Tag: contentment

Trusting God’s Timing and Faithfulness

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In a world that often values productivity over presence, it’s easy to get caught up in the rush to achieve the next goal or check off the next task. The pressure to keep moving forward can blind us to the beauty and purpose of where we are right now. Yet, there is a sacred invitation in the present moment, a call to slow down, breathe, and trust that God is at work—even when we cannot yet see the full picture.

Finding Joy in the Journey

Life is not a race to the next milestone; it is a journey filled with moments meant to be cherished. Each baby step of progress is a gift, a reminder that growth takes time and patience. There is profound joy in pausing to appreciate the small victories and savoring the simple pleasures of life. Perhaps it’s noticing the intricate beauty of a flower, hearing the laughter of a loved one, or experiencing the quiet peace of prayer. These moments remind us that life is not about capturing every highlight for the world to see but about holding those memories close in our hearts.

The world may tell us to hurry, to strive, and to capture every moment for display, but God calls us to be still, to trust, and to rest in His presence. Psalm 46:10 reminds us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” It is in stillness and trust that we discover the richness of the present moment.

The Faithfulness of Preparation

When we reflect on the life of Jesus, we see a profound example of patience and preparation. Though He was the Son of God, He waited 30 years before stepping into public ministry. During those three decades, He was faithful in the little things—working as a carpenter, living in obedience to His earthly parents, and growing in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52).

God used those quiet years to prepare Jesus for the extraordinary purpose that lay ahead. In the same way, God often uses the ordinary moments of our lives to shape us for His extraordinary plans. Every task, no matter how small, becomes an opportunity to grow in faith, character, and obedience.

We may not always understand why God asks us to wait or why progress seems slow, but we can trust that He is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). His timing is perfect, and His plans are far greater than anything we could imagine. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

Leaning into the Lord

As we journey through life, it is essential to lean into the Lord and allow Him to guide our steps. Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Trusting God means letting go of our need to control every outcome and resting in the assurance that He is faithful.

Leaning on God also means embracing the present with gratitude and trust. Instead of rushing through life, we can slow down and take time to seek His presence. In those quiet moments of prayer and reflection, He renews our strength and reminds us of His love.

Living Fully in the Present

To live fully in the moment requires a shift in perspective. It means releasing the need to constantly document or share every experience and instead being present to savor it fully. Not every beautiful flower needs to be photographed; sometimes, it’s enough to simply admire its beauty and let it become a fond memory. Not every milestone needs to be rushed toward; sometimes, it’s enough to trust that God’s timing is perfect.

When we focus too much on what’s next, we risk missing the blessings of today. But when we embrace the present with gratitude and trust, we discover the joy and peace that come from living in alignment with God’s will.

Faithful in the Little Things

As we navigate life, let us remember the example of Jesus. He was faithful in the little things, trusting that God was preparing Him for something greater. In the same way, we are called to be faithful in the small, everyday tasks of life. Whether it’s caring for a loved one, showing kindness to a stranger, or simply taking time to rest in God’s presence, these acts of faithfulness prepare us for the purposes God has for us.

God does not waste any part of our journey. Each moment—whether it feels significant or small—is part of His divine plan. As we trust Him and embrace the present, we can rest in the assurance that He is preparing us for such a time as this (Esther 4:14).

Conclusion

Life is a journey of trust, faithfulness, and presence. It is not about racing to the next task but about walking in step with the Lord, finding joy in the process, and being faithful in the little things. Just as Jesus waited 30 years for His ministry to begin, we too can trust that God’s timing is perfect. He is always at work, preparing us for the plans He has for us.

So, take a moment to pause, to breathe, and to savor the beauty of today. Trust that God is with you, guiding your steps and shaping your journey. Lean into Him, and let Him fill your heart with peace and joy. Life is not about capturing every moment but about living each one fully, knowing that God’s faithfulness never fails.

A Prayer for Living in the Moment and Trusting God’s Timing

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gift of today and for the many blessings You surround us with in every moment. Teach us, Lord, to slow down and savor the beauty of Your creation, to find joy in the simple things, and to embrace the journey You have set before us. Help us not to rush ahead or grow impatient, but to trust in Your perfect timing and faithfulness.

Father, we acknowledge that waiting can be hard, but we know that You are always working, even in the unseen. Prepare our hearts for the plans You have for us, and give us the strength to be faithful in the little things, just as Jesus was. Help us to lean into You when we feel uncertain, and remind us that Your love and guidance never fail.

Lord, give us eyes to see the beauty in the present moment, ears to hear Your voice, and hearts that are open to Your leading. Free us from the need to control or strive, and instead fill us with peace and trust in Your ways. Let us walk in step with You, knowing that each step is part of Your greater purpose for our lives.

