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What To Do When You’re in a Spiritual Slump

Emmanuel Oganla
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What To Do When You’re in a Spiritual Slump
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Believers will relate with a spiritual slump or what is typically known as a ‘dry season.’ A time were spiritual activity like prayer, studying of the word or even fellowship with other believers just feels stale. Whether you find yourself in such a season or you’re currently riding on a spiritual high, our faith journey can sometimes feel like a rollercoaster. Therefore, it’s important to arm yourself with the right mindset and actions biblically when you’re in a spiritual slump. Hopefully, you can find help through this read.

Praying Like The Psalmists

Firstly, you must consider that anything that could yield more humility and dependency on God, is good disguised as bad, much like these seasons. Consider the process the psalmist goes through in Psalm 22. He starts off asking ‘My God why have you forsaken me?’. A relatable feeling when we are in a slump. As we read on, we see that he felt that way because of his circumstances. Another relatable feeling. By the 3rd verse, he is meditating on God’s holiness and how he is enthroned on the praises of his people. By the 4th, he’s meditating on God’s trustworthiness and how he delivered the fathers who trusted in Him. David comforted himself with God’s character, reflected on his weakness ‘but I am a worm and no man’ in comparison in the 6th and ventured to express trust in God for the remainder of the psalm. We ought to do the same in these seasons.

3 Practical keys to help after considering these to help you in a slump.

1) Meditate On God’s Strength

John said ‘We love him because he first loves us’ 1 John 4:19. The key is then meditating on God’s love, until it becomes more real to you than your current circumstance. Our circumstances tend to feed us lies that it’s the benchmarks of God’s love towards us. When on the contrary, romans 5:8 states ‘God demonstrated his love in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us’. Jesus urged his disciples to take communion in remembrance of him (Luke 22:19). This serves as a practical of meditating on his love for you which in turn inspires your love and desire for Him in the state of a spiritual slump.

2) Focus On What God Is Doing

John the Baptist could relate to being in a spiritual slump because of his imprisonment. One minute he was testifying that Jesus is the Messiah (Matthew 3:11), the next he was asking if we should be expecting another (Matthew 11:3). We go through the same thing and when we do, what we ought to do is the rebuttal Jesus gave to the messengers John sent. ‘The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the poor have the gospel preached to them’ (Matthew 11:5) Essentially, we ought to focus on what God is doing. Reflect on what he’s doing at the moment and what reveals about Him, no matter how mundane it may seem. This builds faith which is a major key to getting us out the door spiritual slumps try to trap us in.

3) Share Your Burdens

The Bible instructs us to allow people to bear our burdens so that the law of Christ will be fulfilled’ (Galatians 6:2). The reason God gave the church is so no man has to be an isolated island, the key to changing your entire dry season could be a conversation away from a friend, brother, sister or leader. Consider James 5:16 and Hebrews 10:24-25 in relation to this key.

5 Reasons Why Community Is Important For The Christian

Chude Obuaya
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5 Reasons Why Community Is Important For The Christian

If the last 18 months have taught us anything it’s that community matters. As we recover from multiple lockdowns and countless restrictions, we find ourselves appreciating the very things we took for granted. We realised that zoom meetings and breakout rooms cannot replace the physical gathering of friends and family. Whilst the restrictions were in place, people were willing to incur thousands of pounds worth of fines just to meet up. You could presume that these people were simply rebellious or perhaps their actions declare something deeper. Humans were made for the community (Genesis 2:18) but not all community is conducive for the life of the Christian (Psalm 1:1). As we navigate this post-lockdown world, some may find it difficult to join and remain within a healthy community. Several questions may arise which may prevent you from being active in your search. What do I look for? Where can I go? Who can I trust? Well, look no further. Here are 5 reasons why community is important for the Christian.

1. Accountability

There are a few buzzwords that enter the mainstream lexicon, which over time lose their meaning because they are overused yet misunderstood. Accountability is one of these words, yet its necessity hasn’t decreased no matter its misuse. For the Christian, accountability is important because of the great enemy that seeks to derail us as we sojourn through life (1 Peter 2:11). Accountability is necessary because it allows friends to help you wage war against the sins that seek to overwhelm you. Sin thrives in darkness and accountability can be the switch that turns the light on (James 5:16 c.f. 1 John 1:7).

