Religion and Spirituality

Give Jesus your burdens or ride out your storm

There comes a time when everybody goes through the storms of life. Often they come when you least expect or when one is most vulnerable. And if one is not careful he or she could become so overwhelmed that you forgot Jesus could calm your storm.

Even so, being followers of Jesus Christ may not stop the tempest or the rolling billows. But you can rest assure Jesus can calm your storm. Still, sometimes your blessing comes at the end of the storm. And all you need to do is stay calm and ride it out. The late John Newton who knew a thing or two about storm and tempest wrote, “With Christ in the vessel I can smile at the storm.

Without a doubt, my fellow world citizen, if you got caught in the storm of life do not panic and do not despair. Just remember the following words spoken by Jesus. “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” (Matthew 11:28-30).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si_QusIG9Ck

Why worry?

Just like many of you, I worry about tomorrow. I worry about my future, my kid’s future; there is always something that causes any number of us to worry. But sometimes our worry is unnecessary. Other times it’s out of genuine fear of what might or might not happen. Either way, worrying is an unwelcome burden we take unto ourselves.

As Christians, we shouldn’t worry so much. In fact, we should cut worry out of our lives. Instead, we should pray, and do what Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). The writer of 1 Peter 5:7 said: “Cast all your anxiety on Him (Jesus), because He cares for you.” Also, the Psalmist David said this: “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He will sustain thee. He will never let the righteous be move, (Psalm 55:22).

My late grandmother thought me how not to worry about things I cannot control. A long time ago she noticed that I was beside myself. She asked me what was wrong. I told her that I feared I did not do well in my grade nine achievement exams. She looked me in the eyes and said, “Too late! Worry won’t change what you wrote on your exams.” That was good advice, but I do not always use it for my benefit.

Indeed! Worry never made a wrong decision right. It never changed the course of a hurricane, and it never stopped a financial disaster. But it can wreak havoc on one’s health. Why waste precious time worry?

Forever live–Keri Jobe

Should Christians get involved in politics?

There is a growing number of people in the USA; Christians included who have made it evident that they want nothing to do with politics. In fact, many of these people get so exercised about corruption in the political system that they have declined to vote.

But, despite the widespread corruption in our political system, everyone who is eligible, should at least exercise their right to vote. Taking a hands-off approach will not help to make the system better. We live in a democratic society. The people who run the show are not self-appointed. We the people elected them to represent us. Therefore, the onus is on us to choose the right people to run our affairs.

Of course, Christians should get involved in politics and even seek elected offices. But it must be for good reasons. Many Religious organisations flirt with politics; because they want their selfish agendas brought to the fore. For example, evangelicals are lining up behind a particular nominee for president who has made an extensive list of innuendos, toxic rhetoric and critical commentary against women and the most marginalised minorities. Still yet, these Christians are willing to sell their souls to the devil in exchange for this person, who might even be an atheist.

As much as I’m eager to support a reputable Christian for elected office, I would shudder if that person attempts to push a theocratic agenda. There has to be a distinct line between politics and your religion. Our country is too diverse to have politicians pushing hot button issues that do not serve the interest of the country at large.

How much have you grown as a Christian?

Before you start to measure your Christian growth, it’s important to understand that the Christian journey is like running a 10K marathon. It is gruelling, and you are likely to stumble many times. But that’s OK. Your goal is to conquer the journey. The Bible tells us that, “The one who conquers, I (Jesus) will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also have overcome and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21).

But, unlike the temporal marathons, everybody starts with the same advantage, and there is no preparation time. The day you gave your heart to the Lord, that’s when your journey begins. And it is not an annual or four years event. It is continuous.

Still, despite the rough and tumble. There are cool things about running a Christian marathon. For example, everybody is allowed to bring all their baggage along with them. And the more ground you cover, the easier the race gets. Temporal marathons get harder as you run the course, and runners avoid excess weight.

Now, as you navigate your course, you will come upon different baggage stations with labels unique to the baggage you carry. God strategically marked each Baggage station according to His Commandments. And all the stations are mistake proof.

So, my friends, it is reasonable to agree that how much we grow as Christians are directly proportional to the baggage we shed permanently. Everyone has baggage, even if you do not want to admit it. The Bible says, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).