Christian life illustrations

Waiting at the Traffic Lights

We all dislike the inconvenience of traffic lights. They stop us mid-journey and delay us from reaching our destination. However, think of the chaos on our roads without them.

In our busy lives we can become so impatient to reach our destination that we grow irritated with life’s many red lights. Sadly, when interruptions make us frustrated, it is the first sign we are losing our graceful way. It won’t be long before we are so preoccupied with our own plans that we are completely insensitive to the destinations of others.
Instead, we should take every delay as an opportunity to relax and look around – otherwise, we will never enjoy life’s journey because we are so focused on reaching our destination. God is in control of all life’s traffic lights. We should be confident of reaching our objectives at precisely the right time - even allowing time to show compassion and consideration to other travelers.
If we continue to speed through life’s red lights, God is the policeman who stops our reckless driving to avoid a fatal accident. He gives us a ticket (divine discipline) to remind us there are other drivers on the road-of-life who also have very important destinations. (Philippians 4:11-13)

Life is Just a Game

‘Games’ come in many forms and can be played on boards, play-stations or computers. They are lots of fun but the outcome has no value in the real world. We may monopolise the board, create the strongest character, win countless victories and collect all the treasure - but as soon as the game is finished, all those treasures and victories are meaningless.

Life is like a game. What we monopolise in this life will not help us in the after-life. We may accumulate much wealth, we may win prestigious awards and achieve great things while we live, but when we die these things instantly become meaningless. God has told us not to strive for earthly-wealth, but acquire treasures that have eternal significance.
Our number-one priority should never be temporal promotions, investments, power and security because when life on earth ends all these will be as useful as ‘Monopoly’ money. We should stop ‘playing games’ when there are very real opportunities to gain priceless treasure which God guarantees we’ll keep for eternity - simply by following our Lord, Jesus Christ and investing in God’s plan.

School of Life

School of Life School is a place or institution for learning, teaching and testing.

Life itself is the school we attend before graduating to eternity – it is certainly a place of learning, teaching and testing. While alive, we are in attendance - but being present doesn’t mean we are paying attention. As with any school, our choices determine whether we pass or fail. If we have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ we immediately get a pass (to Heaven). If we fail to believe in Christ and reject God’s gift of salvation, sadly our eternity will be Hell.
Those who graduate to Heaven still have to receive their final grade - somewhere between A+ and D-. The overall grade will be determined by, firstly, how we fared in life’s many tests of thought, people, system, prosperity and adversity. Secondly, it will be decided by the various Christian assignments we completed in life. The results will reflect on how attentive we were in class (our understanding of God’s Word). If we skipped class and failed to complete our assignments, we can’t expect to receive good marks (rewards).
On final graduation from life (through death), when we stand before God’s throne for our report, we will wish to hear the Supreme Principal of the Universe say: ‘Graduated from the School of Life – WITH HONOURS.’ (Matthew 25:21)

Uneasy Rests the Crown

We assume it is good to be a King. He has power, great riches and people vying for his attention. While this may be so, the King is also a regular target of those constantly trying to steal his wealth and usurp his power. The truth is, with all his riches and power; he cannot buy privacy or peace of mind.

We wrongly assume that if we reach our aspirations, happiness will follow. All our problems will then be solved, people will celebrate with us and our personal prosperity will at last begin. Regrettably, this is usually the start of our problems, the beginnings of misery and a time of great personal attacks.
For every action - there is a reaction. The greater your impact - the greater your opposition. For every person who claps you on the back – there is another who stabs you in the same spot. The greater your size – the bigger the target you make. Prosperity is one of life’s hardest tests – it breaks more people than it makes. Once you have a crown, it’s so easy to lose it.
So, what is life’s ideal environment? Every set of circumstances (rich or poor, famous or unknown, powerful or insignificant, successful or failed) has its own set of tests. We must quit looking for ‘Heaven on Earth’; it does not exist. God never said that Heaven would be found in the Devil’s world. Happiness is a state of the soul, found in a spiritual environment. We must be careful wishing for success, prosperity or fame. God has a sense of humour - He may just give us what we wish. (Proverbs 19:10, Ecclesiastes 2:4-11)

Childish Things

Children love toys and playing childish games. As they grow into adulthood it is natural for them to put aside childish things. As parents, we shouldn’t not demand they instantly grow up. If we take away their toys before they are ready to give them up of their own accord, we can unwittingly do more harm than good.

