Christian Parables and Illustrations

Ride of a Life-time

Ride of your life When bike riding, it is exhilarating to coast downhill with the wind whistling by. It’s easy to be proud of speeds reached with so little effort. We often forget in these thrilling moments that gravity is doing most of the work. The real test of bike riding is when peddling uphill with the wind against you. Great strength is not built from coasting downhill, but by exerting yourself on the ride uphill.

Our journey through life is filled with ups and down. It is so easy to coast through prosperity when everyone is behind, backing and congratulating us. In positive and encouraging circumstances, life takes little effort and it’s easy to become overconfident.
The real test of character comes when we hit a hill of adversity – the wind suddenly changes and everyone seems against us. Progress can be so agonisingly slow, that we feel it would be easier to give up. However, God allows us to go through times of adversity in order to give us a chance to grow ‘spiritual’ muscle. We have to really focus on God and trust in His Word if we are to move forward. Our future ‘inner’ strength is built from adversity that we overcome today. If life was simply a ride of prosperity, the only thing that would be built is a big, self-absorbed ego.

Pounding New Members

Martial Arta Martial Art clubs are always keen to recruit new members. However, if a club’s philosophy is to zealously beat new members ‘black and blue’ in order to demonstrate what deficient fighters they are, few would ever return.

When we meet a new believer or a person interested in Christianity, we shouldn’t hit them with our personal list of taboos (on how to dress, choice of acceptable music, games to play or books to read, and such). If we pound them with, “NOW YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN YOU MUST DO THIS AND STOP DOING THAT”, we are not demonstrating any Christian tolerance and shouldn’t be surprised when they flee from Christianity. Our job is to encourage new Christians, not to bruise them ‘black and blue’ with our list of taboos, (often those taboos have no real Biblical standing).
Give new Christians time to find their feet – let them focus on the good news of the Gospel and knowing our Lord Jesus Christ. If changes are needed in their life, God’s Word and the Holy Spirit will reform them from within at precisely the right time without any spiritual bruising.

Mixed-up Kids

Christian Kids Most kids get things back-to-front. They give their utmost attention and best efforts trying to impress the ‘in-crowd’, who in return wouldn’t give them the time of day. And to the family who unconditionally loves and provides for them, they demonstrate their worst behaviour.

As we grow older, do we change? We give our utmost to companies that have no appreciation for our loyalty and if they thought higher profits could be made would retrench us without a second thought. We eagerly give our attention and time to rich and influential people, but to those who unconditionally love us we reserve our impatience and intolerance.
So too do we take for granted our Heavenly Father who unconditionally provides for our every need, keeps us safe, never forsakes us, loves us so much He came as a man and died on the Cross to provide our eternal salvation. Yet, unless we are in strife, we seldom give God the time of day.
Most of us are caught in the rut (the same as when we were kids) of chasing status, power and admiration of others. Sadly, if we pursue the attention of the World, it will use and inevitably spit us out. In retrospect, we will wish we had spent our time and effort on those few people who have always unconditionally loved us – the top of the list is our Heavenly Father. (1 John 4:9-10)

Stray Cattle

Cattle will often break through a fence and stray into bushlands. They aimlessly follow each other and wander farther and farther down the wrong track. Once night falls and the ready supply of food is not at hand, the stray cattle may wish they were back in the safety of their protected fold - but now they are lost. Unless their owner finds them and guides them back home, they will continue straying where circumstances lead until ending up in some wild back-country where they may stay for good.

God has promised that if we trust in Him, all our needs will be provided. Sadly, we are like cattle and often stray from what is best. Once on the wrong track, it’s natural to chase our fancies and follow other people who have also gone astray. Predictably, all will become lost. Our Divine Shepherd will call us back under His protection, but once on the wrong path sometimes it is easier to keep with the wandering herd than to go it alone and turn back. If we continually follow the fancies and people of this world instead of following God, we will inevitably end up in a ‘circumstantial-back-country’ where we may remain for the rest of our miserable life.

