Looking Inward & Outward (with the goggle of Faith) – Part 73

Dearly Beloved,

The following is another attempt to use the goggle of Faith to weigh various inspired thoughts, on another blessed day.

1. The true reason(s) why believers quietly withdraw in their hearts from the Lord – or why most would get offended in a purposeful relationship meant to nurture God’s purpose for their lives – remains unknown to them. As long as the purpose for a relationship isn’t prayerfully or wisely discerned, the power of darkness would always cook up excuses for us – and think through any measure of ignorance it finds in us (Acts 26:18). The Lord’s interest, most times, isn’t ours; and every other self-seeking interest is always a servant to sin, which would always give us a good reason to go “our own way” or “seek our own interest” (Phil. 2:20-21).

2. The things that bother us year-in year-out or the issues that get us anxious are hardly the things that bothered Jesus all His life! They aren’t matters that bother on the primary reason why we are on earth or alive today, which is to seek and inherit (God’s) eternal life. So the things that don’t bother us or cross our minds are the things that should do so daily; and what has kept this out of the reach or meditation of most believers is the power of darkness (Acts 26:18). The world was wisely fabricated to guarantee this! It is a well arranged orderly system/course that keeps men legitimately busy so they don’t attend to the primary need of their soul – until they grow old and have no strength for such (1Cor. 7:30-32, Prov. 20:29).

3. Heaven has no guarantee from us that we would still seek things that bother on our inheritance of eternal life. They haven’t and won’t answer many of our seemingly pressing prayers on things physical or even “spiritual”, as long as it would cost their plan to save our souls, a setback. Their delay or denial on some of our prayers is actually an act of wisdom and mercy, and so praying for enlightenment on lingering prayer requests or seeking counsel concerning it could make a whole world of difference on our prayer lives.

4. Bible greats till date aren’t being remembered for how comfortable or talented they were; or how fair the present life was to them. Rather, they continue to be referenced for making God the centre of their lives and for how they – despite all odds – contended for the promise of their day; by the faith of their day that made them live/walk in God’s sight. We also would only be remembered by men who matter in time and eternity, not for many things that consume our time today but for the obedience that our souls have fulfilled; for the life we trapped while keeping the Lord’s commandments or for our adventures while seeking to lay hold on eternal life.

5. When a believer has access to food and raiment, he has the basic provisions needed to seek and inherit the life/dominion that Christ Jesus left the throne to offer men (1Tim. 6:8, Isa. 4:1). Like it was with various Hebrews 11 saints who fully obeyed their faith course despite great odds and laid hold of their lots, so are we meant to. A believer who has limited or no earthly achievement – or who has no economic/social status, or who is physically limited – has been given an opportunity to press into the Kingdom and lay hold of eternal life. (Lk. 14:16-27).

6. The world is the first philosophy of gain – known or learnt by almost every soul. It has a price tag that carefully appeals to anyone who hasn’t seen its futility or whose primary hope isn’t that of the gospel; or whose greatest investment isn’t to also own (inherit) the gospel like Paul and others did (Rom. 2:16). It has a strong pull that has tossed generations of believers to and fro the earth, with pursuits that won’t cause their souls to appreciate in state/value. So one of the essence of the gospel of Christ is to facilitate our escape from the strong captivities of this world, even such that uses man’s legitimate needs to enslave him (Isa. 4:1-2, 1Cor. 6:2-13/10:23).

7. When we don’t allow the dictates or sound counsels of wisdom in the gospel of Christ to have the final say on every decision we make: martially, socially, financially, personally, spiritually etc., we give room for the power of Satan – sin – to influence us and do so (Acts 26:18). He waits and hangs around every decision we make; seeking to influence it in favour of the old man or our old/ignorant nature; so, we remain limited in the formation of the new man (Christ). When we perennially loose out in this warfare, we may get the things we want and make a name for ourselves, but we would gradually pass away – like such things always do (1Jn. 2:17).

8. Our souls can carnally pursue different things simultaneously; but it has been designed to only seek one thing as its priority, which becomes its love. So, when we aren’t seeking first the Kingdom and its righteousness, we would, by default, fall prey to seek something contrary; even the world – which has been anointed to make men anxious for more (Matt. 6:33-34). We end up loving whatever we daily seek first: either the Kingdom and its righteousness or all other things: money, pleasure, fame, influence etc.

Blessings!

Tayo Fasan

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