A WELL-PAYING JOB

A few years into my redeemed life, I realized that not only was I receiving the free gift of eternal life, but I was also receiving the responsibilities of a committed relationship. I was hired for life to a well-paying job. Although there are no days off and no vacations. The responsibilities seem endless. A simple prayer request becomes an urgent task, an encounter with an unsaved person becomes an often heart-wrenching mission that can last decades or forever. Many of the tasks into which you pour your strength, your tears, and your hope may never bear fruit that you will see in this lifetime. But the job itself is a reward.  Out of tears, discouragement or weariness comes joy, encouragement and strength.

Being born again brings with it the responsibility to act on your new heart, your new thoughts, and your zeal to share what you have been given with those who don't yet have it. Worrying about your own life is kind of unnecessary because your employer says, "Do not worry, everything you need will be given to you" (Matthew 6:30-33). And the biggest bonus when your job is finally over is eternal life. A well-paying job indeed.

WHEN DOUBT STRIKES

A few days ago a friend of mine sent me a booklet by a German theologian who, without denying the necessity of Jesus for salvation, claims that Jesus wasn't divine and that Jesus' words were not translated correctly. According to the theologian, this leads to false assumptions and beliefs. This theologian studied the ancient Bible languages for decades, and everything I read in this pamphlet had the appearance of a thoroughly researched study.

How can a respected theologian write such a thing? "Jesus not divine?", "His words not the truth as I know it?".  I was about to laugh it off and dismiss it as the attempt of a "ferocious wolf in sheep's clothing" to confuse me (Matthew 7:15), when for a split second the question "What if?" popped into my mind. I was shocked. Had I just experienced doubt about my core beliefs? 

I immediately began to pray and asked God to fill me with His truth and wisdom and for some reason I began to speak out loud what that truth was. As if I needed to shout it out to the world around me.

What came out of my mouth was the unchanging Christian message. The truth so simple that some can't believe it. But we need to hear it again and again in its simplicity to be reminded of where we stand.

"It is God who wanted to make himself known to us, his creation, whom he loves. But a creation that was also on the verge of collapse because it didn't know who God was, and so in a desperate attempt to fill the "God vacuum," people decided to make up their own gods. So God, who is Spirit, sent Himself to earth in the form of Jesus the Christ (the Messiah), who had been prophesied centuries before. To live among us, to teach us who God is, and to show us a way out of our finite and miserable existence. God came to us in the form of Jesus to reveal that our deep longing for Him points to Jesus. Jesus lived for us and walked before us so that we might have a way to walk. And He died for us so that we might find eternal life through Him and Him alone. And when Jesus died for our sins, He didn't leave us alone, but sent His own Spirit to live in the bodies of the born-again believers to counsel, guide, and communicate with them. Jesus is God's final attempt to show His love for mankind before He "closes the book" forever."

After shouting out this simple and eternal truth that I firmly believe, I realized that these split seconds of doubt are actually a healthy exercise. When you do not make up your own mind, but let God do the work (2 Peter 1:20-21), it draws you closer to Him and makes you stronger and bolder.

Jesus, the man on the cross, had a moment of doubt when he cried out: "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" ("My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"). So it is perfectly normal for us to have moments of doubt in our human nature. But it is imperative that we question our doubts rather than questioning God.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, 

correcting and training in righteousness,

so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped 

for every good work

2 Timothy 3:16-17

SUPPRESSING THE SPIRIT OF GOD

In recent days, I’ve been overwhelmed by sadness and anxiety, a heaviness that drains my strength both physically and mentally. One morning, as I walked to the park, I asked God why I felt this way. Why has this sudden sadness stolen my joy, and more importantly why can’t I overcome it? I pleaded, “Please speak to me. Show me how to get through this.”

I know the truth: Christ lives in me, and through Him, I can overcome. But today, that truth felt distant and hard to apply. To my surprise, God’s answer was simple: “Through me.” It wasn’t the dramatic sign I expected—no angel, no miracle—just the quiet, powerful truth I already knew.

As I walked, I opened my daily devotional. It was about drunkenness, something irrelevant to me—or so I thought. But halfway through, it pointed to Ephesians 5:18: “Be filled with the Spirit.” Instantly, I knew God was speaking to my heart. My prayers had opened me to this reminder: to overcome fear and depression, I don’t need extraordinary signs—just to let His Spirit fill me.

Being filled with the Spirit means focusing on Christ’s presence vividly and joyfully. It means rising above life’s tragedies and casting out all the fear, sadness, and stress. Today, I realized I had been suppressing that Spirit by inhaling too much of the world’s negativity.

The choice is mine: the poisonous fumes of this world, or the life-giving Spirit of God. Today, I both failed and succeeded. Praise God for His grace!

DON'T WAIT FOR GOD'S PACKAGE

When we come to God with a request, we often pray earnestly, sometimes even desperately. Then, we sit back and wait, expecting our answer to be delivered right to our doorstep.

 

But sometimes, God surprises us. Instead of just dropping the gift off, He invites us to go on a little journey to pick it up ourselves. And on that journey, we might have unexpected encounters with others, with God Himself, or gain experiences that become blessings to share with others later on.

Sometimes the blessings we most need come not just in the gift, but also in the journey that shapes us, opens our hearts, and connects us more deeply with God and those around us.

MY GOD-COLOURED VOICE

I realize that I often pay too much attention to what I’ll call my “God-colored voice.” It’s the voice that tries to say the socially acceptable thing instead of speaking spiritual truth. It’s the “churchy, feel-good voice” that aims to please everyone, even when a harder truth needs to be spoken. 

 

But there is a difference between the voice of the Holy Spirit - who never holds anything back - and my own self-shaped, God-colored voice, which only leads to lukewarm choices. 

 

Those choices may feel right in the moment, but they are usually tailored to my own comfort rather than to God’s desire, or the obedience the moment demands.