The Things of God - Part Two

 

God wants us to enjoy all the nice things of life.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

When Jesus began to teach the disciples about his suffering and death, the disciples became troubled. They couldn’t believe their cherished leader would say such negative things about himself. Peter in particular, seemed deeply troubled. He was so disturbed that he missed the better part of that prophecy. Although Jesus had said He would rise after three days, Peter ignored that part and instead, focused on the rejection, suffering and death. He probably wondered how "pain" and "gain" could ever match up. Possibly, what Peter had expected to hear was that Jesus would be a king. He probably thought that Jesus would establish His kingdom and then appoint his disciples as ministers. Peter didn’t want his beloved master to suffer any pain and suffering. He couldn’t bear the thought of seeing his master in a tomb. What Peter wanted was for Jesus to enjoy a smooth ride to the top.

The Things of God - Part One

 

That pain will turn to gain.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

One day, Jesus began to teach His disciples that He would suffer many things and even be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law. Then He also told them He “must be killed and after three days rise again”. This didn’t go down well with the disciples. They probably wondered why Jesus would predict such a disaster on Himself. Here was a leader who had been doing great things before their very eyes. He had been preaching about this great kingdom of God that they believed will take them to a whole new level. Jesus had not only healed the sick but had raised the dead. Having been convinced that He was sent from God, Jesus was now telling them He would suffer many things and even be killed. Peter, the open minded disciple took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him. But Jesus rebuked him also.

The Daily Cross

 

Don’t suffer for the wrong reasons.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

One time, Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Clearly, Jesus wasn’t referring to a physical cross. What He actually meant was the “suffering” He was about to go through. Moments before, Jesus had told his disciples that He would suffer many things, including rejection and death on the cross. But Jesus didn’t mean we would all have to live and die in the same way He did. He didn’t mean that everyone who followed Him would be rejected and be hung on the cross. Specifically, Jesus wanted us to know that we will all face our own troubles as Christians. Though we are bound to suffer, Christ assures us that our suffering will not be in vain. Just as He was raised to life, after His suffering, we too will be raised after our suffering.

When to Give Up

  

  Just as a lion can be cornered by hyenas, you too can be cornered.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

                                            

As a kid, I was often intrigued by fables of how lions subdued other animals. In those days, I heard people compare heroic individuals to lions. So I grew up believing that lions were the greatest animals in the world. But as I grew up, I discovered that what I learned about lions were somewhat exaggerated. Though lions are truly among the strongest animals, they didn’t always have their way. I recall how stunned I was when I saw a video clip of a lion being cornered by Hyenas. Indeed, lions are endowed with strength, but they don’t always win due to certain circumstances beyond their control. I am sure that is one of the points the psalmist was trying to make when he said, “The lions may grow weak and hungry...” Like lions, we often think of ourselves as bold and strong.

Persist, against all odds!

 

If you are not persistent, setbacks will make you quit.

 

By Ben Dankaka 

 

The leader who eventually gets to his destination is the one who remains consistent. To be persistent actually means to keep at it, all the time. In my work on leadership, I’ve learned that leaders are encouraged to be persistent because of the challenges they are bound to face as they pursue their goals. No matter how anointed you are; you are going to incur obstacles along the way. There will be times you wouldn’t feel like getting up from your bed. If you are not persistent, setbacks will make you quit. But when you constantly pursue your goals on a daily basis, the challenges will surely give way. The little steps you take each day will eventually mount up and force its way, pulling you out of your difficulties.

Waiting on God

 

For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

The hymn, “The steadfast love of the Lord” has the popular lyrics; “They are new every morning, new every morning: great is your faithfulness, O Lord”. These words were taken from chapter three of the book of Lamentation. The entire chapter captures the feelings of a man who is going through deep pain. Although the author may be referring to Jerusalem, he personifies his message, making it like the thoughts of a person who was in great affliction. The author is worried that God had driven him away and made him walk in darkness rather than light. God had continually worked against him, to an extent that he now found himself in a situation where he could no longer escape from God’s wrath. 

Heaven's Training Camp

 

Just as we go to school to be trained, God also enrolls us in His training program.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

Joseph was a young man whom God had preordained to be a great leader.  But he was a small Jewish boy who didn’t have the right qualifications. He only knew how to take care of sheep and run errands for his father. Joseph didn’t even have the toughness of a leader because his father pampered him. To prepare him for the opportunity ahead, God had to let him go through some challenges. At first, his brothers sold him into slavery, then his master’s wife framed him and he was sent to jail. But while he was in prison, a situation arose which led to him, fulfilling what God had originally planned for him. When he reunited with his brothers, he didn’t curse them. Instead, he said “God sent me before you”. Joseph had realized he had been a student in God’s training camp, all along.

Until You're Tested

 

Until You’re Tested

 

Your achievements are the things that draw people to you.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

 

Too often, we want to be celebrated the moment we start pursing our dreams. You may have a great project in mind; you may have an idea that could make you and others rich, but if the idea is still in your head, people aren’t going to support you as you would expect them to do because people are more interested in what you have done than in what you intend to do. Several years ago, when I told people I wanted to start an NGO, I didn’t get the support I needed. Within the first few months, my volunteers abandoned my project when they didn’t see any meaningful results. At that time, the ideas I had about the project was inside my head and I couldn’t convince others that it was profitable. Later, when my project was selected and honored with an award, people began to show interest in the project.

Enduring Pain

 

Don’t try to run away from trials.

 

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

 

Job is one of the most inspirational characters in the Bible. When he was prosperous, he stayed faithful to God. When he lost everything, including his children, he remained committed to God. And as he held on, he got discouragements. First, his wife asked him to curse God and die. Then his friends tried to make him think he was suffering for his sins. But Job knew he was innocent. At the same time, He was aware that God wasn’t the architect of his predicaments. But then again, he still couldn’t figure out why he was surrounded by many troubles. What Job didn’t know was that he was going through a test. His trials were intended to test his commitment to doing God’s will. Like Job, maybe you are overwhelmed by the crisis in your life. 

It Begins in the Dark

 

If life is hitting you with dark experiences; stay strong!

 

 Written By Benjamin Dankaka

We like to associate ourselves with light because it is one of the most universal and widely accepted symbols. Light is the principal force in the spiritual world. In religion, those who get revelations as a result of their understanding of God's word are seen as the light of the world. In the secular world, light represents knowledge. We like to think of light as the source of goodness and the ultimate symbol of progress. Therefore, light represents leadership because the symbolism of light is used to show direction. We’ve been taught to believe that you cannot advance if you don’t have light. So those who represent light in our lives are seen as leaders. We follow them because they radiate our environment with their light. In other words, they make us see.

Unexpected Trouble

 

 

The crisis you’re going through will move you from where you’ve been to the place you ought to be.

 

                                  Written By Benjamin Dankaka

 

We don’t have to always blame ourselves for every crisis that shows up in our lives. You don’t have to make mistakes before getting into trouble. A crisis may come into a person’s life in the form of a strange illness through no fault of theirs. Or it may come through a sudden incident that occurred in a person’s business or career. For instance, a fire incident or the sudden death of a colleague or business partner can bring about a crisis. You may also find yourself in a financial crisis because of an economic recession. You are not the reason why your country is in recession, but somehow you are affected by it. So, crises are actually problems that come into our lives unexpectedly. Crises are uninvited troubles. There are times that troubles would meet you even while you were minding your own business.