Priceless womanhood

“…for her price is far more than rubies.” I have always wondered how much rubies are. What I know is rubies are jewels. It is a known fact that money is usually valued in relation to gold.  So when a Godly woman is priced above jewels it means she is very important. Women should just find it in their heart to be God-fearing.

A noble woman is worth much more than the rubies so it cannot be put on a scale to be measured. I shudder to think how much we are worth and how we handle ourselves. When you are a member of the royal family, there is a certain behavior that is expected of you. Anything less would bring disrepute to the family. As women – Godly women – there is a way we are to handle ourselves so that we do not degrade ourselves or bring disrepute to the name of our God.

Our deportment as mothers, wives, companions will bring happiness in the family. Knowledge of our domestic duties and doing them faithfully will bring a blissful aura. It is our duty to make sure the house is in clean, in order and the family is fed. These tasks may seem to be unimportant but they are very essential. Let us be responsible and do all that is expected of us – it goes a long way in brightening not only our lives but also of those around us. You might not necessarily be hands-on on doing these tasks, but make sure they are done.

It is easier for us to take on our responsibilities when we are in touch with God. Religion helps children to live a higher quality life and to do more faithful work. A little girl of twelve was telling, in a simple way, that she was a Christian. “I did not like to study, but to play. I was idle at school and often missed my lessons. Now I learn every lesson well, to please God. I was mischievous at school, when the teachers were not looking at me, making fun for the children to look at. Now I wish to please God by behaving well and keeping the school laws. I was selfish at home, didn't like to run errands, and was sulky when mother called me from play to help her in work. Now it is a real joy for me to help mother in any way and to show that I love her.”

Only those that are Godly are priceless.

Faith – opens secrets of life’s success

We owe our existence to the one who created us; God and Him alone. Nevertheless our lives are our responsibility. God doesn’t force us to conform but gives us the power of choice – to serve Him or not. The journey of Christianity requires one to have faith.

Hebrews 11:6 says “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Faith is essential in order to receive the blessing God has in store for us. When we come to Him in faith, every petition enters the heart of God. When we have asked for His blessing, we should believe that we will receive it. Then we are to go about our duties, assured that the blessing will be realized when we need it most. Our spiritual strength actually depends on our faith.

Faith is more than believing because even the devil believes (James 2:19) but it is only those with faith that will receive the blessing. Faith has to do with trust in the one you have believed in. just taking Him at His Word. This means we have to study the Bible so that we know His word and know what to base our faith on. Without bible study we will never know his promises. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. (Romans 10:17).

Faith is apart from feeling. Not because we see or feel that God hears us when we pray but we are to trust his word. Faith such as this is needed in this world today – faith that will lay hold on the promises of God and refuse to let go. We need to be careful not to claim promises that do not pertain to us. For example when God says ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life’; the promise of everlasting life is for those who believe in God and no other. You cannot claim such a promise if you don’t believe.

When God is directing our lives we should not always expect it will be all roses – of outward peace and smooth flowing. The walk can be painful, heavy and narrow (Acts 14:22); but we have the assurance that God’s everlasting arms will protect us from evil. We have to trust Him in both the sunshine and shadows.

To claim that God will always answer our prayers in the very way and for the particular thing we desire is presumption. God is too wise to err and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly. We just have to put our trust in Him.

There is no encouragement whatsoever for unbelief. We have to cherish faith, talk faith and act faith. Faith in God and His word will definitely lead us to succeed in all aspects of life.

Stay blessed.

The Battle For My Life

Revelation 12:7-9; 12 ‘And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.      And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.’   

The battle between truth and error is real. It started in heaven when Satan decided to disregard God’s authority (Ezekiel 28:11-19). It was then that Satan was cast out of heaven to the earth. Man fell for the deceptions of Satan on earth (Genesis 3) and death was the penalty. But Jesus came to die for us (John 3:16) so as to redeem us from this self-inflicted evil. Jesus now pleads for us to accept this offer and Satan stands to deceive us. It is your choice that will decide your outcome and seal it forever.

If you go with the devil and his deceptions, death awaits you (Romans 6:23) but if you choose Christ, eternal life awaits you. This war will go on until every case has been decided. The Bible tells us in Revelation 12:12 that the devil knows that his time is short; so my brothers and sisters don’t delay your choice to serve God. Choose Him today. Now is the time of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2) for we don’t know what tomorrow holds or if there will ever be a tomorrow.

The way you decide to live your life tells which side you are on in this battle. If you live according to the precepts of God found in the Holy Bible then you are on Christ’s side. Anything else is of the evil one.

Joshua 24:15 “choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” 

Honesty and integrity in your life

A lot is expected from an individual in a day’s work. Some jobs are results oriented and some are time-based. Whatever the structure, there is an element of accountability that is expected. It is always wise to be honest in all that you do.

A double standard life is very difficult and stressful to handle. At one time you have to present yourself as that efficient and successful person whilst inwardly you are struggling with issues of incompetence and guilt. It is better if you accept your limitations and find positive means of dealing with the problem.

Dishonesty will reap you dishonest followers. If you are a leader, for example, and you are dishonest in your dealings; be rest assured that your followers will do likewise. But if you are honest, they will also strive to be honest. Of course there will be one or two who will not be honest. They won’t be doing it because they saw your example but they will just be dishonest on their own account. Learn to be honest at all times and exert a positive influence.

Honesty will help you earn respect. An honest individual is so easy to respect, to obey and just to listen to. Somehow you feel obliged to respect honest people – it gives them higher value than their dishonest counterparts. What they say tends to hold water. Who does not want to be respected at no cost - honesty can make that possible.