Just as a child does childish things, so do new believers do spiritually immature things. However, in the spiritual-life we are sometimes guilty of demanding that new believers to ‘give up this’ and ‘stop doing that’ in order to be instantly more mature.
We should show more parental tolerance and allow them to grow spiritually in their own time. We should not concentrate on the childish things they are doing, but extend grace and leadership for them to grow under God’s guidance. As they become more spiritually-mature they will automatically give up their childish things - not for the wrong reasons of guilt, pressure or bullying, but because God has revealed something much, much better. (1 Corinthians 13:11, Jon 16:12)

The Life of the Party

We all like to be invited to a party or a celebration. It is a time to put aside our cares to honour someone or something special in our lives. Whether it is a birthday, a wedding, an anniversary or simply a get-together, we plan to have a good time. In our quest to make merry, we avoid rude and depressing people and seek the ‘life of the party’ where people are joyful and carefree. Naturally, we want to celebrate with those who are celebrating.

God is hosting an event called, ‘Time’. He has called us to be the ‘life of the party’ and rejoice in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. He has arranged the catering, brought the gifts and paid the costs. All we need do is choose to attend. Even in our darkest hours we should turn on the lights (remember God’s grace and provision) and celebrate. God understands that every party has broken glasses (tragedies), but He has said He will pick up the pieces and clean up the mess (if we let Him). God has taken away all our excuses for being miserable. He commanded us to cast our cares and worries on Him and celebrate as if every day is Christmas (because it is).
God has asked just one thing. When people pass by and see us celebrating, we should invite them in saying, ‘The Host welcomes all guests – there’s no charge, the bill has been paid – walk through the “Door of Christ” and give your cares and worries to the Host.’ (Psalms 13:5-6)

Cursing the Rain

We quite often curse the rain for the inconvenience it may cause us. Yet, without that rain we would surely die.

We are strange creatures who sometimes curse the things that keep us alive. At times even our family and friends, who care and support us, are the ones who bare the brunt of our worst behaviour.
Never has a man been the object of so much animosity than our Lord Jesus Christ. What did he do to deserve such hatred? He gave his life so we may be saved. Ironically, some use his name as a swear word.
God’s grace always rains down upon us, but sadly too many of us walk through life with our umbrellas still up. (Psalms 107:1)

Reflections

To see our reflection we need a mirror and another basic component – light. If we stand in front of a mirror in complete darkness we won’t see our reflection. In partial light our reflection is vague. If we want a true reflection of ourselves we need to place ourselves under full light. Alternatively, if we want to imagine we are film star material, we should stand in dim light, hide our flaws and show our best side.

In order to see a true reflection of our spiritual self we need a mirror and light. The mirror is the Word of God and the light is God Himself. We may have the mirror (Bible) and look into it every day, but unless we have a personal relationship with God and let Him light up all facets of our spiritual life, then we won’t see ourselves as we truly are (a mirror is no good in darkness). Without God’s light we can easily hide the flaws and emphasise only our best side. We may convince many people we are spiritual superstars, but God knows we are just another ugly Christian who refuses to step into the light.

God Botherers

A botherer is a term for someone who bothers others. A God-botherer is a term of ridicule given to Christians to define someone who is always annoying God. But if God could be annoyed, what would really be bothering Him?

God is the Author of all creation and Supplier of all things necessary for our daily survival. So, does God get annoyed when we seek Him in gratitude or in times of trouble, or would He rather we ignore and not acknowledge Him in any way?
God is never bothered when we make constant requests, when we chat with Him continuously and come to Him with all our problems – in fact, He commands it. The truth is we bother God when we rely on all His riches to keep us alive and yet have no interest in what He has to say. We bother God when we rely on His grace and mercy yet have no grace and mercy for others. We bother God when we reject His priceless gift of salvation when His Son (Jesus Christ) has already paid the ultimate price. Yes, it’s a fair question to ask ourselves - are we God botherers?

Baking a Cake

Some cakes look great with a cherry popped on top; however, its taste should never be judged by its garnish. If a cake is made with sickening ingredients, no amount of decoration will make it appealing to taste.

