When you're hurting.....

You know, betrayals and disappointments are common occurences in our daily lives, they hurt deeply that insecurity becomes the only result thereby building a brick wall to a peaceful relationship with others. Often times, we rule out love from our hearts against those that have hurt us deeply because if they had genuine love, they wouldn't have hurt us like they did, they wouldn't have said what they said, they wouldn't have divorced us, they wouldn't have stabbed us in the back, they wouldn't have told on us with the wrong intentions, they wouldn't have taken what rightfullly belonged to us, bla,  bla, bla........... The truth is, people have hurt us one way or the other and we have also hurt other people (maybe* not as much as we've been hurt).  However intense the hurt may be, i'll like you to ponder on this.
The intensity of the pain we feel when people betray us and even disappoint us is also thesame way God feels whenever we fail Him or pretend to genuinely love him.

Genesis 1:27
So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Let me reiterate, the intensity of the pain we feel when people betray (to fail or desert us especially in time of need) us, is also the way God hurts when we fail Him. Because we are created in God's image and likeness, everything He is, we are, however He feels, we feel, etc Our hurts are as a result of people failing us, betraying us, deserting us - so also God. God hurts when we do not show him that we love Him by doing what he has commanded us to do, or we keep going back to our wicked and sinful ways; John 14 vs 23 & 24; and when we continually disobey Him, the Holy Spirit grieves.

Ephesian 4:30
And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Let me tell you my little secret - When people hurt me (they always will, while some do it on purpose others hurt you without knowing), however painful it gets I just turn to God and say, for the countless times I might have hurt you and grieved the holy Spirit without knowing, please forgive me and also, forgive the one that has hurt me because they've only drawn me closer to you. Guess what? He releases His peace in my heart......(Fulfilling His Word in John 14:27).
 Don't dwell on the the negative things people have said or done to you, instead, turn to God and ask for the special grace to please Him. That way, He'll teach you to walk right with Him, give you the peace that surpasses human understanding and reward you with that which you truly deserve.

HER PILOT – Her Confidence!

As I boarded my flight from Abuja to Lagos, some years back, the thought of losing my life troubled me due to incessant plane crashes locally and internationally. As I took my sit by the aisle and waited for takeoff, the Pilot introduced himself and advised we fastened our seat belts, alerting each one that we’d be at our destination in 70 minutes. 70 minutes! I echoed. Seventy minutes looked like eternity, I said my last prayer should the plane crash; still yet, I couldn’t get over the recent plane crashes. While the flight attendant served refreshments, I took him by his hand and pleaded that he sat beside me till we got to our destination. The young man, a bit puzzled, smiled and calmed me down, stating that he understood my fears and gently added that his job did not permit him such services, but he could help. Right in front of my row, was a young lady who had just graduated from Law school and was taking a trip to Lagos; she was looking out the window and enjoying the flight. The attendant introduced me to her and pleaded with her to make me comfortable, just before the attendant went back to work, he said to me, I’m sure she’ll help you understand that you’re in a safe flight, I repeated to myself, SAFE FLIGHT! How can? No flight has 100% assurance of its safety, I thought to myself. Shortly after I sat beside the lady, there was a fierce turbulence that made me conclude that it was about time to die, surprisingly, the young lady beside me didn’t seem to mind the turbulence as she constantly looked out the window and giggled to herself. I felt somewhat uncomfortable with her exuberant confidence that I stopped her in her tracks and asked her if she didn’t feel the terrific turbulence, she smiled and said, “I have absolutely nothing to worry about, because MY DAD is the Pilot and I fly with him all the time”.  Instantly, I keyed into that, knowing that I could also trust in her confidence, as no Pilot would risk his life and his daughter’s.

That brings me to the questions? How sure is your confidence and in whom is your confidence in? Like the turbulent trip from Abuja to Lagos, life has its challenges and troubles but whomever you trust determines the level of confidence in you. I was listening to a preacher sometime ago and he said, God did not promise a trouble free life, He only promised to be with you through it all. Like my Pastor would say, believers and unbelievers go through the same kind of troubles, but God sustains His own, God gives his beloved the grace to pass through trials, to face the turbulent situations that life brings.

(Isaiah 26:3-4) You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! 4 Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

One of the lessons I learnt about difficulties and chaos is that as a child of God, moments like that will pass but not without you learning from the situations. Until you learn from it, until you grow in it, you’ll find yourself wallowing in pain and frustration, then again, I’ve come to realize that God teaches you a lot during the turbulent times that you may also minister to others in similar situations but the question is how attentive are you during those times. I’ve been in that situation when a life that seemed to be beautiful and peaceful suddenly became chaotic and very challenging that each day I woke, I expected another disaster. Initially, I would cry, throw questions at God, despised everyone around me, I became depressed and lived in fear. When I regained my sanity after persistent troubles, I laid quietly in bed one evening and then I heard that still small voice; Keep your eyes on the crown and the pain is less, keep your eyes on me and your frustrations are gone. The only question I heard myself ask was, when will all these be over? He answered me, until you’ve learnt all that I intend. The truth is, until the stormy sea is done throwing you to different directions during the course of living, you will not get to the shore refined. You either choose to fix your eyes on the eternal Rock (Isaiah 26:3&4) or you choose to hold on to imaginary objects while the storm uncontrollably drives you to the shore.

I was such a nervous wreck when I was flying to Lagos that I did not know when I told the flight attendant who was minding his job to sit beside me till the plane landed. That’s life for so many people, the moment fear creeps in, you find yourself running to fake gods, drugs, alcohol, sexual pleasures, false gods, human strength, etc  you find yourself seeking solace in the wrong places; thereby, inviting more wrath and sorrows than anticipated comfort. The Israelites found solace in mere idols and invited God’s wrath, they kept themselves from entering into their rest at the time they were meant to because they took their eyes off the author and finisher of their souls.

What is that situation that has kept you on your knees for so long? Keep trusting God, however silent He may seem, however difficult the situation may look, you can never be put to shame (Romans 10:11). Who are those enemies that pursue you relentlessly? Keep trusting God. What storms of life pushed you into seeking solace in drugs, alcohol, sexual pleasures, false gods, human strength, etc? I tell you today, if you can embrace Jesus and reach for His out-stretched arms, He will restore peace to you and get you out of that hopeless situation.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Like the Pilot’s daughter who’d felt the same turbulence I’d felt but was calm, can we look beyond the situations that arise at one point or another in our lives and press on till we arrive at our destination? If she had so much confidence in her dad whose life is controlled by another, why can’t we have as much confidence, in the one who holds and controls our lives? That is what God expects from us, to be calm and in perfect peace putting our confidence in him when the storms of life carry us to undesirable places.  1 Peter 2:6 ("BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED”).  He’s already miles and miles ahead of you and I. Keep your peace! He’s got it all figured out.