Lost in a Passion

Sports Illustrations In a time of multi-media, it is so easy to lose yourself in your passions. People can be so engrossed in their world of sport, music, television and gaming that they are lost to any other message. When passions and hobbies become the primary focus, how does one ever find out about God?

For centuries, Christian missionaries have been trained and sent to communicate the Gospel to villages lost in dense jungles in Africa, South America, China, India, and such. However, what about those in our communities who are just as lost in their consuming passion? God will raise Christians who know the path, can speak the jargon and can point the way home.
This is why God created many of His Christian sons and daughters with a desire to be athletes, musicians, actors, artists, directors, writers, and such, so they can be missionaries in their own field. Yet it is often felt that these vocations have little to do with Christianity.
God likes Christians to succeed in their endeavours (while exhibiting Christ’s characteristics) so they can reach those people lost in that passion. God knows that sports fans listen to every word from their favourite athlete or coach. God knows when a famous singer, actor, artist speaks; their words are contemplated by their groupies. Those lost in their world of passion may not hear the Gospel from parents, teachers or partners, but ironically will give serious consideration to what is said when coming from their heroes.

Caretakers

Caretakers A caretaker is someone employed to look after, administer and protect the property belonging to another.

God is the sovereign Creator of all things – everything belongs to Him. Most of us like to think our property belongs to us – that’s why we find it difficult (and even rebel at the idea) that we own nothing. (Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. Job 1:21).
The truth is our property, our time, our talents, our health, our spouse, our children and even ourselves belong to God (We were bought at a price: 1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23). We are simply caretakers of all we possess. We are employed by God to look after, administer and protect that which He has entrusted to our care. If we acquire anything, it’s simply on loan.
So, what sort of caretaker do we make? Do people and property prosper under our care? How are we using our God-given time, health, talents and possessions? If we suddenly lose them like Job, can we say: ‘The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’?
If we are a faithful caretaker of God’s possessions in this life, He has promised in Matthew 25:21, 23: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things’

Not Many Mighty

We Want You When a person is strong, healthy and full of vitality he seldom gives a passing thought to hospitals. Hospitals tend to be filled with people in need.

Some of life’s most unappealing people are Christians. When I say unappealing, this is based on how the world judges appealing: rich, powerful, physically attractive and socially witty. Many who attend church are weak, frail, needy people - often lonely social outcasts with many personality hang-ups. The truth is few church attendees would be ideal adverts to swell the ranks of Christendom.
So where are the outgoing, successful men and the glamorous women whose mere presence could draw a crowd to fill gaps in the pews? The Bible states: Not many mighty are called! (Mark 2:17). Just as healthy people don’t check into a hospital - powerful, self reliant people see no need to depend on God. Their ‘earthly’ blessings such as riches, fame, attractiveness or personality are often the greatest stumbling block to seeking God and salvation.
When Jesus Christ walked the earth, those who sort Him were not the elite or the in-crowd. Generally, they were society’s outcasts. Christ invited everyone, yet only those in need came to His call.
Often, impressive people need life to bring them low before they seek God asking for a hand up. It can take adversity before many will accept Christ’s substitutionary work on their behalf. Ironically, when we are weak, then we become strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Accountable to Whom?

As two convicts were being escorted to trial, one turned to the other and pleaded: ‘I’m a good bloke! I’ve helped so many people! I’m a respectable citizen! Ya gotta believe me!’
The fellow convict replied: ‘Why you telling me? Even if I believe you’re the “Humanitarian of the Year”, it ain’t gonna help one bit with the judge.’

