"But I've Been Good?"

Things are spread on social media and some of us believe anything we see because it sounds good or maybe some celebrity we really admire believes it, and just like that, we believe it too. Our minds become like theirs and we start thinking how they think. There is this belief that good things should happen to good people and that God does good things to 'only' those who are good. In other words, bad things can't happen to good people because they have been good and 'supposedly' God shouldn't allow bad things to happen to them.

I really don't know how this belief came about. Whoever said that it's only when you're good that God cares for you? If that was true, wouldn't every unrighteous person on the face of earth be poor, hungry, desolated, depressed or even dead. People think that if they are good for maybe one day, God will answer their prayers. No!! Everything God does is out of the kindness of His heart. God doesn't owe us anything, He shouldn't be paying us back for keeping his commandments. His son already died on the cross for our sins. It's God's grace that keeps us going and His grace is freely given to all whether good or bad.

Let's examine the story of Job. Job was a very righteous man, he had a great relationship with God. His proximity with God troubled the devil that he pleaded with God to let him tempt Job. See we Christians face hardships, there are times when life will push you so hard to the wall. It's not that God has abandoned you, it's not that He forgot about you or that's He's purposely letting you suffer. No. He's always there, He'll create a way for you out of it. God is only giving you a chance to be wise and pass strongly through the storm so that you can emerge stronger and closer to Him. The hurdles in our lives are meant to strengthen us and draw us closer to God. Jesus Himself was tempted before He was about to start His ministry on earth and if he fell into those temptations, I doubt His ministry would have been established.

So next time that you are going through hard times, don't say 'But I've been good?' Rather pray to God that He give you the grace to pull through and that you might draw closer to Him. And in every situation you find yourself praise God. He will see you through. Amen.

Too busy for God?

We are so busy with life that we find it difficult to take out time to acknowledge God. Everyday we wake up and just go about our daily routines without even thanking God for a new day. Sure God doesn't need our praises to survive but doesn't He deserve it? Have you ever had those moments that you go through the WHOLE day then at night when you're about to go to sleep, you realize that you haven't even acknowledged God at all? Yeah that's how busy and occupied we keep our minds that praising God is no longer a priority. Today I woke and you know the first thing I did? I reached for my phone. Yes! I was so eager to check out the notifications I had. But God was there, He brought me back to my senses and I withdrew my hand and thanked Him for a new day.

It's crazy because we do these things unconsciously. We have our minds set on the things on our planner that we have to do and the things that are due and all that, that somehow we forget about God and we slide Him to the back of our minds because we think that we do not HAVE to thank Him. Because we believe that's it's not due and that we can do it any time, I mean He will always accept our thanks right? Sometimes we actually remember but we dismiss it from our mind and continue on with our hectic lives. We claim that we are so busy and God can wait that He'll understand. But we forget that God is all powerful and He can actually clear our whole schedule, so why not take time to praise Him?

It really baffles me how much we complain. We complain about any and every thing. Sometimes as soon as we wake up, we are already complaining about the weather, about how early it is to be up, about needing good food, about how terrible our lives are, etc. Sometimes I wonder that what if I was God, how would I feel? I mean how would you feel if you created the whole world, looked at it and saw that it was good, (Gen 1:31) then you placed man on it and immediately after he wakes up, he starts complaining? It's become a habit for us, trash talking everything and not even trying to be optimistic about anything.

We have to learn to be positive. Everyday wake up and tell yourself that this is the day the Lord has made therefore you'll rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24). No matter how bad the weather is, how early it is, how cold it is, how hot it is, how sick you are, how terrible your life might be, thank God for the things He has done and for the ones He'll do. And you know what that does? It makes Him do more for you. Then look on the good sides of things, be happy, be rejuvenated and pass your energy to other people and I promise you, your day will be beautiful! Stay blessed fam!!