Who is your "god"?

Reading the book of Jeremiah has been enlightening. I really urge you to read it because it enlightens who God is, showing God's mercy, unconditional love, compassion, grace and His willingness to forgive His chosen people (Israel). At this point, Israel had made their own "gods" and worshipped them. Given that the Lord was warning them through Jeremiah about troubles that will befall them because of their sins and worshipping their "gods", It is easy to think these people must have been crazy not to listen to God. I mean a God who is willing to protect them from the impending danger if they could just repent and turn to Him. Israel chose not to turn to God, instead, they continued their making their "god/s" and worshipped them. I could not understand why people would want to worship and sacrifice their sons and daughters to gods made by their own hands. Can we relate to this behaviour in this modern age? Yes, we can.

Who is a "god"? I'll try my best to answer, from what I gathered from the book of Jeremiah, a god with a small "g" is something (physical)or someone that takes the position of God from being first in one's life. The physical in this modern age could be relationships, businesses, society as a whole, entertainment, addictions the list goes on. These are all man-made things that take most of our attention. And yes man-made includes relationships and society because an idea from a man or woman qualifies as man-made (disclaimer: not all man-made ideas are bad) The God or god we serve all depends on who we choose to obey and worship.

Just like the Israelites, we have our own "gods". We could worship God by mouth (I mean the false prophets used to worship God and other gods (mostly Baal) in the same temple) but if our hearts are far from Him to the point of utter disobedience and lack of acknowledgement of Him does not constitute true worship. Who you choose to worship is based on who influences your choices. Do you base your choices on Godly principles, society principles (which are not necessarily bad depending on how they converge with Godly principles), social media influence, relationships (sticking to the "modern" way of dating by compromising your values to keep your partner) and addictions (drugs, porn, wanting attention etc)? 

The gods of Israel were made by skilled men (craftsman) and decorated them with silver and gold. I would imagine that they were beautiful idols since most of what attracts us and keeps our attention from God is usually beautiful and decorated with whatever the modern version of silver and gold might be. 

Self-evaluation is the best way to find out if you have "any other god" besides God that you may be serving without realising it. The enemy is sneaky one, he can use numerous things to take and keep your attention from God without you realising it. Hope you find no "other god/s" but if you do, pray and repent and let the Holy Spirit teach you (through the word) to put God first so that you can truly worship him.

Lessons from Jeremiah 1

The most common question people ask is why are they here on earth? Simply rephrased as what is their purpose? As a fellow Christian, the best way to find out is to seek Him who made you and the answer shall be revealed in time. 

The first chapter of Jeremiah shows that when we find our purpose, it is usually filled with the five basic questions asked which are who, what, why, when and how. In this chapter (I urge that you read it), God speaks to Jeremiah about Israel and her sins and in between the text, those five questions are answered.

WHO🤔, WHAT😨 & WHEN ⏲

1. God sets you apart (verse 5) - God tells Jeremiah that He knew him before He formed him. To me that basically shows that God who has gone before us is not constrained with time and space. He knows and has planned the time for us to be here on earth and when the purpose should be fulfilled. But before then, when He said "formed" that means that each one of us is designed specifically for the purpose we have been called to accomplish. He has also set you apart for that specific function.

2. Jeremiah's excuse (verse 6) - Jeremiah said he can't speak for God because he is too young. When we find our purpose and it seems too big, we find an excuse (I know I do) for why we can't accomplish. Maybe such excuses stem out of fear, knowing our weaknesses (inferiority complex) or many other reasons.

3. Confirmation  (verses 7 and 8) - God already at the beginning told Jeremiah that not to state his "shortcomings". He reassured Jeremiah of  His presence and His protection. We have God's protection and He is with us when we are living according to His purpose.

4. He equips you (verse 9) - After God's reassurance and confirms that is He (God) that wants this to be done, He equips Jeremiah by touching his mouth. From the spirit to the physical, God touched the body part that will perform the function needed. I think of runners whose legs are strengthened to run fast. Scientists, engineers and doctors each designed and have the ability to understand things in a specific way. Whatever we've each been called for, we have been equipped for it in the natural. 

5. He appoints you (verse 10) - Jeremiah was appointed and told he will stand up against and Kingdoms...." Basically, he was told his duties in the calling. 

WHY 🤷 and HOW 👀

6. The reason for the calling (verse 11 and 12) - The almond tree bears almonds (which are seeds that have a hard outer shell and has an embryo inside which is the soft edible part). Not to be mistaken, this is not about nutrition 😒. So basically to get to the embryo you got to crack the hard shell first. Here in this verse, I believe God is illustrating that Israel ( verse 16 and when you read the following chapters) heart has become a heart of stone (outer shell) and the need to boil is to soften the outer hard shell so that it is soft and easier to open to get to the embryo (flesh). Turning a heart of stone to a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). God further explains what will happen and how. 