Why do we feel compelled to justify our spiritual lives to fellow believers? When we die, we give an account to God alone. Most Christians know this, yet still vainly justify their actions to peers in an attempt to be respectable.
The truth is people will think what they want – no matter what we do or say. Just because people think the worst of us, doesn’t mean God does. Alternatively, just because we have convinced many people we’re saints – doesn’t mean God agrees. Being right with people isn’t the same as being right with God. We are all sinners, God judges us on the basis of the Cross, grace and His perfect works, not on our relative righteousness. (Isaiah 64:6)
A great burden is lifted when we stop trying to justify ourselves and hold ourselves accountable solely to God. There is no need to worry about Him misunderstanding us. He knows the truth – and that very fact should ‘set us free’. (John 8:32)

The Critical Eye

Critical Eye A man was happily fishing when his wife showed him a glassy, fist-sized, muddy rock. He gave it a critical look and said, ‘Toss it away. I don’t want dirty things messing up my car’. The lady wiped the rock and again held it out to her husband, saying, ‘Take a closer look, Dear. This is what is traditionally known as a diamond-in-the-rough.’

As sinners living in a corrupt world, we are all filthy with sin. A critical-eye will only see the bad in everything: people, circumstances, literature, fashion, media and so on.
As Christians, God has given us a righteous standard of living and we should stay vigilant to unsavoury influences – no one wants dirt to mess up their clean living. However, the occupational hazard of Christianity is becoming like the self-righteous Pharisees who see nothing of worth in the tax-collectors, prostitutes and coarse things of the world. A critical-eye only sees the faults and failings, not treasures hidden within. We must come to see people and circumstances as God sees them – ugly ducklings needing growth to become white swans.
That’s not to say every dirty rock is a diamond-in-the-rough. However, if we hope to discover treasures in life, expect them to be covered with some dirt and needing a bit of polish.

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’.

Making Our Mark

Making Our Mark When we make a mark in sand, it will last only a few days before being blown or washed away. Carve a mark on a tree and it may last decades, and if we chisel a mark on a rock it could last centuries. In time, however, when the marked object is defaced or destroyed, so too is any evidence of what we did.

Many of us want to leave our mark on the world, be it in business, arts, sports or the military. Even though some are extremely successful and leave behind a giant mark, when the world eventually ends so will all evidence of the things done upon it. If we invest time and effort marking temporal things, when they are destroyed, so too is that investment.
If we really want to leave a lasting impression, we should leave our mark on something permanent – GOD’S ETERNAL PLAN. God has given us all the tools and a role model (Jesus Christ) to show us how. Things our Lord did in His life were in accordance to God’s plan and will be talked about and glorified forever. If we follow Christ’s example and use the resources Grace provides, God guarantees our mark will never be erased, destroyed or fade. We should all remember - personal glory in life is fleeting; the glory of God’s plan lasts forever. Life is but a drop in the ocean compared to eternity.

Unwanted Advice

Unwanted Advice As parents, most understand that we have to be careful in giving unwanted-advice or lectures to our grown-up children. This is a sure way of upsetting family relationships and receiving few future visits from them. One of the hardest things in parenting is waiting for children to ask for council. Wisdom always has a greater chance of being accepted after having been sought.

We sometimes wish God would literally speak to us daily. But if He did we may soon get very tired of His continuous ‘lectures’ on what we should or shouldn’t be doing. Furthermore, if God suddenly told us the truth about ourselves, we would probably be personally offended and not wish to speak to Him again. God is no fool. He knows His unwanted advice and council could be a cause of separation between us and Him. Consequently, He has written His advice and lectures in the Bible. His wisdom resides within this Manual and is readily available for anyone at anytime. When we exhaust all avenues of human wisdom and finally get to the point of asking for Divine council, God will gently guide us to the relevant answers. As a Loving Parent, God is doing His upmost to encourage many visits from His wayward family. He wants the best possible relationship with us and He knows that by forcing unwanted advice on strong-willed children will suddenly cause them to cease all contact, destroying all possible future dialogue.

Sparring Partners

Sparring Partners A good coach doesn’t let his prize fighter go into a main fight without preparation. The fighter is trained in many different techniques and initially practices on various punching bags. However, punching bags don’t punch back and so it is necessary for the coach to arrange sparing partners for his fighter to apply and test learned skills before the big tournament.

