How to Prevail in the Battles of Life

Today we will meditate on how to prevail in the battles of life while still drawing insights from the passage below. Specifically, we shall dwell on the value of self-motivation in achieving success.

So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD…And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook. Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp. So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before…Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews…Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!” So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. – 1 Samuel 4:1-11

The third lesson derived from the passage above, which will form the basis of our meditation today, is that self-motivation is required to prevail in the battles of life.

If the Philistines had given up and withdrawn from the battle after hearing that the Ark was brought into the Israelites’ camp – especially considering the terrible things they had heard that God did to the Egyptians and those who dared to cross the Israelites’ path – then they wouldn’t have known that they could, in fact, win that war. They would have fled and never got to savour the victory that was awaiting them.

But they encouraged themselves to go ahead and fight, despite the odds; and they won the battle.

Therefore, it is usually not what is happening on the other side that determines the outcome of a matter. Oftentimes, it is what is happening at your side that does. What are you telling yourself? Are you psyching yourself up for the challenge or talking yourself out of contention? What are you doing? How are you preparing? These are what really matter and determine the result you get in most cases.

The Philistines decided to damn the consequences and braced themselves to fight anyway rather than bail out. And, much to their own surprise as well, they routed and defeated the Israelites who seemingly looked favoured to carry the day. You never can tell what you can do or how far you can go until you try. And to try at all, you need to motivate yourself in the face of many discouragements.

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!

When I Say, “I Am a Christian”

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I’m not shouting, “I’ve been saved!”

I’m whispering, “I get lost sometimes

That’s why I chose this way”

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I don’t speak with human pride

I’m confessing that I stumble

Needing God to be my guide

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I’m not trying to be strong

I’m professing that I’m weak

And pray for strength to carry on

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I’m not bragging of success

I’m admitting that I’ve failed

And cannot ever pay the debt

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I don’t think I know it all

I submit to my confusion

Asking humbly to be taught

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I’m not claiming to be perfect

My flaws are all too visible

But God believes I’m worth it

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I still feel the sting of pain

I have my share of heartache,

Which is why I seek His name

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I do not wish to judge

I have no authority

I only know I’m loved

Meditation: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. – 1 Corinthians 15:10

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!

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The Balancing Act

 

This is an inspiring anecdote about the balancing act of life.

A 91-year-old woman died after living a very long dignified life. When she met God, she asked Him something that had really bothered her for a very long time. “If man was created in God’s image, and if all men are created equal, why do people treat each other so badly?”

God replied that each person who enters our life has a unique lesson to teach us. It is only through these lessons that we learn about life, people, and our relationships with God.

This confused the woman, so God began to explain:

“When someone lies to you, it teaches you that things are not always what they seem. The truth is often far beneath the surface. Look beyond the masks people wear if you want to know what is in their hearts. Remove your own masks to let people know who you really are.

When someone steals from you, it teaches you that nothing is forever. Always appreciate what you have. You never know when you might lose it. Never take your friends or family for granted, because today and sometimes only this very moment is the only guarantee you may have.

When someone inflicts injury upon you, it teaches you that the human state is a very fragile one. Protect and take care of your body as best as you can, it’s the one thing that you are sure to have for as long as you are on earth.

When someone mocks you, it teaches you that no two people are alike. When you encounter people who are different from you, do not judge them by how they look or act, instead base it on the contents of what is in their hearts.

When someone breaks your heart, it teaches you that loving someone does not always mean that the person will love you back. But don’t turn your back on love, because when you find the right person, the joy that one person brings you will make up for all of your past hurts times a thousandfold.

When someone holds a grudge against you, it teaches you that everyone makes mistakes. When you are wronged, the most virtuous thing you can do is forgive the offender without pretence. Forgiving those who have hurt us is often the most difficult and painful of life’s experiences, but it is also the most courageous thing a person can do.

When someone ridicules you, it teaches you that nobody is perfect. Accept people for their merits and be tolerant of their flaws. Do not ever reject someone for imperfections over which they have no control.”

Upon hearing the Lord’s wisdom, the old woman became concerned that there are no lessons to be learned from man’s good deeds. God replied that man’s capacity to love is the greatest gift He has. At the root of kindness and love, each act of love also teaches us a lesson. The woman’s curiosity deepened. God, once again began to explain:

“When someone loves us, it teaches us love, kindness, charity, honesty, humility, forgiveness, acceptance, and all of these can counteract all the evil in the world. For every good deed, there is one evil deed. Man alone has the power to control the balance between good and evil, but because the lessons of love are not taught often enough, the power is too often abused.

When you enter someone’s life, whether by plan, chance or coincidence, consider what your lesson will be. Will you teach love or a harsh lesson of reality? When you die, will your life have resulted in more loving or more hurting? More comfort or more pain? More joy or more sadness? Each one of us has the power over the balance of love in the world. Use it wisely!”

Don’t miss an opportunity to nudge the world’s scale in the right direction!

– Author Unknown

Meditation: The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. – Deuteronomy 29:29

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!

Lessons on Life

 

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn some life lessons, not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right because they had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

Moral: Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don’t judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.

– Author Unknown

Meditation: While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:18

You will succeed in Jesus' Name!