self-help – Page 8 – 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐫

Finding The Way

Oliver Goldsmith was born the son of a poor pastor in Ireland in the 1700s. He was not a smart boy, his teachers made fun of him as a foolish boy. He graduated from college at the bottom of the rankings.

At first, Goldsmith wanted to try to become a pastor, but he later felt unsuitable. He tried in law but failed. He then tried to set his heart in medicine but again he didn’t fit in.

Goldsmith did not despair of finding his way in life. Eventually, he found his interest in writing. At first he worked as a writer on Fleet Street, then later he began writing novels, becoming a poet, and becoming a playwright.

That’s where Goldsmith became known as a world-class great writer. His works such as “The Vicar of Wakefield”, “The Deserted Village”, and “She Stoops to Conquer” won many awards and achieved great success.

A lot of people experience like Goldsmith, trying this doesn’t fit, trying it doesn’t fit, not maximal in this field, not developing in that field. As a result, his life was just like that.

Worse still, he didn’t try to find a way in life like Goldsmith, but he still did what he used to do, even though he didn’t enjoy his job and was not successful in that line of work. It’s like an eagle living in a pack of turkeys. The eagle actually felt unsuitable to live on land, but what could be done, instead of starving to death he chose to keep scavenging the land in searching for worms.

God created us very uniquely. God equips us with different potentials and strengths. Our task is to discover the superior potential within us and how to use those interests and talents as a path for us to success. If today we feel that we have not found superior potential in ourselves, continue to look for a way of life that truly matches our interests, talents, strengths and advantages.

We cannot be maximal if we do not find our “field”. Being close to God is the key so that we can see the path God has shown us in our lives until we can achieve that success in the end.

“For it is in Him that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.”

Problems And Maturity

Any problem we are experiencing must bring good if we are able to see and look at it from the right perspective, if we are able to respond to it with the right attitude of heart as well. No matter how big the problems we are experiencing today there must be valuable lessons we learn. If we address problems as life learning and part of the process of maturing faith, then we believe that good things must happen in our lives. We don’t need to be afraid, disappointed, and angry with God when we’re in trouble. If God allows us to have problems, trust God will definitely provide the best solution for us.

Not many people are able to address the problem from the right perspective! Most give a negative response to the problem they are experiencing. There was the slightest problem that they immediately complained, ranted, whined, sputtered, offended, angry, did not want to be counseled, and did not want to be reprimanded. Doesn’t this show that we are still acting like children or immatures.

Being physically old is certain for everyone, but becoming spiritually mature is because we want to process, one of the processes is through problems. Through the problem at hand, God is actually leading us to draw closer to Him. From there we realize that indeed our strength and abilities are very limited, therefore we need God in this life.

Through problems, we are taught to depend entirely on God and learn to hold fast to the promises of God’s words! Man’s promises are easily not kept and missed, but God’s promises are yes and amen! “Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass.” Don’t get hung up on problems or situations, because our lives are out of trust.

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.“

Be Thankful

After finishing the meal, a restaurant guest called the waiter of a restaurant to ask for the bill. The waiter offered a sum of the value he had to pay.

The guest deliberately gave money more than the value of the bill, while saying to the waiter, “The change just take it.”

Without a smile and without saying thank you, the waiter took the money given and just left immediately.

Inwardly, the guest shook his head. Even without tips money, the guest as a consumer deserves hospitality and gratitude, but this waiter is indeed “special”, has got tips, still puts on an unfriendly face, and does not say thank you.

The guest was not a respectful madman, but getting such treatment made him regret giving tips to the ungrateful person.

It was the same as Jesus felt when He healed ten lepers. How not, of the ten lepers He healed, only one returned to thank and glorify God. Ironically, that one person was a stranger who was a Samaritan. Where are the other nine people? They may be like the waiter of the restaurant told earlier, leaving immediately after receiving the miracle of healing.

Of the ten people, only one came back to give thanks. Perhaps that is the image of most human beings, that is, forgetting to thank you. Try to recalculate what blessings, miracles, helps, and things the Lord has given us. Among all those blessings, how many of us make time specifically to thank, give thanks, and glorify the Lord? Will the blessings and miracles we receive actually make us forget the God who gave blessings and performed miracles? If so, perhaps the Lord in heaven shakes His head at our ungrateful attitude.

Make time specifically to give thanks for the blessings, miracles, and kindnesses we receive. Don’t let God shake His head at our ungrateful attitude.

The Grandson Prayer

One day, a grandfather was passing in front of his grandson’s room.

He heard his grandson spelling the letters A to Z, but to his surprise, he heard his grandson spell the letters like a person praying.

A few minutes later, when his grandson stopped, the grandfather also opened the door of his grandson’s room and asked, “What were you doing just now, my grandson?”

Gently his grandson replied, “I was praying, grandpa.”

His grandfather asked again, “But, how come grandpa didn’t hear you say a single request to God?”

The child looked at his grandfather with a smile and said, “Grandpa, I was confused about what to ask God for, so I just say the letters A to Z, so that later God will choose for myself what is best for me.”

Surrender is an attitude that is often difficult for us to do. We often prefer to hold on to the problems we face rather than leave it to God. Why is that? Yes, it all happens because we consider the problem to be far greater than our strength. We often forget that our Lord is far more powerful than it is. We also often ask God to grant our requests and get angry when what we ask for is not granted. We often don’t want to know God’s decisions, whereas God knows better what’s best for our lives.

Remember that God knows what is best for us, even before we pray for it. God will not make us broken and disappointed. But God always has a beautiful plan in our lives. We just need to surrender and trust in Him. By surrendering and believing, we will not lose the best in our lives. But on the contrary, God will always give it immediately.