As Christians, we are God’s prize fighters. Inevitably, we will face a ‘Goliath-situation’, be it a person, an unpleasant circumstance or maybe the greatest test of all – prosperity. God, like any good coach, will do all in His power to prepare us for an event. However, it is up to us as to whether or not we listen or turn up for training.
Learning and applying God’s Word (Biblical Truths) is our ‘punching bag’ stage of training. As we advance, it is necessary for God to bring sparring partners into our lives so we can put into practice the spiritual techniques we have learnt. Thus God allows bullies to enter our life at school, in the workplace, in the neighbourhood and even from the family for the purpose of spiritual sparring. Each is a gift sent from Heaven so we can strengthen our spiritual skills to overcome even greater giants in our future.
King David dealt with bears and lions before he was ready to face Goliath. To each of us, God has sent unpleasant people and circumstances. If we cannot overcome these sparring partners, we surely will be knocked-out when we stand face to face with the many powerful people and nasty circumstances of this world. We must remember, God has allowed every person and situation (especially unpleasant ones) to enter our lives for a very special purpose – spiritual growth and His eternal Glory.

July 2011

Fighting Siblings

Fighting Siblings As children, we often fail to understand that when we hurt our brothers and sisters we also hurt our parents. Conversely, brothers and sisters who encourage and support each other in spite of petty differences are a pleasure to witness and bring great credit to their parents.

As Christians, we may not always see eye to eye with everyone in our church as well as have differences of opinion with Christians in other denominations. But that does not change the fact we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Do we please our Heavenly Father (who feels the hurt of His every son and daughter) when we openly criticise other Christians? What message does it send to the world when we attack another member of our Christian family? We are Christ’s ambassadors. Squabbling amongst ourselves grieves God and brings no credit to Him. Those who witness a family fighting in public are always glad they are not part of that family.
As Christians, maybe we should practice what the Bible preaches: Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:30-32)

Sitting on the Bench

Christian Sports In professional sport, athletes have contracts that keep them on the team for an agreed period of time. An athlete who does not apply himself during training, or continually drops the ball, won’t be ‘kicked off’ the team while under contract, but can expect to be benched when the big games are on.

When people believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, God immediately ‘signs them up’ as Christians. They now have an unbreakable contract with God, secure for eternity. Once in-Christ (a Christian) we can never be dropped from God’s team – and even after death we will be forever with Him in Heaven.
But if we fail to show up for training (study the Bible) and continually drop the ball (in Christian service), we should not be surprised if God benches us. God only uses prepared people and won’t send Christians onto the field who don’t turn up for training, or whose actions allow the opposition to score.
In the great victory celebration in eternity, when everyone is applauding the Christian athletes who helped score with ‘touchdowns’, we may sadly regret that while the big game was on, we were benched for decisions we made pre-season.

The Wind

Wind Wind is defined as air that is set in motion by natural causes. Since wind is an invisible current, how can we be sure it exists? We can deduce wind’s existence and presence by how it influences the objects that surround it. We see trees swaying, flags fluttering, clouds moving and so on. We can also feel its force on our skin and can hear it when it blows through certain objects.

We cannot see God, but just because He is not seen doesn’t mean He is not there. To us, God is an invisible force. In revealing Himself, He is unpredictable like the wind. Most of the time, God is like the still air that invisibly surrounds and sustains us. At other times, He is like a gentle breeze that relieves on a hot day. Yet, on occasion, He can be a hurricane that rips the roofs off those who are sheltering in their ignorance and refuse to acknowledge His existence.
God is everywhere (omnipresent) and, like the invisible wind, we can deduce His presence by the way He affects things around Him. We can witness God’s wonderful design in Creation. We can see the changes in people’s lives that have trusted in Him. We can hear God’s whisper quiet voice as it blows through our conscience. Furthermore, as wind makes a distinct sound when blown through an instrument, God works through the lives of many Christians so His message is clearly heard around the world. (John 3:8, Psalms 19:1)

Keeping in Contact

Keeping in Contact In our busy lives, it is easy to lose contact with family or friends. If we don’t make the effort to keep in regular contact, close relationships eventually slip away. In time, they rarely come into our thoughts and soon become a distant memory.

