Living with resolve

No matter how hard physical training is, I do not know one person that has regretted going through it after seeing the results. Whether it is exercising in the gym, running out, swimming, or getting in some form of physical activity consistently, we often enjoy how we feel after the exercise. Indeed, we have several reasons for exercising: getting in shape, losing weight, building muscles, being healthy and more. Such physical training is often hard on the body especially the beginning stages but the more we are consistent in it, the more we are pleased with the results and the more we enjoy the activity. We understand that pain is for our good in such instances yet when we go through hardships in life, we never see pain in such a positive light, rather we see it negatively affecting our ability to complete the “training” and leaving us miserable and, in a condition worse than the previous one. Unfortunately, life seems to show that nothing substantial or worthwhile comes without pain. Just as a rock has to go through a fiery process of extreme pressure and high temperatures to cleanse all impurities in it to become a diamond, we too, have to go through a purification process to be who the Lord Jesus has died on the cross to make us, co-heirs with Christ in the kingdom of God. That is why, the life of the Christian is not one to walk casually, nor is it one that can be aimless. The Bible tells us that only the “forceful” or the “violent” will lay hold of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 11:12). Similarly, Paul tells us that we ought to train ourselves as athletes who train to receive an imperishable prize, disciplining our bodies and keeping them under control, in order to not be disqualified from the race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). This week, I would like to encourage you to not be a sluggard in the things of God. You were bought at a high price to engage violently in this kingdom.

As I finished the book of Esther early this week, I was struck by how adamant Mordecai was when it came to the survival of the Jewish people, the people of God. His tenacity and boldness reminded me of that of Nehemiah when he was rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem with fellow Jews, mainly Levites. Indeed, when Nehemiah led the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, some men were opposed to it and plotted to have the Israelites stop the work. Yet, Nehemiah instructed the people of Israel to be fighters by night and workers by day so that the rebuilding work would not be stopped. We read: “Neither I (Nehemiah) nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water” (Nehemiah 4:23). I have only taken an excerpt of what happened but I would encourage you to read the entire chapter to get a sense of how fierce Nehemiah and the people were in the midst of trials. This is exactly what the Lord expects from us. He wants us to fight diligently with all that we have, all that we are to remain submitted to Him, to remain fit for His kingdom. Paul understood just how crucial it was for believers to live like citizens of God’s kingdom while on earth. That is why he constantly exhorted us to set our eyes on things above, to seek after the fruits of the Spirit, to live according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh for in Christ, we are no longer led by what the flesh wants irrespective of how strong its demands can be but we are led by the Spirit of the living God in us. The transformation that was done in us the moment Jesus rescued us from the dominion of sin and brought us into the kingdom of God, set us free from the entanglement sin had on us and empowered us to fight its urges. Indeed, the Lord Jesus came to preach the good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness the prisoners/blind, proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of God, comfort all who mourn, provide for those who grieve, bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:1-3). What the Lord Jesus has done is huge and I suppose the depth of his sacrifice will fully resonate with us only when we get to heaven. In the meantime, we praise His glorious name and we give Him the glory He deserves! However, the victory that Christ secured for us is not completely materialized and so we live in this world when we belong to another. Because of the tension of the two worlds we live in, the tension that is felt by us, as we fight the flesh, we realize that while on this earth, we have to be violent to kill the flesh and its desires. The flesh materializes in various aspects, in our thoughts, in our hearts, in our actions, in fact, no area in us or in the world is left unaffected by the flesh. Knowing how vicious the flesh and its ramifications can get, Paul urges us to not fight this battle as the world fights. Instead, he says, we should fight with weapons that are from the Father, weapons that have “divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Some of these “strongholds” we read are arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God. Have you ever thought about the fact that our battle in the flesh begins in thoughts and opinions we elevate in our lives above the knowledge of God or above the word of God? This is quite scary because we fall prey to this almost every day, no wonder we live defeatist lives! It is as though Paul is telling us to watch out for what we think, what we ponder upon, what we hear, read and meditate on. All these activities that allow us to intake information have the power to make us slaves to the opinions and arguments stemming from it if we do not elevate God above them. Something that is also very plain in the Bible is how sneaky our enemy the devil is, he has mastered the art of deceit and so he will introduce thoughts and opinions that appear harmless at first and before we know it, will destroy us. Is it any wonder we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and might (Deuteronomy 6:4)? Indeed, our hearts get fed by our minds, that is the opinions we form, the thoughts we have, the arguments we make. Once they sit in our hearts, our actions then follow and reveal to the watching world what is in our heart as Jesus rightly pointed out: “out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). So then, our fight to discipline our bodies and keep it under control must also include our heart. Self-control is a fruit of the spirit and several books of the Bible make note of its importance in the Christian walk (Galatians 5:22; James 1:19; 2 Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 16:32; Proverbs 25:28). We must strive to exhibit this fruit as we wage war against our flesh and the things of this world. This battle will require us to say no to things that we love, no to things that will deprive us of pleasure, no to things that may even be good but like Paul, let us remind ourselves that all things may be lawful (or good) but not all things are beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23). As you say no to what is not good for you but might be permissible for the world, you may incur shame, persecution, trouble and pain but you will be walking in freedom, your heavenly Father will be pleased with you and will reward you as He has promised for “He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Therefore, consider the times we are living in and resolve to live as the Lord expects from you, in honour of Him. Resolve to submit yourself to the Lord in everything; resolve to come before your Father and lay all your burdens at His feet; resolve to take shelter under his wings, to put your full confidence in Him alone; resolve to let the word of God dwell in your richly; resolve to be a light in this world; resolve to love the Lord. May the Lord in His mercy empower us to live for Him with such resolve. Amen!