You’d rather cry in the Range rover! Really?

As I grew up, I had always wanted to be with the prince charming. A man who would sweep me off my feet; in other words Mr. Right, as many would call him. I had my list, ready to check if any of the guys coming really met my standards. Yea…I have been there.  

In the list of things, a very conspicuous requirement for any guy to be considered would be financial stability. Very valid. A man is the one supposed to take care of the family, not only financially, but also emotionally, physically and even spiritually (I came to know of these others later though). God even affirms this in his word (1 Timothy 5:9 “If any one does not take care of his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”). The problem however comes in when we put money as the number one priority, above all things. So long as a man has money then that becomes the ultimate ‘blessing’. Everything else fails to matter…his character notwithstanding. You may have occasionally heard grown women say ‘I would rather cry in a range rover than smile on a boda boda’. Then I wonder, the range rover, and all it comes with of course, is it worth the tears, and all they come with? 

It is easy to laugh and eventually agree with the statement. A range rover, a good house, money you don’t struggle to have and all the nice things. ‘What else would anybody want in this world?’ you wonder. Now for the boda boda, it’s quite the opposite. Nothing outstanding or glamorous about it. It is just a bicycle, open (nothing much to hide or show anyway). But then there is the smile. This means that you don’t get everything you want, but at least you get to have all you need, plus the joy and peace which bring the smile. Not so bad. Many of us ladies compare these two and the money on the range rover side seems so appealing that we choose to overlook the crying. It looks like we can handle it. Yea right! 

Well I think there are facts we need to face. Good things normally look too good when we look at them from outside the fence. But on getting in, experiencing their true goodness may prove a task if the environment is not conducive. It does not need rocket science to prove this fact. Enjoying the goodness and splendour of a good life will not be a reality with eyes covered with tears and no peace. It may sound sadistic what I am saying here but the girl smiling on the boda boda may just live 50 more years of joy after the one who opted for the range rover passes on. The stress and even depression that result from the tears and all kinds of turmoil make the journey to the grave shorter and faster many a times. 

James 1:9-11 brings the Range rover and boda boda circumstances to a kind of consensus. The brother in humble circumstances is asked to take pride in his high position while the one who is rich is asked to take pride in his low position. Reading these verses brings to my attention the value of humility. Having this virtue at the back of our minds can save us from many tragedies. Our priorities will be right as we check those ‘lists’ we have. Once we come to that point of true humility, even when things get tough, we may just be able to sustain that smile while on the boda boda. The Range rover life will also be so legitimate that even when trying times come, we will trust God to give us the strength to persevere. His grace is always sufficient

A New Beginning

It's a brand new year (though we are almost halfway) and time is moving past fast. The Lord is still faithful and His mercies keep being new every morning just as He promised. As each new day starts, this question keeps prodding consistently, "What do I do to please God?' It is a disturbing question because its answer is quite the unexpected. Nothing.

God does not want me or you to do anything to please Him. Nothing you do can make you righteous before God. In fact the more you try, the more tiresome it becomes. You may feel that salvation is a strain. Why? Because you are trying to do it all by yourself. You totally have it twisted. It is all on Him. In fact, He already did it on the cross. He finished it all at Calvary. We have the victory.

All you need to do is just surrender all to God. And by all, it means everything. From your heart, to your soul, to your spirit, to your mind, to your body , to your family, to your marriage, to your finances, to your social life, to your job, to your hobbies and every other aspect of your life. In other words, doing nothing means letting all these go so that He can take care of it all. Let him handle it for you. He is more than able!

Many a times we tend to underestimate the person of our Father in heaven. We don't really seem to understand the magnitude of His power. The truth is, He is so infinitely powerful that we cannot fully express how great He is. That is the God we serve. This truth may not be easy to comprehend but you can always rely on His grace for your eyes to be opened so that you can see the greatness of God.  1 John 5:3-4a says, "This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world." What a loving Father we have. He desires that you trust Him well enough to let Him take the wheel of your life. How I pray that you will obey His voice and surrender all, truly. Through His love and mercies, you have overcome the world. So, just let His will be. He definitely knows what is best for you.

I would not have it any other. I choose Total Surrender.