2. Wisdom

As humans, we are limited in our view of the world and our own lives. Our vision is often 2D and consequently, we can miss issues or misdiagnose areas in our lives or world. This is why community is important. When multiple people are looking at a problem, they often come with various perspectives. This allows issues to be resolved and mindsets to be transformed. There is a wisdom in an abundance of counsellors (Proverbs 15:22). Don’t miss out!

3. Maturity

The great goal of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). This can be defined as maturity. The expectation of every believer is that we are progressively growing in the knowledge of Jesus. Now when you’re a new believer, your zeal can often be greater than your wisdom and you can be prone to wrong belief. However, in community, this misbelief can be corrected, and you can be steered back onto the right track (Acts 18:24-26).

4. Reminder

Life can be tough. When you’re isolated the storms of life can seem more devastating than they are. When panic wants to be driving the force in your life, it can be easy to forget that Jesus is on the boat with you (Mark 4:38-40). Having a Christian community is necessary in these times because when you forget about the goodness of God, there are people available to remind you. When the storms life appears to overwhelm you, a good community will be there to remind you that God won’t let you drown.

5. Drift

Life isn’t always tough. Sometimes life is good. And when life is good, there can be the tendency to forget God. The gifts replace the Giver and slowly but surely you start to drift away from your first Love (Hebrews 2:1). This is a danger for every believer. Therefore, we don’t simply need to be reminded about God’s goodness when times are tough but also when times are good. Both prosperity and hardship seek to whisper the same lie to us – my circumstance defines me. Being in healthy communities allows you to resist this lie and stay close to the One who doesn’t want to let you go.

Finding a good community can be difficult. As you grow older it is seemingly harder to find friends that you can journey within this life. I understand and more importantly, God understands. Before you embark on your next search, I implore you to pray. What you desire is a good thing and God does not wish to withhold that from you (Psalm 84:11). Whilst you pray for a good community, pray that you will also be a person that can be a part of one.

Taming Your Thumb When Interacting With Socials

Oluwaseyi Sobogun
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Taming Your Thumb When Interacting With Socials
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What we say matters. The book of James and Proverbs do well to remind of this in multiple passages. But what about our written correspondence – texts, tweets, comments, social media posts? In recent years I am sure we have seen the significance of what we type, with old tweets from now popular people resurfacing showing an unpleasant side. Words typed years ago are having an impact on their present-day, words unconsidered or swiftly sent into the unforgetting database of social media. We need to be more attentive, even cautious about what we type online. It is as important as our words in conversations.

How to tame the untameable

Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger

James 1:19

The warnings of James are practical as we learn to tame our thumb. We need to learn to slow down, process our thoughts and what we are taking in before reacting. Be even quicker to check facts, read up about things before uttering a word or tweeting a statement. The instant nature of social media makes us believe we must be first on the scene, quick to the timeline and right there as the action is unfolding. Truthfully these things have a short span but it doesn’t mean we must rush to be part of the whirlwind.

Here are three things we should try to be when taming our thumbs.

  1. Be quick to research, check facts, read the background
  2. Be slow to type, tweet, share 
  3. Slower to react or reply, attack

We don’t have to be the first to say something and often we do not need to say anything at all. Let not our words online deter someone from wanting to converse with us on issues especially related to our faith. We are right to be outraged at injustices and to speak up when we notice such occurrences. To hold people accountable for incorrect things they are sharing, posting or tweeting. However, there are tactful ways to have healthy disagreements without arguments, rudeness or insults. We should ask ourselves the reason behind our need to respond quickly.

Wholesome social media interactions

Let no unwholesome words come out of your mouth but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearer

Ephesians 4:29

Use Ephesians 4:29 as a reminder. Although it says mouth and hearers, a large majority of what we “say” today is translated through texts, tweets and other written communication. Yet it all matters. It all comes out of us – our minds, our hearts, our thoughts. What comes out of a person is what defiles him (Mark 7:20). We need to reflect upon what we type to others and remember the person on the receiving end is just as deserving of the grace we have received. Ask the Holy Spirit to replace the unwholesome words with more life-giving, spirit-filled ones. Words of truth, purity, righteousness, love and admiration (Phil. 4:8).

Naturally, we will have moments of outbursts where we say things we don’t mean. Words can fly out in the heat of an argument or disagreement which we later repent from. Even so, we can be more considerate with our texts and tweets as ultimately, we have a little more time to review before hitting send. Nonetheless, the most important thing to remember is that God keeps no records of wrongs (Isaiah 43:25) even if social media does not extend the same grace. However, we as Christians live with a greater understanding of grace as we have been forgiven much and receive much grace (Luke 7:47).