7. Fulfilment and expectation - God reassured Jeremiah again (verse 17) by speaking to his fears since God knows the heart and tells him his main action (to speak the word of God to the people). He tells him also of the alternative "Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them". God strengthened him and explained the extent of his strength. He reveals the people Jeremiah will go up against (verse 18) and in verse 19 and affirms that they will not succeed for God is with him and will care for him. His word is final for he has spoken.

When God reveals to you what you are called to do, take the lessons from this chapter and remember you are not alone, you will accomplish your purpose as long as you do as God says and trust in him. What He started in you, He will accomplish. Remember He cannot take you where you will not be able to overcome. So when you find your purpose, pay attention to all the details that come with it.

Intellect In God's space

I do not remember where I got this quote from, the quote goes as follows " we get what we wait for and not what we prayed for". This means when you pray, you got to have faith and patience and wait to receive it. It got me thinking, maybe we don't receive what we prayed for because we choose to solve whatever we prayed for with our own intellect, that gives no space for God to act on your request. I think when we pray, we become impatient when the prayer is not answered in the time we expect it to be. Some people I know even change their prayer requests before resulting to their intellect. Does that mean we are faithless in our prayer life? or is it simply impatience? I guess it's one or the other or both depending on the context and situation. 

Using our own intellect is not necessarily bad but that doesn't give God the space to act on your request. In prayers when we call upon the Lord, we have an expectation for the answer that comes through in various ways, at times it could be (if you are doing a project or building a business), at times it could through people who God uses to propel you forward and many other ways. So you might be thinking your prayer maybe unanswered but at times it is a matter of opening our eyes to see the answer.  This does not mean you start to look for answers, this means by faith and through specific prayers, wait for the specific answer and keep your eyes open to that. In my life, I have noticed that when I am in the waiting, God is moulding me also. If it is patience I need to learn for a greater purpose, a situation occurs that makes me learn to wait. The God who has gone before us knows that at times, He first builds our character (in the waiting) before granting our requests so that we can maintain the position He is taking us to fill (this applies for cases of promotions at work, being a parent, building a business etc).

Prayers are answered according to God's timing and when we wait for the answer. Philippians 4:6-7 states "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus". I know in the waiting one can be anxious but as the part of  Thanksgiving reminds us what God has already done and that there is no reason to start doubting Him. We should actually trust him more and allow the peace of God to guide our hearts and minds in the waiting knowing that God is never too late.

No platform needed to achieve

A friend of mine said that she wished she could sing so that people she could be seen by people. She is one of many who hope that they have a talent that warrants a platform. I am not sure what is the motive behind that is but the problem is in many of the cases, people waste time being spectators of someone else's gifts/talents that they forsake the search of their own gift. Consequently, the light within them does not shine because it has not been ignited within. I have observed that many begin to train on a talent they were not granted, you do become better at what you desire, but is that what God desired for you to have? Is the motive for training for God's glory or your own even though you will use it on a platform to glorify God? The problem is this, one may, with much training acquire a "gift/talent" for the platform, but will one be able to be effective? since much of what God wants to complete through you is through being anointed for the appointment. 

Our appointment comes from our willingness and readiness to answer a specific call that we have the capacity to achieve. However, we cannot be ready to achieve if we do not know the requirements to complete the call having been filled to capacity. We cannot give what we have that we do not know that we have because we are busy wanting what others have. We need to search for what God has given us and prepare through training for the path God has prepared for us to follow for the glory of his name. Each individual has their own race to run keeping their eyes focused on the finishing line (Jesus) (Hebrews 12:1-2). 

It is important to keep our eyes on Jesus so that we are reminded that all that we have is His and that we should aim to please him and not people (which also includes ourselves). The gift/talent that you have may not warrant a platform that doesn't make it less important. However, what is important is to produce the fruit as per your gift/talent for the glory of God. Intercessors do not need a podium, they simply pray according to their faith and fruits are yielded such as to see others being saved, for the sick to be healed etc. Your gifts/talents may yield fruits that not only benefit you, but others as well making you an effective servant of God who is an appointed and anointed individual for the specific purpose God has called you for. At the right time, and as long as you stay within His will,  and are ready to answer His call, you will complete what He began in you. 

Letter of recommendation

Love love this verse 2 Corinthians 3:1-5. This verse speaks of our need for social acceptance, especially now with social media where some people post selfies and measure themselves according to the number of likes they get. This, in turn, could speak of self-love or a deeper rooted issue of seeking attention or the need to feel needed, loved and accepted. Some just post to be a social celebrity or popular but that is a topic of another day. I grew up being constantly told to learn to love yourself but that proved challenging. I mean when I was younger, I didn't like the way I looked in the mirror as I did not meet the social standards of what was deemed beautiful. I didn't hate myself, I simply didn't feel beautiful and yes no one told me I was pretty unless I put on a pretty dress, and I think that was a compliment out of courtesy than honesty. I was the teenage girl that guys approached so that they can ask me for my friend's number. Life on the dating scene was dull and I stayed in the shadows of my beautiful friends playing receptionist to their potential boyfriends.

