STOP WHINING AND START WINNING

At times it comes to you as advice, encouragement, or friendly gesture but YOU JUST DON’T SEE IT AS THAT.

“I know exactly what you going through, I was once there but beat it up and stand on your feet”. These could be some of the words you get from your loved ones.

To be honest I do not know what I'm writing about but I feel the urge to let go of what’s  inside, the words will eventually take the shape of the title just like water takes the shape of a glass, bottle or bucket.

Someone once gave me this example; that the BIBLE is more like a container, so when you study the word of God you should seek for the true meaning behind what is written there. She continued and said “when I ask you to bring me water you take a glass and pour water in it, then you will give me a glass so I can drink the water that I asked for, but what I really wanted is what is inside the glass and NOT the glass.

At that time I was fascinated by the kind of example she gave and totally dismissed the reason why she gave me such example, six years later am reminded of the real reason why this example came forth.

:: Side Tracker ::

Have you ever felt like things are not going the way you want them to, people do not understand you the way they should, the world may expect a lot from you, there are these endless responsibilities you can stand up to and so on…?

Maybe this is how some of you have been feeling:

·        My pastor tries too much to help me, but I could use one more teaching then I can stand on my feet

·        My family expects this super intelligent me to rise deep within me then business ideas will sprout

·        My friends think I am a hard worker therefore getting a job and maintaining it should be easy for me

·        My colleagues at work expect me to go an extra mile for our team project while they work on their individual reports 

·        My siblings think because I love children then it’s a passport to being their baby sitter

·        My lecturers think it’s easy to prepare for exams, while working on these assignment presentations and final   year project

·        My supervisor wants me to do all the job,prepare interview questions and call interviewees

·        My life is not going according to plan and if it were not because of these people I would be doing great on my own

Please allow me to say this to you, (with all due respect) STOP WHINING AND START WINNING, you can make a choice right now and decide enough of complaining about all that going wrong in/ around your life and start taking the right steps towards excelling.

Going back to the example above

I found myself in an awkward position some days back, I took some time out to understand the flow of some things in my life and I was debating over the fact that I do all these scriptural exercises of; praying and fasting, praying at mid night hours,reading the Bible, waking up early to decree and declare good things into my day …the list is endless and I know you know it all, but I have no good result show forth. The result of this analysis was that I whine a lot about things not being right and nothing ever goes according to plan (I can’t remember how I ended up reading the Bible) but I was reading the first chapter of Proverbs,the entire book of Proverbs in the Bible talks more on wisdom and that seem to be King Solomon’s focus.

After reading the whole of chapter one, my attention was drawn to verses 20-33. Here I have been constantly asking God to give me wisdom to walk in His will and to also achieve all of my plans. I have been asking for that glass of water (Wisdom) and He gave me the Holy Spirit to teach me how to apply what I'm asking for.

Picture it like this:

Water -->Wisdom

Glass --> Holy Spirit

John 14:26  (NKJV) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

These were Jesus’ words when He was about to ascend to heaven, telling His disciples who will come after Him and to do what exactly. Based on my little understanding and revelation; if a glass already reveals the colour of water from a far distance and it also determines what shape the water will take then it’s a simple reflect of how the Holy Spirit works. The Holy Spirit should reveal to us the kind of people God has created us to be, then show us paths to take in order to shape up into who God wants us to be.

But there I was whining about how this and that isn't right, am I trying to say this is who God created me to be,let alone wants me to be??? That’s NOT my God; further more that’s not how the Holy Spirit operates. Am I telling people this is how they should see me from afar distance, as a whiner ….?

I had to make a decision of stopping whining and start winning by taking some time to study these verses. In another Bible they are titled as ‘results of rejecting wisdom’.

Proverbs 1:20- 33 (NIV)

20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out,in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: 22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? 23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. 24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, 25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, 26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster;I will mock when calamity overtakes you--27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble over whelm you. 28  "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. 29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, 30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. 32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."

I got scared for my  life and how I have been living it, I realized that despite whining and these ‘scriptural exercises’ I have not been paying attention to what the Holy Spirit wants me to learn and understand. I was busy complaining whereas I haven’t been obeying the voice of God. John 16:13 (NKJV) says 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

When the Holy Spirit was seeking for my attention, crying out loud so I can learn about wisdom and how to apply it in my life, I never bothered to listen instead I wanted to be comfortable with the way I was doing things. Little did I know that my ignorance, attitude and behaviour are the reason why I keep whining, hence I might experience what is verse 26-32.

Make a decision of starting to win.

Thankful and Grateful

Maybe you wondering how you going to start winning, and my advice is start by being grateful of what you have right now, be it your job, family, pastor, grandparents, church, children, car,bed/mattress, house whatever it is be thankful for it because someone else out there needs them. You can be thankful but it seems not to be enough, go an extra mile and be grateful (purpose in your heart/mind that you will do something that involves taking action besides opening your mouth to say thank you Lord or thank you pastor for a good message). *Let it cost you

·        Buy your spouse a gift to show how grateful you are that s/he cares for you

·        Give your pastor an offering for a good message preached

·        Cook your parents a good meal or take them out

·        Purpose in your heart that every morning you will remind your children of how much you love them

#David expressed how much he thanked God but wanted to show God how grateful he was Psalm 116:12-14

Encourage someone every day

Make it point that every day you encourage someone out there, you may not know what exactly it is they are going through but small words like ‘you look good, your dress is beautiful, that is a nice tie, God loves you, I like the way you walk’ and giving them a smile. Such words have great power in them because you are boasting their confidence.