A person’s life should not be judged by its decorations (fancy clothes, house, car, etc); it should by measured by the richness within. The ‘World’ teaches us that happiness is in appearances – a life garnished with cherries is the successful recipe that will be applauded. Yet if our life is filled revolting ingredients (bitterness, hatred, anger, jealousy and pride) no matter how much we decorate it, nobody in their right mind is going to want a slice. True, they may come into our kitchen for a cherry but, rest assured, not for the cake.
For a life fondly remembered (for the right reasons), we must refer to a recipe book (Bible) written by a successful Chef (God). Inside are all the ingredients needed for an enriching life. When we start using Christ-like love, compassion, patience and so on, people will be drawn to our kitchen and soon be asking for our recipe for life.

Wise Fools

After a long night of drinking, a foolish young man hoping to impress his mates jumped into his car and sped around the neighborhood. Before long, a telephone pole jumped out in front. His horrified mates pulled him from the burning wreck and called an ambulance, but it was clear he only had minutes to live. Crowding around him, his mates heard him gasp his final words, ‘I’d pay anything NOT to have done that.’ His mates all agreed… his dying words were very wise in hindsight.

Wisdom is beyond price. Ask anyone in hindsight how much they would pay to reverse the foolish act that led to the death of loved ones. Ask the invalid in a wheelchair, crippled through their own stupidity, how much they would give to regain the use of their body. Ask the drug addict who has ruined their life, how much they would offer not to have started the habit. And ask the person infected from a one-night-stand with aids, the amount they would pay to reverse the decision of that foolish night.
Wisdom not only gives us the ability to do the right thing but, more importantly, the discernment not to do the wrong thing. God invests large portions of the Bible in teaching wisdom – our attainment of which is said to be more precious than gold, silver and expensive stones. It is interesting to note that we give priority to educating our children in ways of becoming successful and wealthy, but neglect the lessons of becoming wise. (Proverbs 3:13-16)

Spiritual Babysitting

As babies, we are hopelessly dependent creatures - our every need must be fulfilled by another. As children, we are totally self-absorbed – seldom putting the needs of others before our own. As adolescents, we begin learning to put the needs of others before our own – but frequently choose to be selfish. As adults, we should be mature enough to put the needs of others before our own.

When a person becomes a Christian, he or she is said to be born again - and generally shows traits of a baby (spiritually). However, as in life, Christianity is all about growth. It is a slow process of changing from a dependent, self-centred Christian who always expects compassion, sensitivity and toleration (but shows very little) - to a mature Christian who has developed the spiritual-strength to put the needs of others before their own.
As soon as we show traits of spiritual maturity, God will start bringing immature Christians into our life for us to baby-sit (encourage, nurture, lead and tolerate).

Clash of Schedules

A lady had an important job interview, a school reunion and an exciting date all in the one day. To fit it in, she planned everything to the last minute, but on arriving at the bus stop (right on schedule), she found that all bus drivers had scheduled a strike.

To reach certain objectives in life we soon learn to plan ahead. However, have we stopped to consider that our schedule may be interfering with God’s schedule? God is the busiest Being in the universe and has a very tight agenda. His schedule is flawless – everything will happen at exactly the right time and place. For example, when God brings certain people and circumstances into our lives, it may be an inconvenience to us, but we must be flexible and understand that these circumstances have arrived on cue according to God’s schedule.
We should ask ourselves, are we too busy with our own schedule to have God interrupt us with His? Which schedule is more important? We should try to be sensitive to life’s daily interruptions. We should not be so timetabled that there is no room for God’s plan. (Philippians 4:11-13)

Eyes On The Road

When driving a car, our eyes must always stay on the road in order to reach our destination. At times we need to glance down to check gauges and make minor driving adjustments, but if we take our eyes off the road for an extended time we are sure to have an accident.

The same principle applies in life. If we focus on the things we are doing instead of where we are heading, we are setting ourselves up for a crash. There are many turns and obstacles in the Christian way of life. As we move forward there will be many opportunities and setbacks (accelerating and braking), decisions (steering), and preparation (gear changes). There will even be time for entertainment (stereo), but we should never focus or be distracted by these things. Eyes should always remain on Christ and Heaven. As when driving a car, all our actions and changes in life should be in direct response to our oncoming destination (eternity in Heaven).