Dear Women,

Chinedu Agwu
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Dear Women,

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I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well

Psalm 139:14

To be a woman in the 21st century is a blessing but can at times can be a burden. That may be a heavy way to start an article, but a realistic description of how some women feel. There has been a lot of breakthroughs for women over the years, more acknowledgements for inventions and discoveries and more equality in many areas such as job opportunities, leadership roles and pay. However, there still remains one niggling issue that has followed women over centuries and that is social expectations of women pertaining to beauty standards. A woman these days not only has to be a boss at work, manage her home and be a virtuous woman…but on top of all that is expected to be looking 10/10 a majority of the time. This societal expectation can be frustrating, tiring and even dangerous as it can and has caused women to make poor choices just to keep up with the world’s beauty standards.

Nothing New Under the Sun

As King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:9 “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” In 1292-1069 B.C. the beauty trend was “slender with a symmetrical face”; in 1837-1901 women were more desirable “plump and full-figured”; in the Roaring Twenties (1920’s) the ideal woman was “flat-chested with a boyish figure” and again 1930-1950 a beautiful woman had “large breasts and curves”! Fast forward to 2000 and the ideal woman needed to have a “flat stomach and inner thigh gap” while more recently it is all about having “large breasts and doing BBL to enhance the bum”! None of the aforementioned beauty standards are new! It’s one continuous cycle, so rather than getting caught up in this vicious cycle, why not actively set yourself apart from those expectations and celebrate how God made you? Understand and nurture your God-given authentic beauty. Now I say this like it is easy, and I understand it is a journey but the first step is appreciating that you are God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). To spend your whole life comparing yourself to a model, your friend, your sister or anyone is a loaded life sentence no one must bear. Comparison steals your joy and peace.

I am what God says I am

So what does the Bible say about beauty?

  • “Charm is deceitful and beauty fades; but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.” Proverbs 31:30-31
  • “A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.” Proverbs 11:22
  • “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes, but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight” 1 Peter 3:3-4

Examples of biblical women who were beautiful in form and character: Esther, Ruth, Rahab, Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of Jesus, Rachel, Deborah, to name a few.

I think this quote captures the essence of what true beauty is “outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates” Kate Angell. As women of God, it is important to groom ourselves and look after our bodies which is our temple BUT it should not stop there, let us also invest in our spiritual growth, character development and intellect so we CAPTIVATE people and LIGHT UP THIS WORLD. As women, we have so much to offer but we must individually do the work, dig deep to find our unique treasure, and share it. Let us not conform to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:2) but actively resist and usher in Kingdom standards instead.

Woman, you are beautiful

Tips to affirm your God-Given beauty:

  • Be it in your journal, on your mirror or phone, have words or scripture to affirm yourself each day and read it out loud until it is embedded into your soul.
  • Social media fast (let your eyes/mind rest).
  • Check your friendship groups and their mindset towards beauty.
  • Check your motives behind diets/exercise i.e., for improved health OR to look a certain way.
  • Challenge unhealthy societal and/or cultural beauty standards.

In a world constantly defining what beauty looks like, smells like, and sounds like- how radical, how audacious, how disruptive would it be to have your own definition of beauty, and choose to live by it daily?

A Message For The Lovers

Chude Obuaya
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A Message For The Lovers
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It’s that time of the year again. On the 14th of February, social media platforms will be filled with pictures of couples posting the gifts given, dinner shared and love mutually received. Valentine’s day shows romantic love at its finest and is a reminder of what joy love can bring. But after Valentine’s Day ends, does the love? Can the love that appears to be so rampant on Valentine’s Day be continued all year round?

God is Love

Before we take about the love shared between a man and woman, we must first consider the origin of love. The Bible makes it clear that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). Any love that is shared between mankind must be understood in light of the purest form of love. C.S Lewis differentiates between the divine love, the love that derives from God; and the lower form of love, love that is shared between humans. We will only rightly love people if we first understand God’s love towards us and Himself. This is how the Bible testifies of this love “By this, the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9). Love by its nature is both sacrificial and inviting. God shows His love for us by sending His Son to die for sinners so that sinners might be brought into an eternal relationship with God. This dynamic truth ought to be the foundation by which all romantic relationships thrive.

