Unriable "Self-Reliance"

There is an unreliable friend of whom I have had since I realized he was there.  I relied on him to guide me through adolescence, he failed.  I trusted him with my most pivotal and difficult choices, and again he led me astray.  He has led me down time and time again, but I always seemed to give him another chance.  This person appears to be very intellectual and often makes objective sense.  Countless times, he has promised never to do wrong again.  Above all these things; he seems to be everybody’s friend.  I am sure that you already know who I am talking about; sly, sneaky, incompetent, self-serving, arrogant, proud and ignorant:  SELF-RELIANCE. 

I have heard a lot of people refer to our current generation as the instant generation – agreed; but I would like to add that we are also a self-relying generation.  This is a generation that says: “I want it now and I will get it without anybody’s help.”  This kind of mindset is so dangerous that even the God is left out of our daily living - and for some of us; we only come back to him when we have messed everything up and we are in trouble. God then becomes one of our options of last resort when our intelligence (or rather our foolishness), friends and all that money can buy has failed us.  We always want to help ourselves in every way; we totally rely on ourselves to achieve all things that we need in life.  Some people even go to an extent of saying that they have every reason not to trust in God because of their great abilities, intelligence, financial and social status, etc.  This is a sign of the natural rebellion that is in all of us, any man left alone will want to do what will suit only themselves and nothing that pleases God.    This is evident in Adam’s sin; the promise from the snake was one that will give the human race a status.  The fruit of the tree promised to give them wisdom that will make them equal to God and thus never need them in their lives.  This is there reason why people live most of their lives and reject the Gospel, because their natural being tells them that they have survived long without him and do not see a need for God in their lives.  Sometimes it can even be Christians who forget their Master.  I work for an evangelistic organisation and I know that I need God in all that I do, but it is so easy to forget that you need him.  You can get so used to preaching his word that you forget about the master of the work that you do. 

I would like to believe that not acknowledging your need for the Lord; although not openly revealed, is PRIDE.  The sin of Lucifer that God despises.  I once said to friend that Pride was the sin of Lucifer and he said: Oooooh ok, no wonder God hates it, it reminds him of Lucifer, lol.   In essence, those who do not need the Lord are those that can do all the things that he has done; can do and will do in the future.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.  They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. (Psalm 20:7-8.)

We can either rely on ourselves and fail as we always have or we can put our trust in God and receive all the promises made to those who will trust in God.  The scripture speaks about a life of trusting in God and in trusting in what you have; check the outcome of both and choose which one you would like.  A life of depending on God is one that acknowledges human limits and embraces the divinity and unlimited abilities of the Almighty God.  I love what the Lord does to Job; it is recorded in the last chapters of the book of Job; from chapter 38-41.  The Lord speaks to God from the whirlwind and asks Job very difficult questions; I will share some of them randomly. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding?”

“Who determined its measurements--surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?”

“Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions?” 

These are very hard questions to answer, and even though some of us will acknowledge that we cannot answer these questions, our lives with not show that.  I love way that Job responded to God’s questions and I believe that is the kind of attitude that God wants from all of us; if it were not so, God would never have blessed job and given him more than he initially had.  This is his response to God after all those hard questions:

Job 42:2-6.  I know, LORD, that you are all-powerful; that you can do everything you want.   You ask how I dare question your wisdom when I am so very ignorant. I talked about things I did not understand, about marvels too great for me to know. You told me to listen while you spoke and to try to answer your questions. In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. So I am ashamed of all I have said and repent in dust and ashes.

So what will it be? Self-Reliance of Jesus Christ, You choose!!!

Knowledge Is Power!!!

