Welcome to the August 4th 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.
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The Story of My Week.
During the week, I asked my boss for 3 days off, Wednesday - Friday.
He didn’t acquiesce my request the way I wanted.
He gave me Thursday to Monday instead.
I had family plans for Wednesday which I bumped because of that.
But I saw God at work in the days I got.
As it turned out, Monday as an off day provides a new window to do something important for another member of my family because I am off work.
Even when people say no, God is still at work.
Things I Learnt
1-An Act of Faith or not: My home country of Nigeria is experiencing days of public protests.
The overarching goal of the organizers is to get the government to change and introduce policies and actions that would mitigate the difficult economic conditions that people are going through.
Things like these are tricky as a Christian.
Why?
Because by faith we understand that public actions like these are not what change governments or a people.
To believe that is to remove one of the essential foundations of Christian beliefs in God’s power to define public politics and leadership.
The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men - Dan 4:17
We hold on to God’s influence on all matters of politics and trust in His ability to influence the outcomes in the best interest as we take action.
For example, we vote because it is our civic duty not because we believe that our vote holds the answers for the best outcomes we want for our lives.
If we magnify our vote more than the performance of a civic duty, we make an idol of it.
It’s the same thing with protests. Our faith must not rest in it. It must rest in God’s ability to give leadership wisdom and change minds.
How He does that is up to Him. It may be via a protest or the protest might be nothing more than a noise-making activity.
In everything, we choose to not lose our faith in God’s ability to determine the outcomes we want in politics and political leadership in the best interests and interests of His kingdom.
2 - Ask and Wait: I typically like to give people an easy way when I make requests to them.
But now and again, I have realised the power of not putting ideas into people’s heads.
They surprise you with better ideas.
Case in point this week.
A friend of mine had expressed interest when I started writing my book about doing something with the book during an event she was hosting.
The book is ready and her event is near. I reached out to her about a week or two back.
She asked that we speak later.
Fast forward to this week and she realised she hadn’t sorted it when I asked her again.
Normally, I could have given her the easy way out. “Don’t worry, no need to stress yourself. My book doesn’t have to be on your event.
But I waited.
She came up with a new arrangement that works well for her and me.
I like the new arrangement.
It's best sometimes to just wait for people to do their thinking.
Postscript
May you have the patience to let people bring their best to you instead of chasing after them for it. Amen
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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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