Thank You, Father, for Your goodness and faithfulness. May we always live with gratitude for the present and hope for the future, resting in the knowledge that You hold all things in Your hands.

In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

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***Photo by Philippe Donn at Pexels

How to Overcome Obsessive Behaviour

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Obsessive behaviour often stems from an underlying struggle with fear, control, or misplaced priorities. It can be triggered by anxiety, perfectionism, or a deep-seated need for validation. Sometimes, it arises from an overemphasis on worldly matters, unhealthy attachments, or a desire to control circumstances that are beyond one’s power. These tendencies can dominate thoughts and actions, leading to imbalance and inner turmoil.

While the Bible does not specifically mention “obsession,” it provides principles that address related attitudes, thoughts, and actions. Understanding the root causes of obsessive behaviour is key to addressing it. The Bible offers wisdom and guidance to help individuals realign their focus, find peace, and develop a healthier perspective rooted in trust and faith in God. Below are key teachings to help overcome obsessive tendencies.

Avoiding Anxiety and Fixation

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6) This verse encourages believers to surrender their concerns to God rather than allowing them to become all-consuming.

Focusing on God, Not Earthly Things

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2) Fixation on worldly matters can lead to imbalance, but focusing on God provides peace and perspective.

Avoiding Idolatry

“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3) Anything that dominates one’s thoughts or actions, whether a person, goal, or object, can become an idol. Obsessive behaviour can be seen as a form of misplaced worship.

Practising Self-Control

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) The Holy Spirit equips believers with the ability to practise self-control and manage unhealthy fixations.

Renewing the Mind

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2) Through God’s Word, believers can reshape their thought patterns and avoid becoming trapped in obsessive thoughts.

Taking Every Thought Captive

“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) This reminds believers to align their thoughts with God’s truth, which can counteract unhealthy obsessions.

Pursuing Peace

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3) A focus on God brings peace, helping to reduce the turmoil often associated with obsessive behaviour.

These principles suggest that obsessive behaviour can often stem from misplaced priorities or an imbalance in one’s spiritual, emotional, or mental focus. The Bible encourages trusting God, seeking His guidance, and practising self-control to manage such tendencies.

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Photo by Marek Piwnicki at Pexels

3 Reasons People Come Into Our Lives

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People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON . . . It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON . . . Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh.

They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

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Author Unknown / Photo by Pexels

Not I, But Christ

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“Lord, bend that proud and stiffnecked “I,”
Help me to bow the neck and die,
Beholding Him on Calvary,
Who bowed His Head for me.”

The following are some of the features and manifestations of the self-life. The Holy Spirit alone can interpret and apply this to your individual case. As you read, examine yourself in the very presence of God. Are you ever conscious of:

A secret spirit of pride-an exalted feeling in view of your success or position; because of your good training or appearance; because of your natural gifts and abilities. An important, independent spirit?

Love of human praise; a secret fondness to be noticed; love of supremacy, drawing attention to self in conversation; a swelling out of self when you have had a free time in speaking or praying?

The stirrings of anger or impatience, which, worst of all, you call nervousness or holy indignation; a touchy, sensitive spirit; a disposition to resent and retaliate when disapproved of or contradicted; a desire to throw sharp, heated flings at another?

Self-will; a stubborn, unteachable spirit; an arguing, talkative spirit; harsh, sarcastic expression; an unyielding, headstrong disposition; a driving, commanding spirit; a disposition to criticize and pick flaws when set aside and unnoticed; a peevish, fretful spirit; a disposition that loves to be coaxed and humored?

Carnal fear; a man-fearing spirit; a shrinking from reproach and duty; reasoning around your cross; a shrinking from doing your whole duty by those of wealth or position; a fearfulness that someone will offend and drive some prominent person away; a compromising spirit?

A jealous disposition, a secret spirit of envy shut up in your heart; an unpleasant sensation in view of the great prosperity and success of another; a disposition to speak of the faults and failings, rather than the gifts and virtues of those more talented and appreciated than yourself?

A dishonest, deceitful disposition; the evading and covering of the truth; the covering up of your real faults; leaving a better impression of yourself than is strictly true; false humility; exaggeration; straining the truth?

Unbelief; a spirit of discouragement in times of pressure and opposition; lack of quietness and confidence in God; lack of faith and trust in God; a disposition to worry and complain in the midst of pain, poverty, or at the dispensations of Divine Providence; an overanxious feeling whether everything will come out all right?

Formality and deadness; lack of concern for lost souls; dryness and indifference?

Selfishness; love of ease; love of money?

These are some of the traits which generally indicate carnality in the heart. By prayer, hold your heart open to the searchlight of God. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me” (Psalms 139:23-24).

The Holy Spirit will enable you, by confession and faith, to bring your “self-life” to the death (Romans 8:12-13). Do not patch over, but go to the bottom. It alone will pay.

