I recently watched a movie that inspired the title of this post. It was about a best–selling author who suddenly began to face unexpected personal and financial challenges.
Missed writing deadlines, tax issues, relationship break downs, debts, etc. were some of the pressing issues she was seen to be grappling with. All these made her insensitive, irritable, rude, cold-hearted and unproductive – to the dismay of her friends and family.
The good part was that she knew things weren’t going on so well with her. she tried to concoct various plans as quick-fixes for her nagging problems.
At one point she seriously contemplated ‘relocating’ to another continent (from America to Africa) to have more time for herself. But she never went through with the plan.
In another occasion, she tried selling off her father’s restaurant business in order to raise the needed funds to settle her outstanding tax and other financial obligations that threatened to have her being put behind prison bars. But her parents opposed this idea very strongly, assuring her that there must be better ways of handling the issues.
Now this is where I am going…
In the heat of her crisis and rejection, this protagonist knelt down in her room and began to sob and to pray saying, “Oh Lord, I know You have not heard from me in a while…”
In what seemed like a short but a heartfelt prayer to God, she poured out her confusion, fears, and problems before God. Although all her problems didn’t varnish all at once, it seemed that things began to work out better for her from then onward.
“Oh Lord, I know You have not heard from me in a while…” That opening line alone got me giggling aloud.
God hasn’t heard from her, or rather, she hadn’t talked to Him in weeks, in months or possibly in years. But now in her predicaments, she remembered she could still talk to God.
You see, it reminds me about people who once had a relationship with God but are now estranged from Him. God hasn’t heard from them in a while too!
May be you are even one of such people. If only you would get back to God like this woman in our discourse or like the prodigal son got back to the waiting embrace of his father. Things would be better for you again.
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Do you have any comment about this post? Let’s have your opinion in the comment section.
I have been a dad only for a couple of years. And in these few years, I have come to realise that parenting is a great privilege and a humbling responsibility as well.
“Anyone can be father, but it takes a special person to be a dad.”
Through its’ highs and lows as a dad, there are many lessons one can gradually learn about a dad and his children. While it is one thing to be a dad, it is another thing to be a humble dad.
This post is about being a humble dad. I believe that becoming a humble dad will make you become a better dad. Therefore I present to you
10 things about a humble dad you should know
1. A humble dad apologises to his kids when he does something wrong to them.
2. A humble dad knows he does not understand every thing his children say, but he actively seeks to understand them more.
3. Only a humble dad will acknowledge that he does not know everything; there are things he can learn from his kids.
4. A humble dad knows that he is not perfect but he still strives to be the best he can be for his children.
5. A humble dad acknowledges that his children are indeed God’s heritage in his care and he treats them as such.
6. A humble dad knows that he cannot meet all the needs of his children without support from Above so he actively seeks the help of God through prayer.
7. A humble dad knows that his children are not perfect but he has to love them despite their imperfections.
8. A humble dad forgives his children all their wrongs because he too needs forgiveness from the Father above.
9. A humble dad values his time but he doesn’t mind spending valuable time with his children.
10. A humble dad knows that he is not just a father, he is also a teacher who should take delight in teaching things to his children.
What is your own idea about being a humble dad? Tell us what you think.
The Bible is the authentic life manual for every Christian to live by. Yet not all Christians take reading the Bible as seriously as they should.
There is something in the Bible for everyone to benefit from; ‘milk’ for the babies and ‘meat’ for the adult. Therefore every Christian ought to make reading the Bible a priority in their daily lives.
THE BIBLE IS WITHIN YOUR REACH
In addition to the traditional hard copy Bibles we are all used to, the use of technology has greatly enhanced access to the word of God. From the Bible apps on our smart phones and tablet devices to the relevant Bible softwares on our laptop and desk top computers, we can easily and conveniently read the word of God.
If you haven’t been reading your Bible as you should, the problem is not that the written word of God is not accessible to you. The issue is that you have other things taking your attention.
You shouldn’t be too distracted, too lazy or too busy to read the Bible.
IT IS TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE
Would you want to drink the ‘milk’ and eat the ‘meat’ in the word of God on a regular basis? Here are a few questions for you to ponder on. (If you will answer ‘yes’ to any of them, it means you should be reading the Bible more frequently than you are currently doing):
Do you want to know or love God more?
God knows and loves you fully already – whether you read the Bible or not. But if you want to know or love God more, you cannot afford not to read the Bible. God has revealed Himself to us through His written word.
