Welcome to the January 17th 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
When I look at 2021, it was the year that my faith soared on an eagle’s wing.
I wasn’t necessarily just coasting through.
I was facing obstacles that matched the level of faith that I have reached.
It is clear that 2022 is not going to be like 2021.
Less than 3 weeks into the new year and I find myself facing questions at almost every turn.
Questions that keep bringing me back to my knees.
My constant prayer is for a level of faith to match the challenges of the new season.
My new season started towards the end of 2021.
So I could say I have been living in the new year before January 1st.
I’ve been living in a new season that requires me to be more than I have been until now.
The next 14 days are going to be another fight zone for me.
I’ll be fasting, I’ll be praying, I’ll be learning and I’ll be doing.
I want to get to the end of this new season and know that I became all God measured for me and achieved all the milestones He measured out for me.
I’m in my fight zone.
Things I Learnt
1-Embracing God’s Life Theme: One of the things I have been fighting for came through this week.
Just not in the way I was just expecting it.
It came through in a way that further emphasized one of God’s recurring themes over the past 2 years.
Family.
I’m not a work-before-family kind of guy.
I find fulfillment just being with my family.
But the way God has stepped in to reaffirm that family takes precedence over work has further deepened that sense of priority.
A change of government policy has made it impossible for me to be away for work for the length of time I had initially planned for.
I only got to discover this on Friday.
God has arranged so many events over the past 2 years to show how He prioritizes the family.
And the inestimable value that a present father and mother have in training their children right.
The joy of being with my family beats the battles I have to negotiate with others just to see that this God priority is lived out.
I have also had to trust God more for multiplying results.
Work is still measured by results.
So as I live out God’s priority, I also extend my faith to work so that it will be a good story to everyone.
Even those that don’t believe.
The theme is set.
Now to live the life.
2-New Friends, Old Passions: Over the past couple of weeks, I have been bringing new people into my world.
Some of them are teachers or part of groups I paid to be a part of.
Coming into these new friendships is part of trying to live out my word for the year - TRIBE.
These new friends have reawakened some of the spiritual experiences that have been part of my Christian walk for decades.
You see when I became a Christian, I didn't change the church from the Anglican/Episcopal church I was part of.
I didn’t do that until almost two decades later.
During that time, I relentlessly pursued intimacy with God.
My pursuit of these gave me spiritual experiences that I never saw in the people around me.
Even when I got into to do my undergraduate studies and meet other Christians in my campus fellowship.
Many people were defined by the direction of their mainline church.
I was listening to a weird-sounding drum that saw things differently.
I still do.
These new friends have lived or are living some of the spiritual experiences I have been living.
This camaraderie is from them is forming new visions in me for the life I need to live in this season.
New friends that feel like old friends because of similar passions.
Old passions.
A passion that sees more through God.
And does more through God.
TRIBE
Postscript
I pray that you will discover the relationships that God has planted along your way to take you into a deeper experience of Him. And as you see more, may you do more to change the world so they see JESUS ALIVE. 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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