Welcome to the January 9th edition of Faith & Life Lessons.
You will see this email full of tidbits from my week. My goal is simple. I hope that from how I live my life, you can find a thing or two that helps you as you try to live a life that matters. I am always trying to do one thing - make Christ-focused decisions in love, work, and life. And this was my week.
The Story of My Week
This week was a story of plans that don’t go the way of plans.
But in the end, we saw God at work.
Wednesday was meant to be the last family outing before school resumes.
The only problem -when I tried to book, we couldn’t get space for all of us.
So we moved it to Friday.
Guess what?
Several things came up personally and professionally for most of us in the family on Wednesday.
Wednesday turned out to be a great day not to go for the outing.
As a bonus, we got to watch the three kings parade which we thought had been canceled.
God works in wonderful ways.
So I have found.
And I keep learning.
Everyday.
Things I Learnt
1-Connecting is Serving: I have not always been the biggest mixer. Some people enter a room and start reaching everyone, I enter a room and just aim for one or a few.
Part of it is that I have always been comfortable with being alone with myself.
Even before the age of mobile phones, I did not need anything else to keep myself occupied.
My thoughts are excellent companions. I like playing catch-me-if-you-can with them.
Sometimes, as I walk on the streets, I have earphones plugged in and in a conversation.
The earphones are good convincers to people that I am talking with someone while I am just ironing out my thoughts with myself.
I got reminded that I need to connect more because I offer something.
Connecting with more people allows me to serve more people.
Now I have to take intermittent holidays from my thoughts.
And let others into the groove.
Another opportunity to serve.
And learn.
From others.
Who may be better than me.
And my thoughts.
2-When God Speaks: God's promises are wrapped with seasons of battles. I am currently fighting for something that I am sure I heard God speak about.
The whole situation reminds me of what the Bible said about Joseph. "Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him." Ps 105:19.
The word I have heard is trying me.
I am fighting to hold on to the word in the face of everything happening.
Sunday night, I told my wife that I was going to do a 3-day fast from Monday.
Not because I want to move God.
Because I need my faith to grow to the measure needed to fight and win with the promise I have been given.
Beyond this promise, I looked at the year ahead of me. I need more faith than what I have walked with so far to win.
I am not driven by calendar transitions i.e. Jan 1 means a new season of life.
I am driven by the word commission transitions I get from God. If it doesn't change from one year to another, I stay on the same word.
My word commission for 2022 is "Tribe".
It requires a new level of living.
And I know that what I am currently fighting for is part of it.
I'll understand better with time.
For now, I need to fight for this promise and win to bring it alive.
As God's Spirit finds more expression in me.
Postscript
May your heart be filled with courage as you face the challenge of every day in a way that honors God. May you grow in faith to bring home the win that Jesus wants you to live out. Amen
Tata,
Tola - The Everyday Disciple
I help Christians like you who want to live intentional lives incorporate their faith into everyday life so they can make Christ focused decisions in all areas of life and truly live to make an impact and make God happy.
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