·        After the service locate one usher in church and thank them for a job well done

·        Spend some time teaching a colleague in an area they could use help in 

·        Buy your wife/sister/mother a cook book

·        Ask a stranger if you can pray for them

Just let not a day go by without that small but massive kind of act, because not only does it puts a smile on that person’s day or puts a cherry on top of your day but above all it pleases God.

Take time to study the word of God and listen to the Holy Spirit

You might be like me, and you want certain changes in your life and the truth is, that is only achievable if you spend much of your time not just reading but studying the word and listening to what the Spirit says, moreover acting on what the Spirit of God says. Verse 31 of our main scripture reading says (paraphrasing) if you listen to me then will I guide you and you shall not worry about anything because your steps are ordered by me.

·        Have a specified time set aside for studying the word of God

·        Join your church’s cell groups

·        Attend midweek services to build your faith up

·        Arrange with your family or friends to have time where you share scriptures and pray together

These are the few ideas that will help you start winning, changing the route that your life was in before and excelling in what your desire. Let us be wise to allow the Holy Spirit to show us how we ought to live according to God ways not our ways, if we can do this then our lives will shape up nicely.

I hope this brings a spark of enlightenment to you as much as it did to me

By

Kesego Ramoleko

(Thank you Holy Spirit)

The Born Again Faith

I woke up one morning and remembered the things I used to do, things I used to be great at. I sat at the corner of my bed as I reminisced on those memories; it felt like it was just yesterday. I started telling people tales of how I used to be a great leader, a good dancer, and the list is endless but the one that struck me most and caught my attention is that whenever I tell them I used to be a dangerous prayer warrior they give me this ‘n then look’. There was one response that hit my consciousness and it was of a 7 year old boy who asked me then what happened, what is stopping you from continuing being a dangerous prayer warrior?

…and my response was I don’t know, I guess staff happened. There is nothing that’s annoying like a 7 year old inquisitive boy bombarding you with questions you haven’t asked yourself; he asked me what am I willing to do with it, am I comfortable and happy telling people things of the former glory. MXEM….kids…they just bluff, wait until you get to where I am and you will tell me; that was my response.

No matter how ignorant you can try to be, the truth will always be the truth and it requires maturity for you sit down search and acknowledge your weaknesses and work on them, so that when someone points them out you won’t be ticked off by what is merely the truth.

As little Jonny walked away repeating the words former glory (you know kids can be when they what to annoy you), I got reminded of these two scriptures;

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.( Isaiah 43:18)

The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty. (Haggai 2:9)

This called for a serious personal check out, after 3 days I realized it’s an issue of FAITH and it can be tricky if you do not understand what I mean. I need faith to recuperate all that I lost; strength, focus, direction and my base of foundation who is Christ, with these and many more I can definitely get back on track and keep up to do even greater things. Many at times we struggle with a lot of issues, we tell people things we used to do and end up settling with I used to be; but with my little knowledge I had this revelation that, if I can tell people that used be a drunkard, rapists, thief, liar, fornicator, murder or witchdoctor but now I am a child of God, pastor, evangelist, apostle, cell leader, worship leader then it means I must have been born again somewhere in the process ( I must have received Christ and accepted Him as my Lord and savior). If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1:9.

I guess my faith can be born again…the born again faith…

As a now believer I used to do things of the world, things that I took joy in when I was a sinner and I heard about Christ, believed in Him and went on to be baptized with water and the Holy Ghost and now I’m leaving the life of a believer following Christ footsteps (Read 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 for further understanding). I got born again and stopped doing ungodly things, and I strive every day to walk in perfection just like Apostle Paul says Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me (Philippians 3:12).  The attribute of doing was required from me, accepting Christ and being baptized isn’t enough I had to stand up and do, act and imitate Christ.

It’s a similar approach with my ‘BORN AGAIN FAITH’, I used to believe in many philosophies and random people (which are somehow not bad at times) but I had to change my perception. My new found FAITH had to be born again, I believe in God with all that’s in me because the Bible said it is impossible to please God without faith… (Hebrews 11:6) as  I went on I realized that believing is not enough, I’m required to do more than just to have faith because if I don’t I will end up singing ‘I used to do this and that’ song. My faith can be renewed if I work it out, I stand up and act on the ‘I used to be’ so I achieve more and greater things, What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? (James 2:14).

James 2:14-26

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

One of the principle of Christianity is to do, Christ said I do the work of the one that has sent me;

1.   My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. (John 4:34)
2.   Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:29)
3.     As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. (John 9:4)
4.   The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him. (John 8:29)

If this principle is crucial then it means even that of faith is important, once you purpose in your heart not only have faith in yourself and in the things you used to do but start acting upon that faith by going back on your knees to pray, trace where you left of with being a good leader or dancer make ends meet just to get on your feet. I will say then your faith just got born again for you used to do them and fell off or got side tracked by life’s challenges but you refused to remain down and sing lonely song, you stood up and kept on with your walk with God.

It does not matter how many times you failed on that particular task, whether you just got demoted, retrenched, failed, you used to be worshipper or whatever it is. All that it needs is to revive your faith, stop telling people about your former glory rather prepare yourself to tell them about your new glory, the glory that will give you peace and greater joy.

For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again… (Proverbs 24:16), give your faith the chance it needs to bring you to your place of glory and not shame, just like you gave Christ the chance to bring you to His glorious seat and not defeat.

Arise and shine, child of God for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen  upon you, to give you faith which is the chance to be born again and stop saying I used to be.

By

Kesego Ramoleko