I have ‘I’ ssues…

Sitting in a chair at a conference where my friend had taken me, I glanced at the sermon title on the screen in front of us. I have ‘I’ssues, the ‘I’ purposefully written in an uppercase letter. ‘I’ have Issues, I thought. Some serious ones at that!!!

After the praise and worship session, the preacher began…Here are a few things I learnt that I thought to share…

Going back to the garden of Eden, the reason why we all have issues is because of what transpired in Genesis Chapter 3:1 reads, The serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made…

To say I don’t like serpents would be an understatement. Those creatures terrify me, everything about them makes me cringe!They are crafty and cunning. Snakes don’t spare a moment to blink (in reality they actually don’t blink),  not a moment is lost! The serpent Lucifer does the same when it comes your Issues, he will constantly prey on your weakness and he will discourage and tempt you in a form and shape tailor made to suit you. If your weakness is stealing, he will make sure that friend of yours drops some money or leaves his wallet at an opportune time for you to grab a buck or two.

He knows what your Issues are and will tempt you right where it stings!!

Eve started to have Issues in the garden of Eden, she developed a curious mind. She wanted everything. Nothing ever good comes when we become like Eve and we want what is not ours. She was not only curious and discontented but she started to doubt whether there would be negative repercussions in eating the forbidden fruit. She Doubted God.

Issues germinate and thrive when you DOUBT God and what he can do in your life… Doubt is the number one tool that the serpent uses to destroy the relationship we have with God. He makes you wonder whether you are good enough, whether you have a purpose in this life and whether you are going anywhere with your life. Before you know it…You have some serious Issues that refrain you from realising your worth as a daughter or son of the most High God.

Even before you were born, God set you apart from everything and anyone else, there will never be another you and your purpose in life is uniquely crafted for you.

When Eve tasted the forbidden fruit, it tasted good. Sinning can provide some ‘benefits’ which you may enjoy…momentarily. Unfortunately, the problem with s ‘I’ n is that I becomes the center of your life. What I need, What I want and what I feel takes precedence before God’s will for your life.

I am not sure what your Issues are, but we all have our fair share of horrendous Issues. Some are possessed by their possessions, some have insecurities, some are dealing with discontentment and some tend to judge.

We all know our Issues…

As humans, we were born into sin. Nobody can say he/she has not s‘I’nned or put his/her needs before Gods. Even still, no problem is too big for God and none of your Issues are too big for him. To think we can rely on an earthly fix to conceal or deal with them would be a futile exercise…

We cannot do it on our own. We can never escape the devils snares relying on our own strength. If we rely on ourselves, we will hit a brick wall sooner or later then the cycle starts again. Philippians 4 vs 13 states that we can do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength. Christ conquered the world and all the issues that come along with it.

Whatever Issues you may have, God will redeem you, if you let him. As Christians, let us take the time to tell our SAVIOUR what our Issues are. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just. He will forgive us and purify us from all unrighteousness-I John 1:9. Be Blessed.

~Gleam of Dawn~

Taah

 

Prison Predicament

God save me…Save me from myself!

My Saviour my God….deliver me from this prison predicament.

I have tried and I have failed…I have fought and I have lost.

Incarcerated in this flesh…I am in a prison predicament.

Bound my own choices; Bound by my surroundings; Bound by my free will.

I am in a prison predicament; a quandary that is solely a product of my mind.

He came to seek and save the lost I hear, I am a sinner saved by grace, I question!

I doubt that which I claim to believe, I doubt that which I teach and claim!

We are all sinners saved by grace I think not!

 I am enslaved in this sin I ponder;

My Saviour my God…deliver me from this prison predicament.

My Carnal mind…like a moth to the flame, is prone to recidivism.

I sin, I cry, I cry, I sin…I fall, press on…and then I fall again.

I am bound by this delinquent behaviour which is only strengthened by that which I think.

That which I want to do, I do not… and that which I do not want to do… I do.

O wretched sinner that I am…all I see is the dark.

A slave to my own thoughts is that which I am…but HE…

HE that sits upon the throne makes all things new.

Although undermined and held captive by my human thoughts…

HE knocks and waits…HE the sacrosanct one;

HE that was…HE that is and HE that is to come;

Although undeserving…his grace has been made sufficient.

Help me believe O God…

I am a child of your kingdom and not a prisoner bound by iniquity.

Save me from myself O God! Save me from this prison of sin!

~Gleam of Dawn~

Taah

 

It’s a grave mistake to envy…

 

I LOVE pictures, I love looking at peoples pictures and taking pictures of all sorts. Many years back, I was perusing through one of our family albums and I saw a quote cut out from a newspaper or some book and stuck right at the bottom one of the pictures. It read…It’s a grave mistake to envy….The quote didn’t quite end there but somehow those are the words which have been etched in my memory since that day.

If we are to be truly honest…very few can say they have never been envious at one point or another in their lives, myself included. Perhaps your friend got the shoes you wanted or perhaps your colleague for the promotion you were eyeing for so long. When someone gets something you want before you do, it can sting.  If you allow yourself to be consumed with hurt and jealous feelings, the truth is envy really gets you nowhere…it really does!!! You can be incarcerated by your thoughts before you even know it, nothing but evil abounds.

Never compare your chapter one to someone else’s chapter 20 another quote I came across read…In this life there will always be someone with much more than you have and way less than you have been blessed with. The danger lies when you focus on what you don’t have and suddenly all looks greener on the other side. Don’t look at other people’s lives through Rose tinted windows, focus on the blessings and the journey you have been blessed with. The bible does not mince its words when it comes to envy. Nothing good is ever birthed from an envious mind.

James 3:16, “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”

Proverbs 14:30, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

Once envy looms …your thoughts become infested with jealousy. As Christians it is necessary to guard our hearts from such insidious attitudes but how do you get there….? How do you get to a point where you are no longer bound by the chains of jealousy and envy even when you have been planting and your fruits ‘never seem to ripen’ while ‘others’ seem to be harvesting everything in abundance?

Here are a few things that can help you overcome what the enemy intends for you:-

1. Be honest with yourself and with God, tell God how you feel and tell him you need his help to overcome this dreadful sin. There is nothing too big for your God. Don’t box him and restrict what he can and can’t do for you.
2. Realise that you were no placed on earth to compete. Sure some say competition is healthy but my take is learning from others is healthy, competition can lead to sinister and vile thoughts and actions. When you tell yourself you are competing, it becomes rooted in your brain that you need to win. When you don’t, disaster strikes and you become envious. Avoid competition, we have all planted our trees in this life, concentrate on the life of your tree. Each to his own!! If your neighbour’s grows faster than yours, kudos to them, learn what you can from them to make your tree grow too but realise that each tree is growing in a totally different environment.
3. I love this ‘feet’ analogy…Realise that in life, you need to learn the art of being truly happy for another person. When something good happens in your neighbours life, be happy for him/her, celebrate with a genuine heart for him or her. Here goes the analogy, two individuals can never walk at the same pace in life. We are like two feet that are moving, as one moves forward, one is left behind. You can never walk with both feet moving forward. Similarly, when a friend of your progresses in life, realise that your pace will differ. You may feel left behind while your peer progresses. Be happy for him/her, this pleases God and this sets you free. Be ‘genuine’ in your happiness and celebrate when others are victorious. Tomorrow will be your day, your foot will move forward and all you did in you planting season will come to fruition. When you do, those that have seen you cheer for them will also cheer for you as your progress in life!!!

 

~Gleam of Dawn~

Taah