The world is in want of honest people who will stand up for what is right and do it for the glorification of God. Sometimes we may be tempted to think that no one is watching but always remember there is God who sees everything even that which is done in the depth of the seas. Also take into consideration that what goes around comes around.

Dishonesty has its own consequences that you would want to avoid. It always feels good to do the right thing. Go on and be honest throughout your life.

Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

God loves and He has great plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11). Let us learn to trust Him and serve Him honestly.

Procrastination

Procrastination is an evil that so many of us think it is insignificant. We must note that it is the small things that we do continuously that form our habits. When we repeat these habits, a character is formed. It is this character that will determine the type of life we are going to lead and above all God is interested in our characters. Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.” He delights in blameless sacrifices. Our lives need to reflect that refined character.

The problem with procrastination is that we tend to put off things that are very important and tend to do the less important. Procrastination will play a great part in wasting time because you might have to go back and start from where you left. That which you should have done before will be required from you. A person who procrastinates a lot will not be able to make tough decisions in life. There are times when things seem complicated and a rather difficult decision has to be made. Because you are used to procrastination, you may want to procrastinate but now it is not really possible. This is when you see people making unwise decisions or leaving everything to chance.

Sometimes when you procrastinate, you become in the ‘back seat’ of life as everything moves on. Life is a journey and does not stop till you die or till Christ comes (whichever comes first). If you do not wake up and take charge, others will be making decisions for you and instead of you being in control, you will be controlled by circumstances. We do not have all the control of the situations around us but taking charge of that little we have will make a difference.

Procrastination is an evil that we should get rid of. One of my favorite authors EG White, in her book Steps to Christ says, “What we do not overcome, will overcome us and work out our destruction.” I believe in this statement for if we do not overcome procrastination, it is the results of this very habit that will lead to failure in our lives. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap,” Galatians 6:7. If you sow procrastination you will reap failure.

Learn to be faithful in your responsibilities. Do all that is expected of you in the right time. Remember yesterday is past, tomorrow may never be and what you have is today. So whatever you have to do, do it with all your might.

Living a balanced life

When you look at your life, it may be very interesting to note that there is so much to do; you need to get an income, take care of your health, take care of your spouse and family, take part in church activities, entertain your friends, further your education, watch your personality, the list is endless. The solution to all this is to balance it all. If you watch your weight at the expense of your health it won’t help you in any way.

Balancing our lives will help us live life to the fullest. There is need to take care of all facets of life in a balanced way. I have put up together six pillars that you need to take note of in order to accomplish this:

(a)    Spiritual wellbeing – As human beings we were created by God and whenever we exclude Him from our lives, we tend to experience a purposeless life. But when we acknowledge Him as God, our lives become a lot more meaningful and we actually have a direction to follow.

(b)   Health and physical wellbeing – Without a healthy body not much can be achieved. Never be tempted to ignore your health. The simple basics of good nutrition, daily exercise, drinking water, trust in God, adequate rest, breathing clear air, getting enough sunshine and exercising self-control in everything.

(c)    Family and home – a family is a supposed to be a haven of rest from the busy and demanding life around us. Make sure your home is simple, well ordered and the family members are a team and work together to make the best out of life.

(d)   Relations and social life – ensure you associate with the right company for it also impacts on your character. Relate well with the extended family, as far as it is possible, workmates, schoolmates, churchmates, etc. set parameters on how far you can go with them without compromising on your wellbeing.

(e)   Income generation – life has its demands and it is up to you to work hard so as to afford the life you like to live. In this journey of achieving the life you want, it is important to be content with the status quo whilst working to reach even higher goals. Enjoy now while working for tomorrow and accept outcomes.

(f)     Education and career plan – as long as you live you can still acquire further education and shape up your career. It does not necessarily have to be formal – where you take classes and write exams but even learning life skills such as dressmaking, using current technology, parenting skills, handyman skills, first aid skills, swimming and many other relevant skills will do you well. As much as we have to daily use our physical bodies, our minds also need to be continuously used so that they do not become redundant.

Looking at all six pillars in a balanced way will surely improve the quality of your life. Set your goals for each of the pillars and work towards accomplishing them. Life can only be enjoyed when all facets of life are taken care of.

Enjoy your life

Contentment in Womanhood

Being a mother and a wife may prove to be difficult but it is possible. My journey through it all has been very exciting so far and I pray that all mothers and all wives make it through the journey of womanhood. It makes me wonder where are those aunties that would advise us of some of our responsibilities in life, or maybe they should just start a college on training people to be real mothers and real wives.

As a mother you are expected to make sure the food is cooked, the house becomes a home for everyone, every member of the family is in good health, the children are brought up in the best way possible and above all you need to enjoy life.

As a wife you are expected to meet all the needs of the husband – to share your life with him and to be his complement; to enjoy his company.

As an individual you may have dreams on your own. These could be health goals, educational goals, entrepreneurial goals, spiritual goals and the list goes on.

In order to live the life to the fullest, you need to be able to balance it all up and enjoy your experiences. Prioritize and learn how to be content with your situation. Contentment helps you accept the circumstances around you. A content person will take her fair share of the load of life with courage and with a positive attitude.

Contentment does not kill the drive to excel but it helps you pursue your drive in a more sober fashion rather than making decisions in the heat of the moment, only to stop pursuing it after encountering a mere mole hill in your way. It is known that we achieve more when we do things in the right frame of mind.

Contentment can be learnt by realizing you can control so much around you and nothing more. Contentment means you can handle pressure from every angle without breaking down. Contentment means you value life as it is given to you by God and you understand that He is in control even in your darkest nights.

May God help you be content so that you may enjoy life to the fullest.

Phillipians 4:11 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content.”