At first we may have had a meaningful and personal relationship with God, but if we don’t keep in regular contact (through prayer and study) we inevitably lose contact with Him. He will cease to be a reality in our daily life and we may begin to wonder if He exists at all.
Ironically, if we are lazy with our correspondence we can lose contact with God, even when we attend church regularly. We can be so busy with various programmes and fellowshipping with other Christians, that we have no time to fellowship with God. Friendship with God can be lost in the very place we go to develop it.
Christianity is not about religion – it’s about a relationship with our Heavenly Father. God is all around us and will never forsake us. He waits patiently – continually giving us little reminders to call home. No matter how much time since we last spoke to Him, God doesn’t hold a grudge. When we finally call, God happily picks up our friendship where we last left off. (Isaiah 26:3, 1 Chronicles 28:20, Revelations 3:20)

Defined by a Meaning

Hippie A word only has meaning when it is defined. Without definition a word is simply a meaningless sound.

Our life only has meaning when it is defined, and we define ourselves by what we believe. If we believe in unproved ‘theories’ of evolution, we believe our life is merely the result of many miraculous mishaps. We define ourselves and our children as cosmic accidents with no high purpose – born simply to reproduce and then to die. If we believe in ‘nothing’ sadly we are defined by our belief (ironically, evolutionists spend their life trying to prove that life is meaningless). As a word is a meaningless sound without definition – a life defined by ‘nothing’ is sadly a meaningless existence.
On the flip side, God has stated in the Bible, we are not ‘nothings’. We are actually so important that the Creator of the universe took on the form of a man (Jesus Christ) and paid the complete penalty for all transgressions (sins) that any who believe on Him (Christ) will have everlasting life. God defines us as His sons and daughters, much beloved by Him.
Furthermore, God has given us a higher purpose in life which to define ourselves. When we identify with His purpose, our life is filled with meaning and we become motivated to run the race that God has set before us.

The Right Environment

Bird Feeder If we want to attract native birds to our garden, we must make sure we create a friendly environment for them. So we plant native trees, hang feeders and place bird baths to encourage them. By maintaining this environment, one by one birds will visit and, in time, some may even stay to nest.

We may wonder why so few people come into our lives to be evangelized. Maybe it is because we don’t have the right ‘environment of soul’. Wherever Christ went, people gathered around him. They were attracted to his inner strength, his tolerance, honesty, integrity and compassions. We should be imitators of Christ. His characteristics attract people seeking God’s grace.
When we stop being judgmental and develop a Christ-like environment in our soul it won’t be long before the birds (people seeking grace) begin to visit. But be warned, when the birds start visiting – so will the cats (antagonistic people).

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is the process of being restored to rights, privileges, reputation or proper condition. When we have suddenly lost the use of our body, through accident or illness, the road to recovery is always a slow, discouraging and often painful process.

As members of the human race, we are fallen creatures – separated from God because of Adam’s and our own bad decisions. God’s great wish is to restore us to the relationship with Him that He intended for us.
When we believe in Jesus Christ for our salvation, God instantly endows us with Christ’s righteousness, privileges and reputation – our rights are then restored. However, living in the devil’s world has left us spiritually crippled and, if we are to ever stand on our own spiritual feet, we must first undergo a long process of rehabilitation. God has organised everything necessary to achieve this, but left it up to us whether or not we want to be rehabilitated.
Christianity is not a one-shot decision or dedication; such change within does not happen overnight (even when we pray it will). Progress is slow and often imperceptible. There will be times of pain and discouragement when we are tempted to give up. But as with any process of rehabilitation, we must persevere; taking one small painful step after another. When we stumble, God has promised to support us. When we fall, we must look to Him to help us get up and move forward. If we continually trust in Him, we will slowly be rehabilitated to our proper condition and advance to spiritual maturity where the Victor’s Crown is guaranteed to be ours. (Romans 5:3-5. James 1:3-4)

The Air We Breathe

The air we breathe is essential for our minute-by-minute survival. It surrounds us, though it is invisible. We take from it every few seconds, yet it costs us nothing. It is one of the most important components to sustain life, yet we usually don’t give it a second thought (unless it is suddenly taken away).

