One of the greatest tragedies of the 21st century is that most believers are not living their dreams. They are actively pursuing the dreams of a few men. Many a times when I discuss with other believers, I hear them make statements like … “if only I had my way, this is what I will be doing”. Beloved, if only you had your way, will you be doing most of the things you do today?
Hey! You are not alone. Up till now, I still sing the “if only I had my way …” song. It seems as though it is an expression of our deepest thoughts and desires. Most times those dreams are coming from above. His way has been shown to us, and we wished it just happened in the natural. We look at our present state and get a quick reminder of how difficult it seems attaining “His way”. We end up wishing “if only I have my way …”
But it could go beyond a wish. As long as your “if only I have my way …” desire is pointing you to “His way”, please pay attention to that way. Years ago, I use to sing … “if only I had my way, I want to be in a place where I can impact lives positively all over the world”. “If only I have my way, I want to work with an organization and a team of believers who will passionately be committed to supporting missionaries and helping the needy”. This looked like a mere dream because I could not fathom how it will happen. But as I began to pay attention to it, I started to see ways to realize “His way”. I may have covered only less than 1% of that way, but there is this peace and joy that envelopes my life because I think I am on track.
If only you had your way … will you be working where you are right now? Will you be doing the things that eat up most of your time at the moment? If only you had your way, what exactly would you be doing? Start paying attention to those things. Start thinking about them daily and you will soon start seeing the ways that lead to that way. “For it is God who is the cause of your desires and of your acts, for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 – BBE)
tope aladenusi
…It’s a beautiful morning of wonderful brightness!
The breaking of the new day as the cloud starts to clear out!
The long existing darkness has to give way for the dawn!
So the sailors in the boats can now rejoice in the clear sky!
Because they have been troubled by winds all the night long!
Though the gentle breeze on the lake has been interesting…..
But the wind is almost capsizing the boat!
…Now! They have to cross the lake to the other side!
Expected to get there before their master would!
They would not have been so disturbed by the wind, if he was on board! But alas! Here is he walking on the lake…
Incredible, how can he have been walking so confidently as if undisturbed by the wind!
What! He’s walking on the water……against the law of nature…!
What an authority he has even in spite of the blowing wind?
And soon, one of the disciples too feels “I can do the same”
So he has stepped on the waters too, yes fearlessly he could walk too
No, he can’t sink! He saw the master! He has his approval also!
He believed so much in the master, he can’t even fall. It’s the master he saw.
Yes! With Christ present he can prove the Archimedes’s principle to be false!
No! The wind doesn’t matter……!
But what; just in couple of minutes, he has started to sink!
Why? What’s wrong? Has the master left him? Or has he sunk too?
No! Not at all … Peter forgot to keep the rule!
The rule! What rule? Yes it’s the law of faith!
IF YOU DOUBT, YOU WILL SINK! That is the rule!
So peter started to sink because he doubted!
But thank God the trustworthy Promiser!
Friend! Where is your faith?
Verily speaking! The road of life could sometimes be calm!
Sometimes could be sunny or heavily rainy…
While sometimes we are challenged to sail on windy/stormy seas of life.
Where some lives have been crushed and destinies shipwrecked!
And why? Probably because they know not their lord!
Or may be because they doubted…
Because whoever doubts sinks- and that’s the rule of faith?
But why would we sink on the sea of challenges?
Since the father is rightly by our side?
We will only sink when we take cognizance of what is challenging us!
Peter walked confidently when he noticed the master presence, while he could but sink when he noticed the wind.
Friends, how often we feel more of the pains of our trials than we sense the goodness of the lord?
Of course anxiety will kill a man ten times before his death comes,
And fear will put him in grave before he dies!
Yes! Whoever doubt, sinks! The law of faith!
And of course we must not shy away from little doubts that tend to weary our souls, but such fears are balanced by the strong persuasion we received of his promises…!
What an ever present, ever-guiding, ever watching and ever-committed father we do have. The lord of hosts!
So in the face of trials let’s take cognizance of his love and cares than the prevailing circumstances that we do not sink in the rivers of depression and confusions. Ultimately considering to giving up!
Please always remember that whoever doubts will sink!
So Jesus I learn to see when raging storm of life opens their eyes wild against me and him I learn to trust, that I may not sink!
FOR WHOEVER DOUBTS SINK – DON’T DOUBT GOD’S WORD.
– raphael aworinde
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream – and not make dreams your master,
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