Forever Love

Love is sweet. There’s nothing like being cared for, wanted and served by the woman or man that you love. But we will not be able to love well if we do not root our understanding of love in God. Whilst love can be expressed in various ways, the Bible repeatedly describes love as sacrificial. In fact, that is how we first encounter love. In Genesis 22, love is first mentioned within the context of Abraham sacrificing his only begotten son. In light of the New Testament, we now understand that this scenario was a foreshadowing of God sacrificing His only begotten Son for the world (Genesis 22:2, John 3:16). In a world that encourages self-love, the Bible calls us to love others even to the inconvenience of ourselves. If we want to love our partners well, we have to leave room for pain, disappointment and betrayal. There is no other way to mirror the love that Jesus displays than to give love without the guarantee of it being reciprocated. After all, isn’t this how love ought to be demonstrated within marriage? Isn’t this the high call that Paul appeals for men to illustrate within marriage (Ephesians 5:25)? If we want to have fulfilling relationships that go beyond the beautifully crafted posts on Instagram, we have to love this way. We have to be willing to love in such a way that leaves plenty of room for vulnerability. We can only learn to love this way when we rest in the One who loves us in this way. Do you want that forever love? Well, look to Jesus who will love you forever and strive to mirror that (Ephesians 5:1-2).

To The Lonely Single Christian On Valentines Day

Oluwaseyi Sobogun
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To The Lonely Single Christian On Valentines Day
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It’s Valentine’s day and we’ve already been inundated with adverts, vouchers and special offers of gifts for that special someone. But what if we don’t have that person to share this occasion with? How do we handle this day? 

Being single as a Christian can be sold as the best thing in the world, a blessing. While there are many positives, it doesn’t stop us from feeling lonely. We can still have longings, moments of despair and envy towards others experiencing what we desire. Single Christian, I want you to know that it’s okay. Here are some tips to deal with loneliness this valentine’s day:

Get it out – Be honest

We are so afraid of saying that we want a spouse, a life partner or significant other. So often do we use platitudes like “it’ll happen when it happens or God’s timing is best” as a cover for how we truly feel. Yes, His timing is best because He does know our future and our lives are in His hand but, it’s still normal to be a little anxious. Remember, what we are seeking is not simple or easy to come by. We are asking for God’s best for us when we pray for a spouse. Marriage is a sacred covenant (Mark 10:9). So try to express your true feelings as often as you can to God because He sees you, knows you and understands (Isa. 41:10).

God Gives Hugs

If you’re feeling lonely, know that God gives hugs, only ask (Deuteronomy 33:27). He’s not so far from us, that He won’t hear us when we call on Him. He doesn’t just care about the big things, but also the little things that matter to us. God has also given us a community through the church, fellow believers and even family, who can give us a hug when we need one. If you find yourself lacking a community, seek and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to the right people and place. You are never alone. 

Only God Satisfies

Remember that if you’re feeling an emptiness within at this time, it’s not the role of a partner to fill it. That spot can only be filled by God. So spend time in God’s presence and ask God to help you. Our expectation for something we have asked of God tests our faith. Ultimately it should draw us closer to Him. However, instead of drawing closer, we find ourselves growing distant. As we go through another single valentine’s day, another lonely winter or solo trip to a wedding. These moments can add pressure on our expectations for the provisions of God. But the thing we believe God can provide should deepen our reliance on Him as we seek Him first. It’s only God’s love and our embrace of that love that can fill the thirst within. And we can only love from a place of love. We love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19).

Do Things That Make You Laugh Or Make You Happy.

Use the time to celebrate yourself and show love to others (1 John 4:7). Instead of focusing entirely on the lonely feeling that valentine’s day can sometimes create, spend the day having as much fun as you can. Embrace love for it’s beautiful effect and remain hopeful for the future to come. Christian, more than anything, our desire should be God above all else.

A Year Older, A Year Wiser?

Chinedu Agwu
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A Year Older, A Year Wiser?
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For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding -Proverbs 2:6

Birthdays are an exciting time. You’re stepping into a new age which for some can be exciting while for others it can just be “another day”. However, as you view birthdays, entering a new age is always a great time to ponder and reflect on the past year. A time to fully reflect on what revelation God has given you, lessons learnt and what you might do differently in this new age. I’m sure you’re familiar with the term “a year older, a year wiser” but is this always the case? Do we all grow in wisdom as we age, if not…why not?