God is like the air we breathe – He surrounds us constantly, though He is invisible. Whether we acknowledge Him or not, we need God to sustain and uphold all universal laws to keep us alive every moment of every day. We take from Him continuously and yet it costs us nothing (hence the saying, ‘The best things in life are free.’). And sadly, we don’t give Him a second thought - unless we are in desperate need.
Each lungful of oxygen demonstrates God’s ‘amazing grace’ that sustains us. Without it, we would all be in very deep water indeed. (Job 36:22-33)

Absolute Truth

Absolute Truth A psychologist said to his patient: ‘Most crazy people think they are sane.’
The woman replied: ‘But I think I’m sane.’
‘Ah-ha,’ said the psychologist, ‘that only proves you’re crazy.’

The world regards people who believe in God as crazy. As Christians, what can we say to those who assume their evolutionary world-view is proven fact – and that any view which differs to theirs is simply foolish ignorance? Sadly, very little.
Investigative science can neither prove nor disprove God’s existence. Still, many prominent scientists declare God is pure fiction on the basis of improbability. Ironically, at the same time they argue that the problems mounting in their ‘theories of evolution’ should not be labelled impossible, but merely improbable (not objective science).
All origin theories are based on unproven foundations and personal belief. Yet great orators in evolution and religion use established facts when trying to prove their pet hypothesis. In the end, no matter what people say, theorize or believe, there can be only one immutable and absolute truth which will not bend for any twisted logic in scientific theories, psychology or religion. The issue facing all creatures with free-will is: ‘What will we choose to believe?’ If life teaches us anything, we will inevitably be accountable for those beliefs and the choices we make. (Romans 1:28)

Christian Temples

Christian temples Temples are supposedly dwellings of worship, contemplation, devotion, harmony, learning, peace and joy. They are also sanctuaries for anyone in times of need.

As Christians, the Bible tells us that our body is a living temple. Thus we should each take stock of what our temple is like. Is it filled with thoughts of worship, contemplation, devotion, harmony, learning, peace and joy – or are we defiling our temple with thoughts of bitterness, jealousy, pride, revenge, greed, hatred, lust and hypocrisy? Who we are is what we think. Before we do something – we think it.
Jesus Christ will not have bad thoughts corrupting his temples. He waits patiently, knocking on the door of our soul. When we let Him enter, He will help us upturn these thoughts and cleanse our temple. Only then are we as God intended – a living temple filled with inner peace and joy that proclaims God’s glory to all passers-by, and a sanctuary for anyone in times of need. (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20)

God's Professional Fighters

God's Fighters Professional fighters determined to win enter the ring prepared after many long hours of training. They have a plan of attack – a strategy that will penetrate their opponents’ defences. What’s more, they have strong resolve because all fighters inevitably get knocked down. But when down, the ‘professional fighters’ get back up, shake off their temporary setback, reassess the situation and jump back in the ring.

Teachers of God’s Word are like professional fighters. God’s teachers must hit with the Truth, employing various techniques of exhortation and encouragement. Sometimes the Truth will bruise, but the pulpit is no place for pussy-footing or pulling punches – God’s Word should never be watered down or adjusted for political correctness.
When stepping into the pulpit, God’s teachers should be prepared – if not it won’t be long before they are ‘KNOCKED OUT’ from the pulpit. They should keep in mind their job is not to win friends but to win over people to God’s way of thinking.
For these reasons, God’s fighters will often get knocked down. When this inevitably happens, they should not listen to the ‘boos’ or ‘cheers’ of the crowd. The only voice to heed is that of their coach (the Holy Spirit). When knocked down, great spiritual fighters will always get back up, reassess the situation, retrain as needed and return to the pulpit ever faithful to God’s plan. (Acts 18:25)

Sharing the Pain

Christian Pain Loving parents share the pain of their children. When something bad happens to a child (such as an injury, illness, rejection or failure) the parent also shares it. Love connects people. When we love someone, we invest part of ourselves in them – and when the object of our love suffers, so also do we.