One day I saw a married couple walking past, a handsome well-groomed tall man and a not-so-hot but a well-dressed woman. I wondered all different things to make sense of what I had seen. My thoughts influenced by the media and society; from shes rich and he ain't working,  maybe shes got a rich dad and yeah he wants to be part of the inheritance, maybe she got pregnant and the guy is trapped out of duty and the list goes on. After further investigations to satisfy my curiosity, I found out that the man is well to do and she is a stay-at-home mum. The woman had an awesome positive personality and an attitude that inspire one to awake to their dreams. Basically, she brightened up the room, she was mature and intelligent and what you saw versus the beauty within was at par. Who you are within (great attitude towards life) carries you further than the outer beauty. She taught me a valuable lesson, the physical beauty will fade with time but inner beauty and a great personality and intelligence are what builds a home, relationships and businesses amongst other things of progress.

I began working on being me, building a positive attitude and recommending myself. I don't define beauty according to the world standards that have brought about self-rejection, comparison which leads to jealousy, contention, vanity and pride. I now define beauty as being confident of who you are, being comfortable in your own skin, loving yourself and building yourself up to be a better version of you for you and not to please others. So recommend yourselves and the "like" on social media are just the likes and not a scale to grade you on your physical attributes. You are God's masterpiece, a work of beautiful creativity that extends far beyond the physical and affects your heart and soul. You are recommended by God to be here at this time, HE qualifies you for what you have been called to do and this is the Letter HE has written in your hearts. Trust HIM and live joyfully in the plans HE has for you as your confidence grows in HIM.  

Be yourself Irrespective

When I was a child making friends was easy and so was breaking up friendships. There really was no criteria for making friends, as long as we got along, I was good to go. When teenagehood hit, you realise that making friends with the wrong kind of people may negatively influence you to be someone you are not either in a good or bad way. In this stage of life, there are unwritten requirements to form friendships. One of these is having a common ground. Most of the friends I made in my teen years were based on how much I had in common with an individual who I considered to be a potential friend. But it is also at this stage, I learnt about manipulation, back-biting, bad mouthing and pretence. Since then, trust became an issue as you could never be too sure of another's plan for you. Which in turn caused me to act according to my confirmed perception of them. For example, if someone was rude, I ignored them or became equally rude.

Now into adulthood, where life starts, I became wiser through experiences and defined who I am and who I want to become. I am not speaking of goals but rather of character. I am a Christian as you have seen from my previous post and my relationship with God influences my relationship with others. As I learn from the bible which basically states that the fruit of salvation is to have the righteous character produced in my life by Jesus Christ (Phil 1:11), that means I have to emulate Christ in my actions even towards those that know how to press my buttons 😒😒😒. It appeared stupid to others not wanting to fight back or take vengeance. People think you are a weakling, one to be easily taken advantage of, which I at times used to think because it is difficult to back-off or apologise especially when you know you were right, or simply waiting for an apology that probably won't come.

Like most of you out there, at some point, we had to deal with people who smile😅 at you while stabbing💣 you at the back or manipulate a situation to make you look bad which in turn makes them look good. What to do if you've got emulate Christ? Do we put Christ at the corner, deal with those ...... then go back to him again? When we do that, isn't it giving Christ a bad name? Or simply say I am not Jesus, don't you dare blah blah blah. As I mature spiritually, I've learnt to obey principles that make you seem weak and in a religious law filled imprisonment is actually strength and freedom. Its all about perception. Freedom in the sense that when you want to please God, you will definitely displease some people. Actually, I find pleasing people more difficult than pleasing God, since people change often while God remains the same.

I am currently moulding my personality to integrate characteristics of who Christ is. I fail sometimes but in that, I can be the better version of myself. Now back to what I was saying about Freedom. Given some people are😠 annoying, to say the least. But I have learnt that the moment you insult or fight back, you are no better than them. In fact, the negative reaction reciprocated is evidence that the "annoyer" has power over you to become as low as he/she is. So what should one do to avoid the "annoyer" especially if it is a friend? Be you irrespective the better you. Smile and laugh with them like what they did is nothing, I suppose that what the bible meant by "heaping coals". Don't give anyone the power to dim you, the light shining from your persona to accommodate their negative actions towards you. If its a friend who hurt you, forgive, take the time needed to heal, get back and treat that person well, just take the lessons you've learnt from the failed friendship. Remember having freedom doesn't mean it won't hurt, it simply means you don't carry anyone irrespective of what they have done. It is finding the strength to overcome, and not letting yourself be affected much and that is an intentional conscious choice. You are not responsible for what people do to you but you are responsible for how you react and the permission you give the situation to affect you. If you change who you are in response to what they did, you've not only granted them permission to your negative reaction but you've also imprisoned yourself if you fail to forgive and let go. Furthermore, you've deprived yourself of shining like you were meant to.  From those who've hurt you, learn the lessons, heal from it, treat "them" well and be you irrespective and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger💪.