Spiritual Suicide

Suicide is the act of deliberately taking one’s life. It can also be defined as an intentional or unintentional act causing separation from a political, professional or social life. Suicide is simply an act of separation - parting us from all future opportunities.

At the point of salvation (belief in Christ) we are given spiritual life, yet many Christians commit spiritual suicide (separate themselves from a personal relationship with God). As Christians, we can never lose our salvation (that’s eternally guaranteed), but we can deliberately separate ourselves from the spiritual life that God intended for us. We may have many justifications for spiritual suicide, but so do those who commit physical suicide. We may go through a horrible tragedy and think that God doesn’t care. Then, by a wilful act we commit spiritual suicide, destroying all future opportunities of God working in our lives and becoming everything He intended for us. However, unlike other forms of suicide, spiritual suicide can be reversed. God can heal any wounds we inflict upon ourselves. We just need to phone the help-line (pray to God) and it won’t be long before we hear the sirens of Grace rushing to our aid.

Buy Now - Pay Later

Apart from God’s gracious gifts, everything in life has a price. Don’t be fooled - we seldom get out of paying. We either pay beforehand or pay later, often with interest.
Buy now – pay later, may be an acceptable concept when buying goods in life, but “paying later” is to be avoided when it applies to our physical body. If we don’t find time to exercise, then we will pay later when we are unwell. If we don’t find time to eat the right food, we pay later when we are sick.

That which is true of the body is often true of the spirit. If we don’t find time to study God’s Word, trust in Him and utilise His power, then we will have no option but to pay the price later when life’s many problems break us. We live in a time of mental break-downs, stress, depression, hatred, fear and suicide. We are all running up accounts which must be paid one day. We can save much grief and avoid mounting debts if we simply remember - prevention is better than the cure.

Church Clothes

Church Clothes For generations, people have dressed in their Sunday-best clothes to go to church. On arriving home, they place their Sunday-best neatly back into the closet - not to be worn again until the next service.

Often as Christians, we can be guilty of putting on church-personalities as we would our Sunday-best clothes. When in a Christian environment, we are bubbly, friendly and seemingly without a care in the world. We use the right spiritual words and catch-phrases and all our actions are carefully pious. But as soon as we arrive home, we take off our Sunday-best-personality and put on our normal hang-ups such as discouragement, guilt, resentment and depression.
We should consider why we do this and who we are fooling. God has commanded our life be without hypocrisy, not to put on a disguise to keep us socially acceptable. God sees and knows us as we really are. We can’t fool Him with our church-going personality. Yet for some strange reason we feel that if our fellow Christians think highly of us, God will too. The truth is we gain nothing of value by fooling our peers and often it is the very thing that stops us from having an honest relationship with God. (Romans 12:9).

Last Dying Thoughts

A man collapsed from a heart attack. He sensed he could have only moments to live. With his ‘last dying thought’ he wondered if this would affect his chance at the upcoming promotion.
It’s ludicrous to think that a person’s supposed last dying thoughts would concern promotions, unpaid bills, petty squabbles, or gaining wealth. They are such insignificant thoughts when weighed against death, yet we spend so much of our life concerned with the insignificant.

True, we need to attend to such matters on a daily basis, but sadly we often give the mundane too much priority and neglect things of ultimate importance. As unpleasant as the thought may be, we all die. We should live every day as if it were our last – for it might be. We shouldn’t wait until our death-bed to be concerned about things that are truly significant.
God graciously gives us time to consider things of ETERNAL significance – like Christ, salvation, our relationship with our Creator and our relationship with people.
We should take time to question, if I was dying now what would be my dying thoughts? Interestingly, those thoughts should probably be our ‘daily living thoughts’.

Roller-Coasting Through Life

Ride of your life A roller-coaster is a thrilling fun ride at an amusement park in a small, open car speeding along a designated track that rises steeply, curves and then drops away sharply.

Life can be like riding a roller-coaster - a seemingly out-of-control thrill ride. The trouble is many don’t enjoy the ride because they can’t control the direction in which they’re heading. Like the roller-coaster, life has no steering wheel, but this does not mean it is out-of-control. God has designated a route for each of us to travel. His plan has many dips, curves and rises. To fully appreciate the ‘ride’ we should give up trying to control the direction life takes and wave our arms in delight with every twist and turn. After all, isn’t life just a short amusement ride (with many ups and downs) before entering eternity? (Psalm 31:24)

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