I recently celebrated my birthday, and I took some time to ponder and reflect on lessons learnt in the past year, a habit I developed when I turned 25.

Lessons learnt

  1. There is kindness in my yes and my no
    • “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.” Matthew 5:37
    • Whilst saying “yes” to people is a great feeling and pleases people, don’t feel pressure to say it when you don’t mean it. By saying yes, all the time to avoid “feeling guilty” or “disappointing people” you can fall prey to people pleasing and eventual burnout. Trust me I have been there, and it is not pleasant! When you say ‘yes’ to a person or task you should do so with sincerity and willingness and not coercion. Furthermore, your “no” could create an opportunity for someone else to say yes and rise, so whilst it may be a closed door for you, it could still open the door for someone else. I would always advice praying before giving an impulsive answer, to decide on next steps.  
  2. Self-care and self-preservation is crucial
    • “Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.” 3 John 1:2
    • We must remember that as humans we are made up of body, mind, soul, and spirit. We need rest. Most importantly we need to include Jesus in every part of our lives. In a fast-paced world that is all about acceleration, short-waiting times and 24/7 grinding, it is easy to forget that we need Jesus to survive as He is the ‘Bread of life’ and the ‘Well that will never run dry’. We cannot pour out from an empty cup and for that reason must be aware of our physical limitations. Examples in the bible where physical needs were met 1 Kings 19 (Elijah), Mark 6:41 (5 loaves and 2 fish), Exodus 16 (Manna from heaven) and countless more where God saw the physical need of His people and made provision for it, however it is up to us receive it!
  3. Our Joy is eternal
    • “The joy of the Lord is my strength” Nehemiah 8:10
    • The joy we receive from God is independent of circumstances and people. Let that truth sit with you a bit. Joy is a state of being, accessible at ALL times, it may not feel like it but it is the joy that comes from knowing the Lord that carries us through different seasons and gives us strength to face each day no matter what lies ahead.
  4. Service is important but so are boundaries
    • Sometimes in our desire to serve others, to serve your church we can burn ourselves out.
    • Naturally as members of the body of Christ we want to pour into kingdom and serve people, but it is important to have boundaries to ensure we serve out of passion and not compulsion.
  5. We must never mirror other people’s actions or emotions
    • “We are light and salt” Matthew 5:13-16
    • Sometimes it can be easy to echo other people’s opinions without taking the time to form your own, which is dangerous as our thoughts/actions should be spirt-led.
  6. Don’t make assumptions, ask questions and be certain
    • “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,” 2 Corinthians 10:5
    • It is important that we “don’t think” for people, our mind can combine with our insecurities and make a concoction of very unhealthy thoughts
    • If something has been said or done, it is better to approach someone in love for clarification and work towards reconciliation than to make a wrong assumption and get offended
  7. Understand friendships are fluid and that’s okay
    • “There is an appointed time for everything” Ecclesiastes 3:1
    • Understand that relational intelligence is necessary to manage your relationships and manage your expectations of them
    • Whilst Jesus had 12 disciples, he had 3 close disciples. It is okay to categorise the people in your life

So, I have shared a few lessons from turning a year older (an age I will not reveal!) and I cannot express how insightful and empowering it is to reflect on the year and renew my perspective. As we age, I pray that we do grow in wisdom and become effective and healthy vessels for the Kingdom of heaven.

Five Things To Remember When Sharing the Gospel

Shumi Mararike
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Five Things To Remember When Sharing the Gospel
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Faith is a sensitive subject. It’s not the easiest thing to talk to people about. The call to follow Christ is a weighty one. It is packed with moral baggage and inconvenience, demanding a shift in our outlook on life and the way we live. This, among many other factors, makes sharing the Gospel difficult. Therefore, there are things we must remember to encourage ourselves as we do so.

1. Remember your message

Firstly, you must remember your message. The Gospel is simple enough for a child to understand (Mark 10:14), yet so profound that we will fail to comprehend the fullness of its depth in this lifetime. There are elements of creation, the fall, redemption and restoration of those who have been redeemed and the world large. Stripped down to its most basic elements, we have a message of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life centred on the Person and work of Jesus Christ (John 3:16; John 5:24). Jesus came to rescue sinners and bring them into a relationship with the holy God from whom they’ve been separated in their sin by dying in their place and His resurrection from the dead.

