The foundation of our Christianity as believers is our faith in God. Last year may have gone differently for all of us but what matters is our faith in God. For some, they may not have gotten the things they desired, for others it might have been a good year. Whether or not we achieved what we planned from the beginning of the year, the important thing is to ensure that that our faith in God does not fail. The events of the past year might cause us to anticipate something new or a change in our circumstances as we enter into a new year, especially when find ourselves in a failed system as is operated in our country. Even though it is a new year and so people are expecting new things or changes in what previously obtained, we must realise that the most important factor in our seeing these changes is ourselves. It is not so much about what we want God to do in the New Year but about what we need to do. Truth is that personal or societal problems do not respond to a new year. The first of any year is just a continuity of time. Many times, we try to squeeze God into a mould to do things because it is a new year but God is not bound by that. We are the ones who need to take advantage of time. A new year is a reminder that a period of time has passed and another is beginning. The issue should be how we are responding to passing time. That is why the Psalmist says “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom”.
Is your Faith Strengthened or weakened?
In measuring our progress this year, our yardstick should not be the material things God has provided; rather it should be measured by how our faith in God has become stronger. This is not to say that we should not look up to God to supply our needs (Phlp.4:19), but at the end of the year, we should be able to ask ourselves if we are better Christians for things we have passed through. We will pass through things that tend to weaken our faith in God. The Devil’s sole responsibility is to weaken our faith in God, such that we begin to doubt if God truly loves us. Everything we go through can serve to either weaken or strengthen our faith in God. What determines the outcome is our response to those things. An example of a man whose faith was edging out gradually was Peter (Luk.22:31-32). On the surface he appeared to be strong, but Jesus could see that his faith is being weakened by the things he was passing through. Satan had asked of him to sift him like wheat. However, Jesus prayed for him so that his faith will not fail. The question we believers should ask ourselves is: has my zeal for the things of God waned because of the diverse circumstances and experiences I am passing through? The bible does not deny that believers go through challenging times, but each time we go through such trials, scripture admonishes that we should ensure that our faith is not weakened by such trials.
In measuring our progress this year, our yardstick should not be the material things God has provided; rather it should be measured by how our faith in God has become stronger. This is not to say that we should not look up to God to supply our needs (Phlp.4:19), but at the end of the year, we should be able to ask ourselves if we are better Christians for things we have passed through. We will pass through things that tend to weaken our faith in God. The Devil’s sole responsibility is to weaken our faith in God, such that we begin to doubt if God truly loves us. Everything we go through can serve to either weaken or strengthen our faith in God. What determines the outcome is our response to those things. An example of a man whose faith was edging out gradually was Peter (Luk.22:31-32). On the surface he appeared to be strong, but Jesus could see that his faith is being weakened by the things he was passing through. Satan had asked of him to sift him like wheat. However, Jesus prayed for him so that his faith will not fail. The question we believers should ask ourselves is: has my zeal for the things of God waned because of the diverse circumstances and experiences I am passing through? The bible does not deny that believers go through challenging times, but each time we go through such trials, scripture admonishes that we should ensure that our faith is not weakened by such trials.
1Pet 1:6-7 talks about the numerous temptations believers go through and how that they bring out the genuineness of our faith. The bible obviously acknowledges that we go through some tough times. Just as gold passed through fire gets refined, the believer's faith ought to be refined as it passes through trials. But if we are not careful, those same trials may destroy our faith. When trials are prolonged, there is every tendency that our faith, the foundation of our Christianity, becomes shaken up. That is why scripture warns that those passing through persecution and have started doubting God, should ‘Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God’ (Heb.3:12). We are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul (Heb 10:39). Our faith is strengthened or weakened by the way we handle the things that we pass through. We must not toy with our faith (Heb.11:6). Constant pressures tend to weaken our faith and if we do not respond appropriately, we find ourselves doubting the workings of God in our live. Unbelief is very dangerous because that is what takes people to hell. The sin that ‘so easily beset’ referred to in Heb.12:1 is the sin of unbelief.
