Thought for the day
I quickly would like to share something that happened to me earlier this week, see I received a call from my father. Let me explain a bit the significance, you see my dad left us when I was about 3 years old and moved away. Well life went on and he was not involved in our life and not even helping to support us. My mom brought us (6 children) up and had to work to make ends meet.
Well when I was about 8 years old and she remarried and to shorten the story, just when I was getting used to having a father around he was involved in a car accident and lost his life due to a drunk driver who only lost the use of his one arm. Again life went on and as before the Lord was good to us and supplied in our needs. Well again when I was about 14 my mom again met someone and married and to this day is still married to my step dad.
Well during this time there was a lot of hate inside me and I could not get myself to forgive my biological dad. The only time I saw him again was when he married again when I was about 20 years old but never spoke a word. Well the Lord took me from the pits and mud and washed me with His precious blood last year March, I once was blind but now can see. During that time (March) I was in a rehabilitation centre for substance abuse and part of the treatment is to get all the old hurt out and to forgive and I did forgave my father.
But I always had this fear of going to meet him because I do not know how to handle the situation and still is unsure how to. Now the significance of the call the other night and I am sure that God is working in his heart as well to sort out the pain and suffering. I know now that I personally need to meet him to tell him in person that I forgive him and work from there.
Life does not always turn out like we thought it would, does it?
As I write this, there are probably some fathers/mothers wondering where things went wrong, how they got off track, and what did they do wrong. There is probably a son out there wondering what went wrong with the relationship with his dad/mom. There may be a daughter out there wishing she knew what to do to heal the broken relationship with her dad/mom. Somewhere along the way words were spoken (or not spoken), barriers were built and never torn-down, and now the relationship that you dreamed about is in desperate need of restoration.
There is a husband and wife struggling to hang on to what is left of their marriage. What happened? How did we drift so far apart? What did we do (or not do) that caused the love we once felt for each other to become so cold and indifferent? It doesn't seem right. It doesn't seem fair.
You've worked hard your entire career. You've been loyal to the company. You've passed up numerous opportunities that would have paid more, had more prestige, and a much nicer list of perks. You let them all pass convincing yourself that the decision to stay will pay off. You remember all that as you were passed over for the promotion one more time. Someone younger, someone with less experience, and someone with fewer years with the company, gets the promotion.
Life is not always fair. Things don't always turn out how we think they should. Sometimes the good guys get hurt. What do you do when that happens? How do you handle the injustices of life? Here's what Peter said:
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:13-17, NIV)
A few things stand out in Peter's words:
First, even when we live right, we get treated wrong. Be ready for it. Know that it can happen. Don't look for it, but always be aware that you are not promised a easy road.
Second, always "set apart Christ as Lord." Keep Christ in the center of all you do. Put Him first. Keep Him first.
Third, be prepared to witness. Be ready. Someone is watching. Someone is wondering why you live like you do. Someone is waiting for an explanation. Someone is paying attention. Be ready to explain.
Fourth, be gentle in your response to the unfairness. Don't allow the unfairness and mistreatment to make you bitter. Be gentle and respectful and make sure your conscience is clean.
Fifth, make sure the suffering you experience is for doing good. You are going to suffer, so make sure that you are suffering because you doing something good, not because you got caught doing something bad.
If you are dealing with the unfairness of life, stay close to God and hold on to His hand. Let Him hold you. Continue to live the way you know you should live. It's better if you do this.
Verses
2 Corinthians 4:18
I pay no regard to the things that are seen, but to those that are unseen; for the things that are seen are temporary, while those that are unseen are permanent.
Romans 4:19
And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform outwardly to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God -- what is good, and is pleasing to him, and is perfect.
Deuteronomy 8:18
remember it's the LORD your God who gives you the power to get wealth, fulfilling His covenant He made by an oath with your fathers, as it is today.
Prayer
Father, any words we speak or pictures we draw cannot fully describe your infinite love. Your boundless love reaches beyond the heavens and yet it penetrates our individual hearts. It is only in experiencing a personal relationship with you that we begin to sense the inexhaustible and pure love that comes only from You. Even as the waves of the ocean are powerful and wash over the rocks may Your abundant love fill our lives to overflowing so that Christ’s love is seen through us. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.
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