Running My Course

We all come into this world, looking alike, small and pinkie!  We were cuddly and cute and everyone likes to pinch our cheeks and hold us.  Then we grew a little older, probably lost the pinkness, show our personalities, voila, babies begin to look different.

God the Author and Giver of life made each and every one of us, we looked very similar at the beginning of our lives yet we grow up looking and doing things differently. 

I do remember after graduating from school that I did not find a job as quickly as I thought I should have and more over, I was a Christian while in school, I did not have great grades like others in my class who were serving the LORD or those who led lives that were completely without a thought for God in their doings. How angry was I that I was not being rewarded in a fashion and manner of my own choosing! How can the Lord allow it that I should not be as successful as my brethren or even treat me with less 'respect' compared to unbelievers?

How do we deal with situations that tends to make us feel less loved or noticed by God?  How do we deal with seemingly being blessed less than those that are our brethren?  They make so much more money, or are more successful at their careers/jobs than we seemingly are. Do we begin to wonder at the fairness of God's treatment of us?

"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise" 

 2 Cor 10: 12

Though we are all Christians, we serve the LORD, in our own capacities(our several abilities) and at different places/stations in life.  How we serve Him, albeit towards the same end, is always different because of our different personalities and approaches to life.  God has not promised us that we all will be carbon copies of each other as Christians, without differences and without personalities.

We have all led different lives before we met the Lord, we have been on paths chosen by the Lord for us and those chosen by our self motives, but the Lord is able to use all these to the glory of His name, alone!

The situations and circumstances we go through in life might be similar, but the path we take through these circumstances and situations could be markedly different.  And that would evidently differentiate our experiences. 

Paul said "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" 2 Tim 4:7

He understands that what he went through and experience in life was a set path, personalized especially for him and wasn't in the habit of comparing his estate in life to others'.  More importantly, he understand and knows what was 'his course'.

Have you and I understand what our course in life is?  Would we recognize our course when are faced with it? Or are we busy wishing we were running someone else's course and in the process harboring covetousness,  anger, resentments and ungodly attitudes in our heart and mind?

May we be found doing His will and pleasure at His coming.

Who Dat?

Superbowl 2013 is this weekend and the clash of the two teams at the Superbowl would be in New Orleans.

New Orleans, the home of the New Orleans Saints!

The fans of New Orleans Saints have a way of showing their support by chanting 'who dat?' during their games.  It is said that the saying originated over a century ago between performers and the crowd at traveling minstrels shows around the region and it has became a parlance or common phrase used since then.

Would it be surprising that people said something similar in the days of Jesus? May be not said in the same tone and fashion but nevertheless, said.

'When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?' [Matthew 16:13]

Evidently, people were saying 'who dat?' about Jesus.

The question that Jesus posed to the disciples is interesting.  Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

How often do people confuse us for some other poeple?  It happens now and then to lots of people.  It would appear that those who confuse one person for another do not have a good knowledge and closeness to the individual they couldn't identify.

Being confused about the identity of a third party is one thing, confusion about the identity of oneself is another.

Jesus expressed with clarity that the confusion about His personality is without not within.  He understands and knows His own person, and He was expressive of Himself.

How many times have we allowed the confused imagery and opinions of the world to change our outlook and perception of life? 

As Christians, we need to continue to walk with our heads held high about the fact that we are Christians. 

So when people say to you 'who dat?' don't be shy or timid to say whom you are in Jesus Christ.

'For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also the Greek.'  [Romans 1:16]