Christians make up about 92% of the Philippine population, which is evident among the MGCNLCA community, with many of us growing up in a Christian household. However, even though we attend church, attend Bible class, and have our weekly cell group, this doesn’t mean that we are Christians.
As many say, there’s an immense difference between knowing about God and personally knowing God. Only those who personally know God are true Christians. We need to re-examine ourselves and see if we are just Christians on the outside or have a genuine relationship with our God.
Due to the pandemic, people have been struggling not just physically but also mentally. Be it anxiety, depression, PTSD, or burnout, people worldwide are facing these and much more. Being bombarded with so many of these obstacles, we sometimes focus solely on the problems we see before us. Understandably, these are hard times, but we need to try as much as we can to take a moment to pause and reflect on everything God has done for us. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” It may not seem like much, but taking a small step back, stopping what we’re doing, taking a deep breath, and uttering even a short prayer can help remove some of your anxiety or stress.
Recently, the Lord reminded me of the Parable of the Sower. The seeds that fell along the path, the rocky ground, and among the thorns all didn’t bear fruit. Like what happened in this parable, if we don’t bother understanding His word; if we aren’t deeply rooted in Christ; or if we let our troubles and worries get the best of us, we will just keep drifting away from Him.
Being deeply rooted in Christ doesn’t mean that we won’t face problems or difficulties. But, having a strong faith allows us to remember that God is right there. It lets us return to our roots and recall the many things that God has done and has been doing for us. This faith allows us to have peace and joy even during the harshest times in our lives. Without it, we would have a greater chance of allowing ourselves to be drowned in times of trouble.
As it says in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” There are numerous times when we try to face our challenges relying on our own strengths. However, we need to recognize that our source of strength and abilities is from God. Without His help, we will reach a point where we will just break.
Each day, we are faced with many challenges, but we must always trust in our God and put Him in the center of our lives. We must make a clear decision whether or not we choose to follow God. When we do, we have to be committed to our Father and continuously strive for a better relationship with Him each day.
Finding ourselves drowned in negativity, losing trust in what the Bible says, or doubting everything that we stand for as Christians are some signs that we might be drifting away from God.
When this happens, we start over by going back to His Word, even if that means starting from the most basic teachings. Reaching out to a pastor, teacher, parent, or friend to pray with would also be a good way to reconnect with Him. These conversations with fellow Christians can help, as we are one body in Christ and are meant to support each other. Such people can also give guidance through their insights and experiences in their walk with God.
We need to do our part to reestablish our relationship with Christ. He is and will always be there, but we need to be the ones to open the doors of our hearts and let Him in.
The Christian life isn’t easy at all. It might even be more challenging than a life without Him. However, we need to be reminded that God is always there for us. When we choose to take this path, we are saying that no matter what trials we face, we know that He will be our guide.
Christianity isn’t just a religion – it’s a relationship with God. We need to continuously build that connection we have with Him – not tomorrow, not next week, but right now.
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