God is a crucial and vital participant in the unfolding destiny of humankind.
Every so often, we need to remind ourselves of this simple but essential truth. We are living in a world that is slowly losing grip on God’s presence, excluding God out of the equation of life, and even denying God’s very existence at times.
Many of our so-called human achievements have simply made us too proud. These accomplishments have caused us to treat God with so much contempt and disrespect.
Many of our exploits have also given us delusions that we are “gods” and that we are somehow in control of the universe.
If there is one good thing that has come out of every human tragedy and natural calamity we experience, it is the humble realization that rich or poor, learned or simple, accomplished or ordinary, no one could truly survive this life on sheer human effort alone.
We are, and will forever be under God’s grace and mercy.
When we see images of catastrophe — dead bodies by the hundreds and thousands lying on top of one another, wailing mothers and fathers carrying the bodies of their dead little children, extremely malnourished infants, mass destruction of land and property, and the unspeakable pain written in the faces of those visited by these tragedies — one is instantly humbled within.
One cannot help but realize that everything we consider precious and important in this world can vanish in a flash. In just a wink of an eye, everything built by our hands in this life can fall to pieces in no time. No wonder, Apostle Paul said, “Be careful how you build.”
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Foundation is that which holds our life together. Paul said that in the sacred task of life-building, we should be careful not to build our lives on marshy land, instead, anchor our lives in Christ alone.
According to scientists, the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy moves about 1/20th of an inch in a year. In time, it is believed that the 810-year old tower would have leaned too far, and will collapse.
Quite significantly, the word pisa in Italian means “marshy land” which gives us some clue as to why the tower began to lean even before it was completed.
In September 2011, several public high school football coaches in Westmoreland, Tennessee were reprimanded for bowing their heads during a student-led prayer before a game. According to reports, the coaches did not actually say anything aloud , but bowed their heads in observance alongside the students. The principal and the school district found the gesture inappropriate. Apparently, they found the coaches’ participation to be an uncomfortable mix of religion and public school.
In the end, no sanctions were imposed on the coaches. They were simply made to sign letters indicating they understood the school’s policy which prohibits staff from appearing to participate in a student prayer in any way.
One cannot help but think how some sectors in a nation that was once a bastion of faith in God, have now become contemptuous of their spiritual legacy.
We do not say this with judgment, but with care and great concern. At the end of the day, each one must make a personal choice about God.
For those who have already made that choice, we only need to affirm that possessing a complete posture of genuine dependency and heart-felt humility before the Lord is crucial to our survival in this increasingly complex world.
Building our lives with Christ as foundation is recognizing that in the end, we are not the masters of our destinies nor the ones in full command.
“…his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire. Although it often symbolizes discipline, scolding and chastisement, the fire of the Lord is an essential element in the pursuit of a truly powerful and meaningful life.
One night on December 1914, Thomas Edison’s manufacturing facility in New Jersey was damaged by a huge fire, and he lost about $1 million worth of equipment and other pertinent records about his scientific works.
The next morning, the 76 year-old-inventor called his staff and said, “There is value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Now we can start anew.”
Do you feel that you are under fire? How are you being visited by this fire? Is it through a personal betrayal, a financial struggle, an unexpected physical ailment, an experience of rejection, an unfounded accusation, the failure of our endeavors, a painful criticism against your very character, tension among family members, or even the pain of losing a loved one?
How we wish at times that our lives would be spared from such “fires”, but Christian writer Charles Spurgeon, seeing the value of these painful experiences said, “Many people owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous fire of difficulties.”
As we continue to engage in the building of our lives, may we be ever determined to stay strong in Christ – – – to cling on to his word, and to be patient in the midst of our pain.
May we also learn to brace ourselves so that when the fires come, we will be able to find our grip, stay focused, and endure.
And when everything quiets down, when we have survived these fires, may we be careful to give God all the thanksgiving, all the praise, all the glory for helping us make it through each and every time. Thank you, Jesus.
