STOP THE WHINING

For months, we have been reading posts on the elections, listening to the whining of people from each side, and seeing people be on each other’s throats. Well, now the elections are finally over, but WHEN DOES THE WHINING STOP?

If people spend half of the time that they use to whine to do good things, the world would not be in the place it is today! There is so much wisdom that can be gained from God’s word. There is so much understanding that can be attained.  Proverbs 6:6-11 says,

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man”. 

What is it within us that puts complaining, arguing, and slandering before all the blessings that are out there?

I will tell you what it is. It is our inability to trust in God. It is our incapability to surrender to His will. It is the power of sin working within us. Followers of Christ are meant to imitate Him and to be representations of His Character. Unfortunately, often many of us, (sometimes without knowing) chose the way of Satan. Did you know the word Devil literally means “slanderer”?

Well, now that the elections are over and you have done everything to see your party win (assuming that is true), and now that you know slandering is Satan’s character, instead of slandering and whining, what if you focus on learning from God’s wisdom and trust Him to fulfill His promise for your life? You see, we can have His power within us to bring transformation to the brokenness of this world. So, let’s use it. Let’s make a difference. You might be upset, you might be confused, but DO NOT FORGET THAT YOU HAVE MORE BLESSINGS AROUND YOU THAN CURSES.

Rundown and Beat

I remember some years back, when I lived in Istanbul, there were so many old buildings around and they were considered historical buildings. The owners of these buildings were given two choices, they would have to either sell their properties (which no body would really want to buy them), or to renovate them. The owners did not like to renovate them because as historical buildings they would have to go through certain codes and regulations that cost lots of money and time and on top of that, the cost of renovating and ancient building was almost as high as building a brand new one. Along with that, these historical buildings were not beneficial to the owners because even if they renovated them, there would only be three or four apartments in them. In a city of over seventeen million population, three or four families worth of rent does not bring a lot of money for the owners. For the same money, they could tear the whole thing down and build a ten or twenty story building and make a lot more money, but the government would not allow them to do that. So to deal with the government, the owners, would abandon their properties, pay taxes for them and not do anything else to them, hoping that over the course of time due to the lack of up keep these buildings would collapse on their own. Some did. I remember one of these buildings that was right next to our building were we lived collapsed one day and scared the life out of us all. Thankfully no one got hurt. Yet, many of these buildings have lasted decades and will continue to stand for many more years.  

If the buildings collapse, then the owners could try to get permission to build something new in place of the old building. Their trick involves taking the risk of waiting for so long to see what happens. It involves carelessness and even messing with the lives of other people.  

As I think about this story, I wonder how often we treat our own spirituality the same way. Instead of thinking of ways of which to take care of our souls, we wait and wait, hoping that one day we can renew our inner self all together. We leave our lives to chance thinking that the cost of fixing our lives at this moment is too high and we do not consider the fact that the more we wait the more we will lose. Yet God calls us to be new creations in Him today. He asks us to come to Him as we are with the promise that He will transform us and build us up. His promise goes beyond renovation and up keep of our spirituality. It is a promise of grace that takes away all the filth and old mess. Imagine yourself as an old run down building that is about to collapse, but God’s grace gives you the promise of renewing you daily and fixing you up. Don’t get me wrong, there are still risks in following God too, but they are not risks of carelessness and selfishness. They are risks that help build you up into a mighty creation. They are risks that help you lift others who are about to collapse.

“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5: 17).

Did You Say "Survival of the Fittest"?

About two weeks ago, I went to the store with my daughters and bought six baby chicks. When we got home, five of them seemed to be doing just fine, but one of them looked as though she was struggling. The other five would trample on her and she seemed like she just didn’t care. When I told my oldest that she might not make it, she started crying. You see? She had already named her “Cotton ball”.

You may have heard many times that in nature, only the fittest survive. You might have also heard that only the strongest make it and those who are weak will end up perishing. Some even say that the weak deserve to die. Is that really the case? I mean, by observation it seems like within the animal kingdom the weakest animals end up dying in their primal stage. Often humanity lives in the same manner, thinking that life belongs to the strongest and those who can take the things they want should go ahead and do so and crush the weak. I have always had an issue with the “survival of the fittest”. Well, within the animal world it might make sense, but we are not animals. Despite science’s elaborate efforts in making us think that we are animals that have evolved through the years, I believe that we are God’s unique creation. We are humans, created in God’s own image. Not a work of chance thorough years of evolution, rather hand crafted to perfection by the creator. As it comes to survival, I also believe that even the weakest can make it if they are shown tender love and are cared for.

I did not want the baby chick to die, I also did not want my daughter to be upset. So, I cared for the chick. I gave her water. At first she had no idea where the water was. I forced her to drink by dipping her beak into the water. I did the same with food. I placed her in places where she would not get stepped on. Soon, she started going back and forth to the water. Then she started eating. Within three to four days, she was following the rest of the chicks. All this to say that this morning, I was trying to take a picture of her, and I couldn’t even catch her. With some care and love even the weak can find strength. What the world may see as worthless and deserving of death, may indeed live and make this world a better place.

To compare my story of the chick (Cotton Ball) with humanity, the example that Christ set for us is not on the basis of the fittest. Rather, Jesus encouraged His followers to tend to the needs of the poor and needy. He calls us to help those who cannot make it on their own and stand by them. It is through this kind of behavior that we can achieve wonders. Needless to say, that Christ came to bring significance to those whom the world sees as worthless. 

Matthew 25:31-40

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Get Rid of Aphids

I have two apple trees in my yard. When the time is right, they have beautiful blossoms and get filled with flowers all over them. The flowers are beautiful white with shades of red and pink and the trees are just a beautiful sight to the eyes, needless to say that most of the flowers turn into delicious apples. Well, just a few days ago, I was looking at the flowers and noticed that some of them are drying and look disorientated. As I examined them, I found out that the trees were infested by black aphids. The aphids stop or slow the process of pollination and they also stop the trees from accomplishing their purpose which is to bear fruit. After spraying them with some neem oil, I started wondering about our lives. How often do we try to be good trees and to accomplish our purpose, but then the things of this world come can crush us? How often do we have good intentions, but the matters of life bring us down? Each aphid on the tree represents an element of the worlds destructive desires, sinfulness, and selfishness. The only way to a prosperous spiritual life is by destroying the spiritual aphids. Alone we cannot, but God is a great gardener. As we remain in Him, He does not only get read of the things that are destroying us, but He also prunes us, nourishes us, and helps us to bear good fruit. Let what the Psalmist says in Psalm 51 be your prayer: 

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,

    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence

    or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation

    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

    so that sinners will turn back to you.

White as Snow

Every aspect of God’s creation declares His glory and his mighty works of art. Every unique, individual snow flake that falls and attaches itself to another flake, works collectively with the other flakes to cover the surface of the earth and they collectively are called snow that create a beautiful white and clean cover which is absolutely beautiful to the eye.

The interesting thing is that every snow flake at the same time can represent a person who follows Christ. As we are released into the earth and we as Christians and true follower of Christ join hand in hand, to declare the truth and the Gospel of Jesus Christ which brings salvation and eternal life to the earth, we can cover the surface of everything and everyone we touch and make them white as snow. Christ’s sacrifice, His love for us, and our faith in Him makes us white as snow, but at the same time enables us to bring the same beauty to others.

Psalm 19:1-4

“The heavens declare the glory of God;

    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

    night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;

    no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

    their words to the ends of the world.”