Who are you listening to?

We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with information. It seems everyone has an opinion on how we should live our lives and the decisions to make. The society, our family, the government, religious organizations, friends, …everyone seems to have ideas on what we need to do in this life. It can sometimes become quite tiring and confusing to make right decisions. 

Beyond the confusion of our decisions lie the consequences. If the information you are listening to is not right for you, you can end up making poor choices and wind up pretty frustrated. Just because the information is coming from reputable sources doesn’t always mean it is appropriate for you. Just because others have done the same thing doesn't make it suitable for you either.

Finish well

I read 2 Chronicles chapters 14 to 16 the other day and I was saddened by how tragic the once great King Asa ended. You see this man was the great great-grandson of King David and must have heard stories of how well his ancestor ruled Israel by the power of God. He also started well, he feared God and made sure no idols were allowed in the kingdom. When an enemy nation attacked his kingdom, he cried out to God and God delivered him and the Kingdom of Judah from their more powerful foes. Because he feared God and served Him well, his kingdom enjoyed peace for many years.

Unfortunately in his 36^th year reign, he was threatened by another kingdom. And instead of depending on God like he had done before, he trusted human reasoning and decided to become allies with them. For this act, God tried to correct him through Hanani a seer. But the king refused to heed correction, he was so angry he even had him imprisoned. Eventually this once great king who feared God had an infection in his feet; despite the severity of his ailment he still refused to seek God. He died two years later.

Am I good enough?

The other day as I sang the song “How great thou art”, it struck me that this beautiful Christian song is quite simple. The lyrics and music are not complex or requiring complex musical arrangement. No, it is just a simple honest song sang to the melody of an old Swedish folk song. It was written in 1885 by a lay minster called Carl Gustav Boberg. 

He must have heard classical Christian music from the likes of George Frideric Handel and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach who lived before him. I wonder what he thought about his simple song compared to the music these great composers made. Or maybe he didn’t even bother comparing his song with theirs, he just concentrated on writing a song based on his own experiences. I think that is probably what happened.

Why is life so unfair?

We all grew up reading fairy tales, and in all of them, the good guy always gets rewarded at the end, and the bad guy gets punished. It seems fair and right. 

But life, as I have come to realise, is no fairytale. Sometimes life doesn’t appear to be fair at all: the good man sometimes suffers. And this confuses us, it makes us shout “ God, this is so unfair!”

Some weeks ago I wrote a post titled “Heart of Gold”(Click Here). In that post, I talked about a young man called Anthony Michael, who risked his life to save a crying baby from a burning building. He suffered horrific burns as a result of his bravery and was hospitalised.

Not another blog please!!!

I never intended to write a blog. I was one of those who wondered why 'everyone' seemed to be blogging all of a sudden. And because I try not to follow trends, I banished the thought when a friend innocently asked me to start one, about two years ago.

So what happened? 

 

Well, I enjoy visiting some some blogs and websites. But they seem to focus on either entertainment news, government blunders, or crime. After a while I started getting tired of celebrity gossip and scandals as well as stories of the government’s inabilities and unprovoked criminal attacks. I noticed I was getting really fearful and critical and my attitude was affecting my life. And I wasn’t the only one. Many of the visitors who comment on these websites seem the same. Thankfully I started listening to more positive messages online and I began to think better and act better.

Is it a sin to be mad at God?

A good number of Christians think it is blasphemous to even consider that question. “How dare you say that?” they ask.

“Don’t you know God is the Creator of the Universe?”

“By His word alone, the whole world was formed, who are you, tiny worm of the earth to even consider being angry at God? He could smite you down!”

Yes I know He is Jehovah, the Lord of Hosts, the Lord most High, the Alpha and Omega, the Great I am that I am… but guess what? He is also our friend! And like all good friendships, we should be honest and able to speak our minds. God doesn’t want us to be terrified of Him, unable to ask Him questions or express ourselves. God wants to help us when we are confused. He wants to give us peace when our hearts are agitated and worried. God wants to be our friend more than anything.

The truest friend!

Many years ago, I was a frustrated teenager. I felt no one understood me, and to be honest, I didn't even understand myself! I tried friendships, and being popular in school, but still that empty gnawing void remained. Many nights I cried myself to sleep because I was tormented by a feeling of worthlessness and abandonment. It didn't help that there had been changes in my family and I was in a new city and new school.

No matter how much my parents tried, I just felt they didn't know what I was going through. I couldn't even bring myself to tell how I felt because I didn't even understand why I felt the way I did!
Then one day after school, feeling so depressed and at the brink of despair, I started crying again. This time more intense than ever, and as I did, I wondered
"Why doesn't anyone care? Why am I so desperately lonely? Why do I feel so useless?"