Trust and obey, for there's no other
way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey- John H. Sammis (1887)
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey- John H. Sammis (1887)
“So, how do I know I am not engaging a
20/20 vision?” this question stems from where we left off in the last
post. Below are three symptoms indicative of a lack of
20/20 vision:
·
Over-indulgence in things
such as food, sex, a habit or just about anything. As simple and harmless as it
may seem, we will stuff ourselves with cookies, pies, cakes…, indulge in solo travels/retreats,
trips to massage parlours, change (sexual) partners, do whatever, as long as we
don’t trust Jesus as the bread
of life who satisfies our deepest yearnings. Paul in 1
Cor.6: 12-13 (MSG) sums it perfectly: “Just
because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it’s spiritually
appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d
be a slave to my whims…Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary
thing, but that’s no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it
with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body!”
·
Worry/Anxiety:
everything will get at you when your vision isn’t 20/20- from the government’s
(unstable) policies, to “trade-wars” between nations, rumours of a “third world
war”, to your lecturer’s/superior’s mood swings, down to the opinion of the man
on the street about you! Worry leads to a miserable life because we refuse to
trust Jesus as our Good
Shepherd. Last I checked, the shepherd chooses
the sheep to tend and assumes
full responsibility for same, not the other way round.
·
Feeling lonely and forgotten: this feeling is as a result of believing the lies of the devil
thereby leading to depression, frustration and mental illnesses which has
become rampant. We don’t operate a 20/20 vision when we don’t trust Jesus to be
Emmanuel,
the God who dwells
in us even when alone, the One who
never leaves nor forsakes us.
I heard you- “how do I engage and sharpen my 20/20
vision in 2020? How do I ensure that I keep trusting and obeying?”
May I suggest that we commence each day with the
simple practice of resting, instead of just diving headlong into our busy
schedules.
Resting in the finished works of Christ by calling
to remembrance His goodness, faithfulness and unfailing love. Resting, by
stilling our busy and worried hearts in His presence by expressing how
desperately we need Him.
Resting, by coming boldly to the throne of His
grace to obtain mercy for our messes and failings, and take hold of grace to
help us as we declare our confidence in His trustworthiness.
This, my dear, is the way, to engage 20/20 vision
for 2020 and be happy in Jesus- trust and obey.
Reflection
·
Are there
other symptoms indicative of a lack of 20/20 vision asides those above? Let us
learn from them, do share with us in the comment section.