The love of God, His power, integrity, mercy, justice, provision, protection – and other things about Him – are all clearly shown in the Bible Scriptures. Through fellowshipping with Him in the word, you will get more and more acquainted with Him and His ways.
Do you see reading the Bible as an absolute necessity?
It doesn’t work well for anyone to force you to read the Bible regularly; the choice has to be yours. But except you consider it absolutely necessary, you may not be able to cultivate the self-discipline that will help you ensure regular reading of the word of God.
As a Christian, the Bible should not be a book you read only when you have the time. It should be a book you intentionally create time to read, daily. If you love God with all your heart, you should love and read His word too.
Do you value the word of God?
If you value the word of God enough, you will create find the time to read it – no matter how busy you are. It was Job who said he valued the word of God more than his necessary food (Job 23:12).
Job wasn’t as privileged as you are in this generation; he didn’t have the word of God ‘compiled’ in one document for him as we have it in the Bible. Yet, he paid attention to it whenever God spoke to Him, esteeming it more than his important meals.
Like Job, how about saying, “I won’t eat breakfast today until I have read the word of God?” I am not suggesting that you become legalistic about it. I am just saying you should value the word of God enough as not to neglect reading it regularly.
Do you believe the Bible is still relevant for your life today?
The Bible is not a book to be confined to ancient history, as some ignorant people say. It contains timeless principles of life that you can live by even in this information age.
There is hardly any situation you face in your daily life that the Bible hasn’t addressed – directly or indirectly. From leadership issues to interpersonal relationships, from marital to business affairs, from health matters to conflict resolutions, and so on, the Bible offers time-tested principles you can successfully operate by. But how can you operate by them if you don’t know them in the first place?
Do you want to know your real identity?
The real you is not the one that stands in front of the mirror every morning. The real you is in side of you. The word of God is the mirror that will reflect your true identity. As a Christian your true identity is in Christ. It is only in Christ (the Word) that you can discover your true identity.
You may never appreciate your true identity until you look in the mirror of the word of the God. The questions of who created you, who you are, what happens to you after this life: The answers to these questions and more are addressed in the Bible.
Do you accepts its’ authority as final?
The Bible contains the word of God. On its pages you can find God’s final verdict on the issues of life. If you don’t hold the word of God as the highest authority in your life, you may not be so interested in finding out what He says by reading and studying the Bible in faith.
For instance, the people of the world practice sex outside of marriage and consider it normal. But God’s final word in the Bible shows that both premarital and extramarital sex are against His will for His children. God approves sex but only within the confines of marriage. If you don’t know it how would you take a stand on it?
Do you desire your prayers to be more effective?
James tells us that one of the reasons for unanswered prayer is ‘praying amiss’. You pray amiss if you fail to pray according to the will of God.
Studying the Bible is a fundamental way of knowing the will of God. The more you understand God’s will, the more on point your prayers become and so the more effective your prayer becomes.
Are you committed to doing what the Bible says?
A key requirement of Christian discipleship is doing the will of the master. To do the will of God you have to know the will of God. To know the will of God you have to study the word of God.
The word of God is the will of God. That’s a relationship that can’t be disconnected. James advised, “Don’t only hear the word, do what it says.” Hearing or reading the word precedes doing it.
Do you want to be able to share its’ truths with other people?
One of your greatest privileges as a Christian is that of communicating the message of the gospel of Christ to other people. How can you share it properly if you don’t know it well enough?
For instance, Philip was able to correctly explain a passage of Isaiah to the Ethiopian Eunuch because he was familiar with it. I know the Holy Spirit is there to help you in sharing the gospel, but you have to regularly plant the seed of the word in your heart by reading, studying and meditating on it.
Do you want to better understand the events of the future?
The Bible is historical as well as prophetic. There are many things spoken about in the Bible that have come to pass already. There are still some more that are yet to come to pass.
For instance, one day, Christians will be taken away to meet with the Lord Jesus Christ in the sky in the event commonly known as the Rapture. Reading the Bible will give you an unparalleled insight into some of the events that will happen hereafter.
Do you take care of your physical body?
We are often advised to take good care of our body by eating good food, exercising regularly and having adequate sleep. Doing all those will promote physical well-being. How about taking some steps to promote your spiritual well-being? Reading the word is a key consideration.
The word of God is food to your spirit as physical food is to your body. You maltreat your spirit man if you fail to nourish it regularly with the word of God.
The Bible is the written word of God. If you love God with all your heart, you should love and read His word too. Read it regularly not with a casual attitude, but with the kind of seriousness and faith it rightly deserves. Don’t wait until you have the time before you can read the Bible. Create the time to read it.
