is found in the hope we have in Him and not human joy. We have that hope because Jesus cares for us and we can always cling to the promise that He would always be with us until the end.
How do I find hope when everything seems to be hopeless? It is hard to find hope when everything is going wrong, but if we could just take our eyes off our problems and focus on Jesus, you will find that hope. The hope we have in Christ will help through those trials. Jesus said come to me all you that heavy burden and I will give you rest. It doesn’t matter how heavy the burden seems, Christ is the only one who can relieve you of it. We must put our trust in Him. A friend once told me “you crack me up because no matter how bad things get, you are always smiling.” I still struggle with staying positive sometimes but I have learnt to stay positive over the years no matter how tough things get because I realize that worrying about a problem wouldn’t solve it. You can’t change what has happened; you can only learn from it and try to find a solution. Christ doesn’t want us to worry, and one of the bible verses that remind me of that is Matthew 6:33-34:
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
This verse reminds that if I put my hope in hope in Christ and live for him, he will take care of the rest. We must seek him and he would take care of the rest. Jesus said in Matthew 6:27, “who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life.” Worrying doesn’t change or make things better; it could only lead to adverse health effect such as stress. Christ doesn’t want us to worry but put our faith in him. You can’t change your problems, why don’t you put your hope in the one that can. Let us learn to cling to the hope we have in Christ. He would never leave or forsake us. I have also learnt to remain positive during trying periods because of stories I have witnessed of friends and family members who remained strong during troubled times. One of such stories is Jessica’s story some few years ago.
A few years ago, I was talking to a Christian friend named Jessica who had just lost her job. She had learned a week earlier that her dad had stopped responding to chemo. Her dad was the closest person to her because her mom had died while she was young. I remember trying to comfort her a week earlier and was not sure what to say. All I said to her was that I was sorry to hear about her dad and would be praying for him. I also told her that if she needed anything, she should let me know. I began to wonder if things could get any worse for her, because when she broke the news to me about her dad’s health a week earlier I tried to remain positive that things would get better. I was lost for words and all I said was “I would be praying for you.” Jessica was a strong Christian and we usually discussed different Biblical topics together.
I remembered how we used to discuss about James.1:2-4 and how God lets us go through trials for a reason whenever either of us was going through tough times. I couldn’t help but think about those verses when she broke the news to me; I began to wonder how Jessica could be joyful even in the midst of all these bad events in her life. She had lost a job she held for almost four years, and her dad; who meant everything to her has been told earlier that he did not have long to live. I wondered what to tell her to comfort her but I couldn’t think of anything. I had told her not give up hope when she got the news about her dad and that all we need to do is keep praying. I had always had the idea in my head that everything always happened for a reason but couldn't figure out a reason for this one. The idea of “everything happens for a reason” has always been the encouragement that I usually give myself in order not to lose hope. I knew that this occasion wasn't the season to say such a thing, but all I could do was being there as a friend and pray for her.
A few weeks later when I asked her how she was doing, she replied she was doing fine and she knew everything was going to be okay because God will always be there for her. She said God would provide a new job and he could also heal her father. Jessica got a new job but her Dad died some few months later. She later told me “though she was devastated by his death but she took comfort in the fact that he was now with God.” She said her biggest fear was being alone but somehow through it all, God has assured her that she is not, both through His words and friends. Jessica’s story always serves as encouragement to me whenever I am going through hard times because of how she remained strong in her faith during the tough times.
Romans.5:1-4:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
The Race
“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”
John 15:19
Being a Christian is not going to be an easy walk. There are going to be trials and temptations, we must overcome for the sake of Christ. The moment we give our life to Christ, it means we have rejected Satan and have become a threat to him. He doesn’t want us to enjoy the blessing of following Christ and leading others to Christ, so he would put trials and temptations before us in order to serve as a distraction. I like to compare our walk with Christ with my first experience of taking part in a Charity 10k Run. I knew it would require a lot of discipline and training on my part to be prepared for such a race because I’ve heard friends talk about their preparation for such races. I asked a good friend of mine named Jim to help me prepare for the race. Jim was athletic and experienced because he had taken part in several 5k and 10k races. Jim warned me that it wasn’t going to be easy; it would require hard work, food discipline, strong commitment and I must be willing to push myself to the limit. He said the most important thing was for me to make a commitment not to quit no matter how tough it got. I thought to myself that it couldn't be that rigorous; it might require a small change in my diet and maybe spend more time working out.