Knowledge is power

Without question, there is power in knowledge and certainty.  We all search for certainty in our lives, nobody enjoys living with doubt.  I have this wristband that I wear; it quotes Hebrews 11:1 in this way: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”.  Now this sounds crazy to those who do not know Christ because he Himself is “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15).  “Everything is possible to those who believe” is well quoted not only by Christians; but it has been heard in popular secular songs in the past, although the wording would slightly be different to the actual words in the Bible.   Are these words that we just say to encourage ourselves when we are facing predicaments and inevitable dilemmas in our lives or do we really mean these words?  I ask this because it is easy to speak of faith but never practice it.  I have observed little things in human beings that have given me the confidence that there is power in the knowledge of the magnitude of anything that will be used to fight battles or in practical life context; the challenges of life.  I found this true because it ultimately affects one’s behavior and approach to life’s situations.  Humanly speaking, David was not supposed to beat Goliath.  To some people it is insane to believe that that could be true.  Goliath blasphemed the Israelites’ God because he was bigger and had more strength physically.  I bet you that if he was David’s size, he would never even try to speak in such rude manner.

  Where I grew up people would do and say whatever they like to anybody, knowing that they have big brothers who would back them up when they get beaten.  People who knew their brothers would never even try to beat them even when they wanted to because of the knowledge that the big brother would avenge and it would not be a pleasant thing.  Those who did not know the older brothers would beat them up and later regret after getting a beating from the older brother; if they had they known the older brother, I assure you that they would never beat them up unless they have stronger backup.  Now I am not saying that we should tempt the devil and ask God to help us because he is stronger, lol.  The point that I am trying to bring is that human beings have faith or belief in something of higher, bigger, stronger power.  Imagine if we had the same power that God had, we wouldn’t need him in our lives, but because we know that he is of higher power and absolutely true, we trust him with our lives.  Another example from my personal experience is one of school exams.  After writing a paper, I would check which questions I definitely answered correctly and see if I passed or failed the exams according to the minimum requirements.  After I have done this, in my mind I would then be relieved and never worry about failing the exam paper.  I would then have the power/confidence to loudly say:  “I have passed that paper” even when I have not received my results.  I wouldn’t say a thing about the paper if I knew that my definite marks didn’t make the minimum requirements.  My power/confidence/assurance came from the KNOWLEDGE that I got the minimum marks required, even before the results are released.  David was so sure of the power in God that he stood up to a man of great strength and military skill and experience only because he knew that the God who delivered him from the mouth of the lion and bear would do the same to the blasphemous giant.   

In one of my favorite movies: The book of Eli, Denzel Washington goes on a journey to save the Bible and in the process comes against opposition which puts his life in danger.  He then meets this woman who goes with him and asks a lot of questions because she really does not understand what is so important about this book.  He then shares something very interesting which the woman who asked him the question, seemingly ridicules. He says: “One day I heard a voice, its hard explain but it was like it was coming from inside of me. But I could hear it as clear as I can hear you speaking to me now.” The lady them replied in a very sarcastic tone: “you did all this because a voice in your head told you to do so?” he then replies: “I know what I heard, I know what I hear and know that I am not crazy and I know that I wouldn’t have made it without help.  Now to this woman, it didn’t make sense why he would risk his life just to protect a book.  He knew that it was not craziness and that he would get all the resources he needs to achieve his goal and that includes the protection.  His knowledge affected how he behaved; he was never intimidated or scared of his adversaries because he knew he wouldn’t die, the one who sent him promised to protect him.  His knowledge gave him power to come against anybody.  We get our confidence from God and nobody else. 

Assurance, security, certainty, confidence, positivism, firmness; these are all things that we need.  This is something that lacks in human beings so much that we cannot be trusted; hence we have to sign oaths and be legally bound to do what we promised.  This is never the case with God; he will definitely deliver all that he has promised.  "So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us."  Hebrews (6:17-18)

The bible says that God made an oath to convince us human beings of his promise, he would never lie or deceive us, but for our sakes he made an oath so that we may believe.  He did not make an oath because he is scared that he might not do what he promised, but he did it for us to be convinced/assured of his promise.  I reckon that is why God requires no doubt in him because he has given us everything that we human beings need to believe; an oath.  I have heard people say : “please promise me that you wont hurt me” just so that they may satisfy their deep insecurities.  Jesus does not want us to be insecure in him, so he gives us every reason to believe that he will deliver his promises.

The story of the cross is true; I believe, although not scientifically proven; I live with this certitude that He reigns and is alive.