But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

2. Remember that this is a spiritual work

Moreover, sharing the Gospel is a spiritual work. Naturally, our hearts are not receptive to the Gospel. Before being born again, we may have been adamant that we did not need the Gospel. Convinced that we were not that sinful, that sin is not that serious or that we were good enough to be accepted by God on our own merit. This is because sin pollutes our minds, wills and emotions. Therefore, we were unrighteous and rejected God (Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 3:9-12). Spiritually speaking, all people are dead in their trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-5). Loving the darkness as opposed to the light (John 3:19) – the former being a metaphor for evil and ungodliness. Lacking understanding of the things of God (1 Corinthians 1:18; 2:14).

Believers are not better than non-believers. This is how we were (Ephesians 2:4-5), and these are the people we now converse with. Only God can give sight to the spiritually blind. Supernatural intervention is required to bring a person to acceptance and belief in the Gospel. Only then will they receive Christ as their Saviour and follow Him as their Lord. Therefore, effective evangelism begins on your knees.

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 4:4

3. We proclaim the Gospel

Our job is to simply proclaim the Gospel. We have good news, the greatest story ever told which transforms lives. God is looking for willing people to proclaim it. In ancient times, heralds were the messengers who proclaimed war or peace to the community. They were the bearers of good news. In a like manner, we are heralds, God’s messengers with the most glorious news. Our message is the good news of peace and the salvation of God through Jesus Christ. Accordingly, it is through our proclamation of the Gospel that God saves people (Romans 10:13-17).

How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the herald,
who proclaims peace,
who brings news of good things,
who proclaims salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Isaiah 52:7

4. God saves, you don’t

God saves people, you don’t. We are powerless in bringing anyone to faith in Christ. God alone possesses the power to give new supernatural life to the natural person who is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:13) so that they may understand and respond to the Gospel. By His mercy, people believe because they are transformed by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). In short, we proclaim, God saves. As Jonah realised ‘Salvation belongs to the LORD’ (Jonah 2:9).

he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

Titus 3:5

5. Leave the results to God

Lastly, when sharing the gospel, we leave the results to God. The truth is that some will believe and others won’t. However, this should not discourage us. We must never place limitations on God. Never believe that some people are beyond His reach. Scripture is replete with examples of the most ungodly people coming to faith in Jesus Christ. In the Gospels, we see a cheating tax collector turn from his conniving ways to follow Jesus (Luke 19:1-10). At Calvary, we see a thief being crucified next to Jesus come believe in Jesus’ messiahship and request entrance into His kingdom (Luke 23:42-43). In the Acts of the Apostles, we see the most devout Jew and zealous persecutor of Christians become the most relentless evangelist, with exception of Jesus, who wrote nearly half of the New Testament (Acts 9:1-19). Hence, we must never lose hope. Wherever we are, God has prepared people to respond to the Gospel, receive Jesus as their Saviour and follow Him (Acts 13:48).

Keep sharing the good news, remembering the 5 points above as you do so. Share the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God. For how will they believe in the One whom they have not heard (Romans 10:14)?

How Do I Discover God’s Purpose For My Life?

Emmanuel Oganla
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How Do I Discover God’s Purpose For My Life?
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Why am I here? What is my purpose? What am I supposed to be doing in this period of my life? These are questions that anyone with breath in their lungs will either have wrestled with or might be wrestling with. You as the reader might even find yourself pondering these questions. My hope is that by the end of this read, you will be filled with a God centred trust, peace and hope regarding your future.

Your Present And Future Is God’s Past Memory.

In other words, you’re contemplating what God has already envisioned. Psalms 139:16 comforts us with the following verse, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Jesus stated that he came to do what was already written in the scriptures according to God’s will (Hebrews 10:7). God essentially authored the autobiography of Jesus’ life, the prophetic words we read in Isiah 9:6 and other passages of the Old Testament are the things Christ became flesh to fulfil. In the same fashion, God has envisioned and authored the fulfilling and purposeful autobiographies of you and me. He created our human bodies for His vision to be fulfilled on the earth. We do ourselves a great disservice trying to figure out the answer to these big questions of our life without its source.

Prioritise Intimacy With God

The psalmist states “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place when I was woven together in the depths of the earth (Psalm 139:15).” Our lives were formed in the secret place and it’s in the secret place that we uncover it. In the secret place is where we ask God the deep things concerning our lives and he guides us in connecting the dots of the skills, passions and talents that He intricately formed in us. It’s where he leads and guides us into what He authored beforehand as we prayerfully, persistently and patiently ask Him to lead and guide us. One of the superpowers of the secret place and intimacy with God is seeing the famous verse on faith come alive and replace all our worries and anxieties about our present and future with confidence and assurance. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1).