Surrender will make our lives always peaceful and happy, not because we have received God’s great blessings and miracles, but because we know that they must always be and will always be present in our lives.

Give up your life to the LORD and believe in Him, and He will act.

What If It Was Your Last Day?

If it had been to you that today was your last day living in this world, what would you do? How do you fill the rest of your time? Who will you meet at the last moment? Will your life attitude change drastically?

A wise man once said, “Every day we have to behave as if this is our last day, because indeed every ‘today’ can be our last day.”

This statement is not a scare, but indeed our day in this world may end at any time due to accident, illness or old age. That is why we must be on guard and careful of what we do and say.

We must resolve the last things by showing our love and respect for others, making peace with people we have problems with or preaching the good news to those around us.

Maybe even now you are still procrastinating to believe in God. You’re still waiting for the right moment that may never come true. Do not neglect it, for our last day in this world we do not know. Hear what the Apostle Paul said, “Verily this time is the time of approval; indeed, today is the day of that rescue”

Do you live every day as if this were your last day?WOULD YOU HAVE CHANGED IF THIS WAS YOUR LAST DAY?

The Living God

A human being who believes in a living God is a man of hope. Living without hope is a sign that one has not yet believed and acknowledged the living God.

The living God brings man to life; Man’s vital sign is that he is toils and struggling. A man who only multiplies hands has essentially no life; it is the work of life that is blessed.

Working hard and struggling with relying on himself and the strength he possesses means that he is not perfect in hope. The work of life without hope will make life depressed in all circumstances.

The living God is the Savior of all men meaning that God loves all men; the life of all human beings is in the love of God and man is called to save one another, to love one another in this life.

A living God being a Savior especially for believers means that there is special concern for God’s people, God’s presence being the color of his life at all times.

“For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.“

We Are Dust

It’s crazy how fast time flies and how things progress. While all dreams have not yet come true, our feet have stepped into a new year again. We have lived hard days, while this world is increasingly loaded with tests, challenges, suffering, and shocks. Really, the journey of life is so tiring. That’s why the psalmist advises, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

No need to bemoan fate and dissolve in regret. Time can not be turned back, will continue to go on and on. Let the days that we passed yesterday become a valuable experience and correction for us. Maybe all this time we have ignored God and prefer to rely on humans or our own strength in everything.

Relying on yourself is the same as relying on what is in yourself: money, deposits, wealth, status, education, position and so on. We feel that everything we achieve is solely the result of our own efforts, not because of God. But who are we that we are so proud of what we have David said, “… we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.”

We must realize that all these things that are attached to us will not be able to help and release us from the shocks that exist in this world, because we are only dust. How strong are we, so that in all matters we rely on ourselves our age, strength, ability, or intelligence is limited, mortal and will eventually disappear. So in man there is nothing that can be relied upon.

Therefore, never hope for fellow human beings, we will surely be disappointed. It is written: “Do not put your hope in man, for he is nothing more than a breath, and what can he be regarded as” We are but dust, therefore we have no reason to be proud of what we have.

Wake Up And Rise Up

The beginning of the year is the right time to re-evaluate our lives. Because of busyness and busy routines, many people forget and no longer have time to reflect on what they have lived throughout the past year. Life is very short, it’s a shame if we go through it without meaning.

Have we wasted all this time, or have we filled our time with useless things?”Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Many things need to be evaluated: ministry, work, studies, family, and our priorities. This evaluation aims to correct and improve the mistakes and deficiencies that we have done. After that we are determined to direct our eyes to the future. “… I forget what’s behind me and direct myself to what’s in front of me, and run to the goal to get the prize…”

When we look ahead there may be fear and worry because we don’t know what will happen. However, “Which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life. Therefore, do not be anxious and say: What shall we eat, what shall we drink, what shall we wear? All this is sought by the nations who do not know God… For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

As long as we put God first and live in the truth there is nothing to be afraid of and worry about tomorrow. Believe that God’s promises are yes and amen. Do our part, then God will surely fulfill His promises. Rise up! Don’t let the time you have wasted.

The Solar Eclipse

Several ancient tribes in the South American region worshiped the sun as their god. The sun is considered the source of their life. So they were very scared when suddenly something covered the sun and everything became pitch black. They think the god is angry. But, what actually happened was a solar eclipse. So the fear is actually due to their ignorance.

Often times we also have fears that actually stem from our own ignorance. When facing problems, we often limit God with our own understanding. Like the ancient tribes who were afraid because everything became dark due to a solar eclipse, we are also afraid when everything seems to have no way out, we forget that we have a God who is the Greatest, who is able to overcome everything.

When we accept God in our life, God has guaranteed our life. So actually there is nothing we need to be afraid of anymore. As children of God, you shouldn’t be afraid of problems. When everything seems “dark” to us, direct our eyes to Him and hold on to His promise that He is the one who can solve all our problems.

“Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.“

It Was Cloudy

It was cloudy that morning. Dark clouds hung in the sky. Two young men who were getting ready to go to work, stood in the same place but had two different opinions about the weather that day.

The first young man said, “Too bad, it’s cloudy again today. The roads will definitely be muddy.” But the second young man instead said, “Thank God, because today I don’t have to experience the heat of the sun.” Often we think that happiness comes from what is happening around us. But the truth is, happiness and joy are determined by what is happening in our hearts.

If we can be grateful in all circumstances, then no matter how difficult life is, we can still rejoice. But if we keep complaining, no matter how good the situation is, all we see is the bad. The attitude of our heart will determine how we view life. This is followed by actions as well as the way we act. So, let’s start our day by giving thanks.

Whatever happens, believe that God is always with us and works in all things to bring good to us who love Him. Gratitude will open the door of blessings, but complaints will only break our spirits.

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His steadfast love endures forever.”