Travel Steadily

Considering Easter weekend has just passed, I thought a spiritual post is in order. I also posted this to the blog that my friends run at rockingitchristianstyle.blogspot.com... So check out that vibrant site for some thought-provoking reading and insightful album reviews if you get the chance.  

Okay, here we go...

Psalm 37:34 says “Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Travel steadily along His path. He will honour you, giving you the land”. What a beautiful thought. How comforting it is to acknowledge that we can simply live our lives according to His plan knowing that everything will work out perfectly. How comforting it is to know that we can be blissfully patient, without fear, worry or concern.

God, the Ruler of Universe, the Creator of Heaven and Earth is guiding our path and patiently setting up a great future for us. Literally, He created the entire universe, and He holds our whole life in His hands... How crazy is that?? There is no way we will ever comprehend that, but if we can just begin to understand how awesome it is, we can calm down and relax knowing “He’s got this”.  I mean, I respect someone so much if they can create anything – whether it’s hand-made clothes, art… even creating a tasty meal out of a bunch of ingredients is something I admire! But creating the entire universe??? Wow, God has my eternal respect, admiration and trust!!! 

We do not need to rush His plans. We do not need to fear when we are in a rough patch that is seemingly lacking in direction, because that is only a short term scenario. We do not need to fear when we are in a job that does not satisfy us, or studying a course that feels irrelevant. Because a lifestyle in line with the path of Jesus, mixed with prayer and an openness to God’s voice will reveal His plan for our lives. “Travel steadily”, be open to God’s will, and it will come.

That is why I am currently content. I had lived a relatively directionless life since leaving school, but since the door closed on medicine, I feel a new sense of hope that God is working in a big way for my future. I have hope that His plans for me far exceed what would have been possible if I was confined to life as a medical student and eventually a doctor. That seems to be a bizarre statement… but I truly believe that even if we are in a great profession, and it is not where we are called to be, it will not satisfy us.

I am still unsure of His plans, which is the difficult part because I do not have a fully logical answer when people ask me what career I am pursuing. But it is important that I present the same peace to others as I have within my heart; A comforting peace that says I am patient and trusting in the Lord, seeking wholeheartedly to follow His path, knowing that He will honour me because my life is dedicated to honouring Him.

I am now doing a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management, and I truly feel that this is the right place for me to be in. I’m not sure how God is going to use me in the business world, but I know that He will use me and I’m excited for the possibilities.

I know this is a journey that so many students are on. There are many reasons why we have decided to study the degree we are; sometimes it’s because that’s the only degree our matric marks allowed for us, sometimes it’s because of pure uncertainty post-matric, and sometimes we just think it’s a degree that sounds good (what sounds more prestigious than medicine??). But I’m a firm believer that it’s better to do something than to do nothing… along the journey God will reveal our true passions and talents to us, and we will be able to use past experiences to help us when we find our true calling.

So don’t fear if you feel uncertain of your path now… simply “travel steadily along His path”, and I am certain that He will honour you, so that you can honour Him.

Have a great week amigos!

Being faithful with little

Depending on what Bible translation you’re reading, Luke 16:10 says something along the lines of “He who is faithful with little will be faithful with much”. 

What does it mean to be faithful with little? We recently had a church service in which our pastor looked at Genesis 39; including Joseph working for Potiphar and resisting the seduction of Potiphar’s wife. In this chapter, Joseph is a great example of doing his small, seemingly insignificant work well in Potiphar’s home, and being blessed by God with greater work responsibilities. Joseph resisted Potiphar’s wife even though nobody would have known if he had slept with her. Because Joseph was responsible with little, God knew he would be able to comfortably thrive with greater responsibilities.

What does “being faithful with little” mean for the lives of you and I? There are many examples we can look at, but firstly let’s look at it from a leadership point of view. If you have been blessed to be in a position to lead a small team in a work environment, grab that opportunity with both hands by leading with integrity and making the glory of God your focus. If that becomes a habit, you will be more likely to lead that way when entrusted with thousands of people working below you, and when the suffocating risk of greed begins to emerge.

Speaking of greed and wealth, those are huge examples in which I believe being “faithful with little” is immensely important. Even if we are students on part time jobs, or on a meager allowance, no amount is too small to put aside as a monthly tithe to further God’s kingdom or to try do your part in fighting poverty. If we can’t put aside 10% of 500, how can we expect ourselves to put aside 10% of 50 000 one day??

What about relationships? Men, if we can’t be faithful to our girlfriends now, how can we expect to be faithful to our wives when the stakes are so much higher? Sadly, for red-blooded males, the challenge of battling lust will always be there. It sucks! But we need to follow Joseph’s lead and bluntly resist-refuse-run in response to the temptation. Easier said than done, of course! But we need to start practicing now so that we can be the best possible faithful husbands one day.

My friends and I were discussing this the other day in terms of keeping fit, keeping out of debt and doing early morning quiet time routines. If we can't exercise, work hard and wake up early as young adults, how will we do it with ample responsibilities, stresses and a family around us?

I think we should look at every situation in our lives as an opportunity to nurture faithfulness *now*. I truly believe that every day, week and month we are confronted with several difficult circumstances in which our faithfulness will be put to the test, but if we can use those circumstances as a means to exercise faithfulness, we will be glorifying and growing closer to God. 

As we head into the new week, let’s ask ourselves - in what areas am I being “faithful with little”? In what areas should my faithfulness improve? What are some examples in my life in which I’ve been faithful and I've received greater opportunities as a result?