God is the ultimate loving parent. True, at times He has to discipline, but He loves us so much that He also shares our pain, even as He punishes us (thus the old saying: this is going to hurt me more than it will you). As Christians, God dwells in us and is with us 24/7. He has truly invested Himself in us. When we suffer through injury, illness, loss or rejection – God suffers with us. He knows our pain and grief, and wants to comfort us. However, on the flip side, like any parent, God also shares our moments of greatest joy and triumph.

Clearing the Land

Sin When early settlers were allocated land, they had to clear it before it could be farmed. Trees and scrub were removed so the land could become productive and yield successful crops.

As unbelievers and immature Christians, we plant many wild seeds such as pride, jealousy, anger and guilt. These (sins) take root and can grow into a forest (a way of life). As Christians, we have a new (spiritual) life. Before this life can yield a successful crop, we have to cut down the trees and scrub planted in the old life. Some sins are small and easily uprooted, while others will have taken root deeply in our lives. These sins will be obstacles as we start ploughing our fields with God’s plan.
A deeply rooted (sinful) life can be immensely difficult to change, but we must start clearing or we won’t produce a harvest that glorifies God and lasts into eternity. God has given us the tools (the Bible, the Holy Spirit and teachers of God’s Word) but it is up to us to start chopping and clearing. This will take time, so we must be determined to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

The Desire & the Doing

Christian Soul Everyone wants to be fit and healthy, but this won’t happen by just wishing. Neither will filling the fridge with healthy food make us healthier. The food must be properly prepared, then eaten, to be beneficial. Simply wanting to be fitter is only the first step on a journey that takes many steps.

A mature Christian is someone who exhibits an inner strength and joy, a high sense of purpose, confidence and hope derived from the Truth, a graceful attitude towards all mankind and an unshakable faith in God.
Many of us wish for these wonderful outcomes from Christianity, but wishing alone is not enough. Having our shelves filled with Biblical books written by acclaimed theologians, or being a member of a respected church will not help either – these only lead towards the first steps of a journey that takes many steps.
To accomplish results in Christianity, we must consistently learn Biblical Truths and skills and apply them by keeping our mind on God – not on people or circumstances. The fruits of Christianity won’t be ours by simply wanting them or doing the right thing once in a while. Proper learning and application must be a daily function and become a way of life. (Romans 12:1-2, Colossians 3:23-24)

Things Babies Do

Things Babies Do Babies do many things we would be ashamed to do as adults. Babies suck thumbs, fill nappies, vomit on people and all their bodily functions run riot – it’s just a fact of life. As babies we all did these things. On reflecting on our time as a baby, there is no embarrassment because we know those are things babies do.

Christians may wonder if, when in Heaven, they will be humiliated by the things they did on Earth. In Heaven, with a new resurrection body and separated from our sin-nature, we will be so far advanced from our present state that we will look back over our time on Earth without embarrassment. The gap between our resurrected-self and how we are on Earth is far greater than between an adult and baby. Our stupid and regrettable behaviour will simply be seen as babies filling their nappies. As adults reflect upon their time as immature babies without embarrassment – when resurrected, so too will we reflect on our time when we were sinful humans with a revolting sin-nature. (Rev 21:4)

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)

Glory Seeking

Christian Rewards Nations award medals and military decorations to soldiers in recognition of sacrifices performed on behalf of their fellow countrymen. These awards are for those who have shown great courage and served selflessly often beyond the call of duty. Yet, should a soldier serve simply to receive medals, his motivation is personal glory - not his nation’s best interest. These soldiers, no matter how good they are at their job, will always place personal ambition above the welfare of fellow soldiers. ‘Love of country’ is simply a term they use to justify their primary motivation – glory seeking and self-aggrandisement.

God has promised rewards and decorations for Christian soldiers who serve faithfully and selflessly. Rewards are there to encourage us to stay the course and to reassure us that our Heavenly Father honours those who honour Him. Eternal rewards are a legitimate motivation, but should not be our primary motivation. We should serve out of love for God, to save the souls of fellow humans and for the glory of our Lord in Heaven. If we serve only for future rewards and recognition, we should ask ourselves if we really have God’s best interests at heart, or are simply glory-seeking.