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Prayer Is The Master Key

When Cornelius calls for Peter, and Peter goes to see Him, they are both led by God to meet one another in their times of prayer (Acts 10). When the Church at Antioch were praying and fasting, they were led by God to consecrate Paul and Barnabas for his work Acts 13:2. There’s an obvious correlation that we ought to learn and emulate between Jesus’s prayer life as documented all over the gospel, and his seamless discernment of and submission to what the Father was saying (John 12:49) and doing (John 5:19).  May the Holy Spirit direct us to discern and enable us to perform God’s will concerning our lives in the present and future.

Love Is Not Self Seeking

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Love Is Not Self Seeking

Joke: Which Bible character was super-fit? Abs-salom.

Love is the greatest gift that God gives. In 1 Corinthians 13, we have an elegantly beautiful description of God’s type of love. To help us understand all that love entails, the apostle Paul includes some things that love is not. For example, love “is not self-seeking” (verse 5), also translated as love “does not insist on its own way” (ESV).

The Greek phrase literally means “does not seek the things of itself.” Self-focus, which is the antithesis of love, marked the Corinthian church. 

This was evident in the church’s divisiveness regarding leadership (chapters 1–3), its attitude toward Paul (chapter 4), its attitude toward legal issues with other Christians (chapter 6), its attitude toward the Lord’s Supper (chapter 11), and its attitude toward spiritual gifts (chapter 12). 

Paul wanted these believers to stop focusing on their own needs and preferences and serve God and one another.

Discuss

  • Why do we find it dificult to not focus on our own needs?
  • Do you think we live in a ‘Dog eat dog’ world?’ — Do you have any examples of this?

How Do Rid Ourself of Selfishness 

The corrective to self-seeking is God-seeking. The remedy for selfishness is love. Jesus said, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

The second [commandment] is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31). Love for God and others is to mark the believer; not love for self.

Some have mistakenly interpreted “love your neighbour as yourself” as teaching self-love in order to love others. That is, we must love ourselves first before we can truly love others. But this is not the teaching of the passage. 

Self-love is assumed to be the default condition; Jesus was teaching that concern for others must equal the natural concern we have for ourselves. 

Also, Jesus was appealing to the Torah, specifically Leviticus 19:17-18, which reads, “Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbour frankly so you will not share in his guilt. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the LORD.” 

The context deals with treating others fairly, without vengeance, and with love. It has no reference to self-love.

This focus on others and their needs correspond to Philippians 2:4, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.”

The command appeals to the selfless actions of Jesus Christ as the ultimate example. The New Testament often mentions the need to turn from self and toward helping other people.

A person who demands his own way, who tramples on others’ rights for the sake of upholding his own, or who insists on having his due is not showing love. Love is considerate of others, always.

The one who loves is willing to forgo recognition and lay down his rights for the sake of the loved one. Jesus showed love in this way: He “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). No self-seeking there.

The New Testament and ‘Self-seeking‘

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour” (Romans 12:10 ESV).

When we love one another we publicly, and privately, esteem them more honourable than ourselves. Instead of drawing attention to our own accomplishments or good characteristics, we point out those things in the lives of others.

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight” (Romans 12:16 ESV).

Loving unselfishly means that we do not think of ourselves as better than others. That is prideful thinking and stifles humility. Acting as if you are better than others makes them uncomfortable around you because it makes them think they are worthless. Or it will cause arguments and futile debates between Christians trying to outdo one another. Neither of these attitudes depicts the unselfish love of God in our lives.

“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions…Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother” (Romans 14:1, 13 ESV).

One who practices love that is not self-seeking will strive to never let his or her opinion be the basis by which someone else questions his or her faith. We should always express ourselves in a loving way, not a confrontational way. The Christian is commanded to serve others (Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 4:10); it is difficult to maintain a prideful attitude when one’s motivation is serving others.

Selfless love cares for, and encourages, others

As believers we are to “care for one another” (1 Corinthians 12:25 ESV), we are to attempt to restore a fallen brother or sister as we comfort them. As much as possible, we are to agree with one another and live in peace. When we live this way, the “God of love and peace” will be in our midst (2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV).

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