The Example of John the Baptist (Lk.7:17-23) John the Baptist was described as the greatest of all the prophets. In fact, he was the only one filled with the Hoy Ghost from his mother's womb. He was the fore-runner of our Lord Jesus, a fiery preacher. At some point, this great man began having doubts. Hope deferred makes the heart sick (Prov 13:12). John had spoken against Herod with regards to Herod taking his brother's wife and was thrown into prison. After a period of time, he began to doubt, and needed some form of reassurance, so he sent message to Jesus to ask if he was the Messiah or if they should look for another. What is important is the response of Jesus and this is always God's response to every doubt of man. When John's disciples got to Jesus, He performed many miracles before them (Lk. 7:17-23). What Jesus did was not to convince John by miracles but to refer John back to scripture. Isa 35:5-6 is a Messianic scripture and this was what Jesus pointed John the Baptist to, knowing John knew the scripture. Christ fulfilled the things mentioned in that portion of scripture right in front of John's disciples and he told them to go tell him what they have seen. John's disciples had reported the miracles to him in Lk 7:17-18 but John still sent them to Jesus to confirm if He was
the Messiah. This implies that faith does not come by miracles. Getting answers to your prayers or the cravings of your heart does not bring faith. What brings faith is casting our mind back to all those benefits of Salvation as revealed in scriptures, because faith comes by the word of God (Rom.10:17, Phlm.6). Faith comes when we reassure ourselves again that the scriptures are true. We must reassure our heart that the word of God cannot fail. We must recon that the sufferings of the present time cannot be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us (Rom.8:18)
It is our choice to allow even our bad experiences to strengthen our faith in God. We can make a choice to say all things work together for our good because we have been called by God (Rom 8:28). When we are offended in
God, we begin to doubt his goodness and his love for us. At such times, we tread on dangerous grounds and our faith in God begins to ebb away. We should not mess with our faith but rather let it be refined. Abraham did not stagger at God's promises through unbelief (Rom 4:20) and we too can choose to do that.
Faith does not always mean the best possible outcomes in this world. Even though Daniel was able to stop the mouth of lions; some Christians have also been devoured by lions in the course of standing for their faith (Heb 11:30-38). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down for the king's golden image regardless of if God delivered them or not, even though they know He was able to deliver them (Dan 3:16-18). Once our faith fails, then our Christianity will no longer be effective.
It is our choice to allow even our bad experiences to strengthen our faith in God. We can make a choice to say all things work together for our good because we have been called by God (Rom 8:28). When we are offended in
God, we begin to doubt his goodness and his love for us. At such times, we tread on dangerous grounds and our faith in God begins to ebb away. We should not mess with our faith but rather let it be refined. Abraham did not stagger at God's promises through unbelief (Rom 4:20) and we too can choose to do that.
Faith does not always mean the best possible outcomes in this world. Even though Daniel was able to stop the mouth of lions; some Christians have also been devoured by lions in the course of standing for their faith (Heb 11:30-38). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down for the king's golden image regardless of if God delivered them or not, even though they know He was able to deliver them (Dan 3:16-18). Once our faith fails, then our Christianity will no longer be effective.
Forgetting the past, pressing forward by faith.
We are to press forward, leaving the things that are behind. Christianity is a race and we have to keep moving. The world does not end because we are jobless or going through any other challenge. Paul, while in prison made progress. All the things drawing us back have been orchestrated by the devil to draw us back and when we do so we are only fulfilling his plans. We are to forget everything behind- our past glory, our past failures- and press forward. We must be self-driven because that is the attitude of victory. Paul admonished that “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philp.3:12-14)”
Paul could later on say in II Tim 4:7-8 that he had fought a good fight, he had finished his course and had kept the faith. Christianity is all about your faith in Christ. We should run the race looking unto Jesus. At the end of our life, after we have achieved all those legitimate things we long for, we should be able to say like Paul that we have kept the faith.
We are to press forward, leaving the things that are behind. Christianity is a race and we have to keep moving. The world does not end because we are jobless or going through any other challenge. Paul, while in prison made progress. All the things drawing us back have been orchestrated by the devil to draw us back and when we do so we are only fulfilling his plans. We are to forget everything behind- our past glory, our past failures- and press forward. We must be self-driven because that is the attitude of victory. Paul admonished that “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philp.3:12-14)”
Paul could later on say in II Tim 4:7-8 that he had fought a good fight, he had finished his course and had kept the faith. Christianity is all about your faith in Christ. We should run the race looking unto Jesus. At the end of our life, after we have achieved all those legitimate things we long for, we should be able to say like Paul that we have kept the faith.
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