Rescue Attempt

Christian Evangalism Rescue attempts go wrong when trying to save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. You can throw people a life-line, but if they can’t see a danger or simply don’t want to be rescued, they will not grab the rope and may even get annoyed at your well-meaning attempt.

As Christians, our commission is to go out and save souls. The problem today is many people don’t see a need for salvation. They either don’t believe in an afterlife or believe there will be no judgement hereafter. Evolution implies we have no soul and popular belief of spiritualism says everyone goes to Heaven.
When we attempt to rescue someone who doesn’t wish to be rescued, we invariably do more damage than good. Only people who realise they are in danger call for help.
In trying to save anyone we should exhibit the patience of Christ (He did not force Himself on anybody). We should pray that God brings an awareness of judgement (the eternal consequences of choice) into the lives of those who have rejected His salvation. When they understand their immortal souls could be in peril, that is the golden opportunity to throw out the Divine-line (Gospel) and suggest they grab hold. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved – Romans 10:13.

Not a Christian - Yet

Christian Parable A caterpillar is not a butterfly – yet. Hopefully, given time and the right circumstances, the caterpillar will make the transformation into the beautiful creature it was created to be.

When saying someone is not a Christian, we often unwittingly label them with a sense of hopeless finality. Keep in mind that while they live there is hope and never give up on anybody. Our job is to pray for all in our vicinity, gracefully witnessing as opportunity arises and to always act with Christ-like attitudes – we are not called to ‘write’ people off. If we behave like a true Christian – witnessing by our actions, negative people (whom we thought were beyond hope) may turn around and start questioning what makes us tick and the Power behind it.
Only God can judge if a person’s negative volition has gone past the point of no return. If a person is still living and has not yet believed in Christ as Saviour, the best way of labelling that person is: ‘not a Christian – YET ’. (Psalm 149:4)

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).

Holiday Snapshots

Christian Holiday A holiday is a time of many new personal discoveries when we take lots of snapshots at every opportunity. Naturally, we want to share our experiences when we arrive home. However, we soon discover most people are not as excited about our photos as we are.

As Christians seeking truth we will be led by the Holy Spirit to many new discoveries (points of truth suddenly made real). It is natural to be excited about these personal spiritual-breakthroughs, but keep in mind they are just that - ‘personal’. Hence we should not be disappointed when others don’t show the same enthusiasm for our ‘spiritual snapshots’. Unless they have been there themselves (discovered the same Spiritual Truth) we can’t expect them to be excited.
People’s indifference should not stop us from viewing life as one grand holiday. God the Father is our Travel Agent, Christ has covered the cost and the Holy Spirit is our Tour-guide. When we enjoy all aspects of life (joyful in prosperity and adversity), others soon take note. They will ask how our life can be like one continuous holiday and then enquire who our ‘Travel Agent’ is – so they, too, can book themselves on the same tour where they will discover what we have experienced and eventually take snapshots of their own.

When Bullets Start Flying

Onward Christian Soldiers Soldiers who have fought in battles say that when bullets start flying the mind goes blank and switches to autopilot. This is where proper training is of paramount importance. Soldiers cannot be expected to be effective in battle if they have been shown something only once. They must be drilled in military skills until those skills become second nature. Then when the bullets start flying, trained soldiers will automatically respond with the appropriate action or manoeuvre without conscious thought of what should be done.

There are many battles in the Christian way of life. At any moment we may suddenly find ourselves attacked for our beliefs. When the bullets start flying, if we are not prepared we will not have an appropriate answer to defend our faith. When suddenly put on the spot, it is natural for our mind to go blank. At moments like these we are only as good as our training. If we, as Christian soldiers, are not properly prepared we will be sitting ducks most likely to end up causalities in the spiritual-war. But if our soul is inculcated with God’s word, we will have ready answers to defend our faith and in the process capture a few prisoners keen to defect.

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