The first training session was harder than I thought and I only barely made it through. I was required to run 5 miles but almost gave up after I reached 3.5 miles because I was tired and thought I couldn’t make it, but Jim kept telling me that I can that I could reach four miles. When I reached four miles he said five until I ran 5 miles. I thought the training would get easier after that but it did not. I decided to quit after the first two weeks because my body felt sore and was I missing some of the food had given up. I decided to lie to my trainer that an unexpected event that I couldn’t miss would occur the same day the 10k run was to take place. I knew the excuse of my parents visiting was a valid excuse that I could give to all my friends including Jim. My parents didn’t live in the United States, so I knew I wouldn’t seem like a quitter. When I gave Jim the excuse, he advised me to still take part in it and invite my parents to the event. I replied that I don’t think it is a good idea to invite them because they aren’t such huge sports fans.
He replied that this was a charity event and my parents would be proud to see me be part of it. I finally admitted later that my parents weren’t visiting, that I wanted to quit and thought my parents visiting was the only valid excuse I could come up with. He encouraged me not to quit and remember that I made a commitment to training and taking part in the race. I told him that I couldn’t go on with the training because my whole body was in pain and it wasn’t getting any easier as I thought it would be. We had about three weeks left of training and I told him I was not sure I could make it through those three remaining weeks. He said okay, but if I ever change my mind, I should let him know. I later spoke to a friend, who had taken part in the 10k; who told me how disappointed she was when she heard I quit. She advised me not to give up so easily and that I should resume my training.
She talked about how sometimes she felt like quitting when she was training for the race but she did not give in and she said it might seem hard now but it would be worth it in the end. She also reminded me that quitting was taking the easy way out and that she knew that I was better than that. I restarted the training and finished the workout plan. It wasn’t an easy task but by the fourth week my body was used to the training. I also took part in the race but I neither won nor finished in the top 5. I would have liked to win or be part of the Top 5, but I was really glad to have just taken part in the race. There is just an unexplainable joy in taking part in something bigger than you.
I was definitely glad that I finished the training because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to finish the race. The training helped increase my level of endurance. Preparing for the marathon reminded me of what being a Christian looks like. It is not going to be easy and we must be prepared to face whatever obstacles come our way. We must be willing to commit everything we have to it and never quit no matter how hard it gets. It is easier to return back to the old ways when we face obstacles because it does not require any effort on our part to do so, and having someone to encourage us and hold us accountable is also very important. We must also be prepared to face any obstacles that come along the way by having a closer relationship with Christ.
I am not sure how far I could have gotten in the 10k race if I hadn’t trained; just like what kind of Christians we are depends on our relationship with Christ. We need to observe Christian disciplines such as prayer, studying the Bible, fasting, scripture memory and self-control in order for us to grow closer to Christ. The training any Christian need is to make sure his personal relationship with Christ is made a high priority. Jesus Christ spent thirty years preparing for three years of ministry; that must show how important it is for us to be prepared. We will discuss about various different Christian disciplines and their importance later in this book. The life Christ has called us to live as Christians isn’t going to be easy; it will involve discipline, commitment and encouragement. We must be willing to give it all for the sake of Christ so that we could finish the race that is ahead of us.
Bearing the Cross
“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”
Luke 9:23-24
To be worthy of the race we must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and be ready to follow Him. To deny ourselves means to make our lives not about us but about God. It means we make God supreme in everything, and let God’s desire overtake our personal desires. You cannot know your cross until you deny yourself because it’s only then that you can totally dedicate your life to Christ. We discussed earlier about how believers and non-believers face problems alike; so you could be carrying the wrong cross if you don’t deny yourself.
The first step to denying ourselves is accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and personal savior, and repenting from our sinful ways. Denying oneself also means making Christ the priority in everything we do. The world is currently burdened with carrying the wrong cross; we could be doing the same if we don’t make Christ our ultimate priority. The wrong cross represents the consequences of a sinful lifestyle. It is important that we live our life according to God’s words, so that we can avoid burdens that aren’t meant for us. Take up your cross” means accepting trials or temptations that will come your way as a result of following Christ. It means if things are not going according to plans; you are willing to follow Christ. It means when strong winds and waves shake up your world, you are still willing to follow Christ. Jesus knows we can’t escape trials which are why he asked us to carry our cross as we follow Him. We must learn to deny ourselves, carry our cross and follow Christ in order to be worthy of finishing the race.
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