Oh, to be saved from myself, dear Lord,
Oh, to be lost in Thee;
Oh, that it might be no more I,
But Christ that lives in me. “Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

~ Poem by Roy Hession author of ‘The Calvary Road’

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This Is Why Your Not Married

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There are a few theories out there on why women over a certain age are not married. Many of these may be stereotypical while others hold some truth.

I will be focusing on one of the most important reasons for why some single women are not married.

Before I go ahead, I want you to know this was hard to write, not because it’s not true but because of the magnitude of truth. I had touched on it in a previous post but had felt the burden in my spirit to focus squarely on it.

I know God wants me to speak about this and to do so in clear terms.

Here it is:

We are not married because we will forget God. Because getting married will take us away from God. 

We have knowingly or unknowingly replaced God with marriage where our true service and our true love is not God but marriage or what we believe marriage will give us.

Our prayers for a good man have been unanswered and heaven has been silent not because God wants to deny us the good gifts he has for us but because he knows that this very thing we want will take us away from him.

We may promise or vow that we will be closer to him when we get married but is that really the truth?

We have to realise that God sees through our words. He is the only one that knows the true state of our hearts and our intentions.

Which means we can’t pay lip service to loving him. 

WHERE IS GOD IN YOUR LIFE?

What are the things that matter to you? The things you focus all of your time and energy on. Many of us are so consumed with the need to get married and have children that every other thing takes second place.

Marriage becomes an idol in our lives and this idol will only grow bigger when we’re married to include the very husband and children we have desperately desired.

When we do this, we miss out on the most important relationship we could ever have.

One thing about idols is that we often don’t even realize what they are. We don’t realise how our identity, our happiness and our successes are tied to these idols.

Dear friend, it’s time for some honest introspection. Have you placed marriage on a pedestal? Do you believe your life will only make sense when you’re married and have children?

Do you equate your marriage with finding your purpose?

Well, I’m here to tell you that it will not happen. Should you force God’s hand or marry without recourse to him, you may find that your marriage becomes a den of problems rather than a haven of peace.

These words may seem harsh and hard but it wouldn’t be the first time. A look at the Bible will show how God feels when we demote him from his rightful place in our lives. The first and everlasting commandment is that we love God and that he remains number one in our lives.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.”

Luke 10:27(NKJV)

“You shall fear the Lord your God and him only shall you serve…”

Deutronomy 6:13 (para.)

GOD MUST COME BEFORE MARRIAGE

Nothing and no one should take his place.

If you know you may have unknowingly done this, I know God is calling you to repent and come back to him.

“Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,”

Acts 3:19(NIV)

Never forget that God gave us marriage as a gift and for a purpose – for companionship, for his glory and propagation of his kingdom. We cannot misuse this gift.

Similarly, God is not a trader neither is he Santa Clause. Be careful that your worship is not a trade by barter where you believe you should be rewarded with a good husband for serving God.

We are to serve him and love him because his is God and is worthy of all our praise.

GOD LOVES YOU AND WANTS THE BEST FOR YOU

Here’s another truth, repenting and changing our ways does not mean we will get married. Even if we were to love God without pretence or expectation, we have to realise this is not an automatic opening for marriage.

Marriage is not a reward for being good

Why? Because God’s plan for your life may mean that you will get married now, later or not at all.

I know this is hard to read much more accept but it doesn’t change the truth. God knows the path he has for you, trust him to bring it to pass. I promise you that it will be the best for you.

We need to remember that Our time on earth is merely a blip in eternity.

According to Rick Warren of The Purpose Driven Life “Measured against eternity, our time on earth is just a blink of an eye, but the consequences of it will last forever. The deeds of this life are the destiny of the next.”

Which means we have to be careful how we spend it since it is this temporary life that determines our permanent location (heaven or hell, life or death).

I hope looking at your life this way gives you perspective and helps you prioritize the permanent things over the temporary.

GET MARRIED FOR THE RIGHT REASONS

Dear friend, please don’t get married for marriage’s sake. Do it because you believe it is the right time and the right person.

Don’t scheme, pretend, lie or sin to get married, your life and identity in Christ is worth more than that. 

I am always comforted knowing that God knows what’s best for us. You might not understand why it’s taken this long, you might even think he’s forgotten you, but know that he hasn’t.

He wants us to trust that he will give us what is right for us. Even if you’re feeling the pressures, even if everyone around you is getting married (and did it on their own terms, without God), realise that you’re different. No two lives are the same, so stop focusing on the lives of others. 

As God’s child, you’re working under heaven’s rules not earth’s rules. This means you cannot live according to the precepts of the world even though you’re in the world.

Be encouraged! Remember that with God, it will all work out for your good and will definitely be better than anything you could have imagined for yourself.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” 

Romans 8:28(NIV)

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** By Chioma Oparadike