Many people experienced a lot of evil in their childhood,
that is, ill-treatment and hatred from the people that they lived with! In my
case, a particular example was way back in primary school when I lived in Schweizer-Reneke!
I had my mum’s towel which I cherished so much and held dear to my heart
because it always made me feel closer to her when we were apart! One day after
school it was raining and I found that the cleaning lady had put my white towel
on the door step for people to wipe their shoes before they got in the house! I
picked it with the attempt to wash it and keep it clean but the cleaning lady
came over to me, aggressively pushed my chest, and tried grabbing the towel
which I was holding steadfastly onto! For a moment there we got into a
mini-fight and she was handling me like I was her age! After that incident we went on long periods
without talking to each other! She would dish up, call everyone to get their
food and leave a plate full of pap, no gravy and half a chicken wing on the
table for me! (Mind you it was my parents who were sending money for food). I had to get it because I was hungry! Day after day, month after
month, year after year, eventually from an early age I was consumed by anger,
hatred and bitterness! I could go on years without talking to somebody, I was always
seeking revenge, I got happy when my enemies got hurt because that was the only
side of life that I knew! I didn’t believe in goodness because people around me
never were genuinely good to me! When Jesus came into my life He showed me
another side of life, the good side which is not always easy! (You used to walk
in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves
of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language
from your lips. Colossians3:8)
Evil circumstances do happen…
During my stay in Brandwag this year I had a housemate who
was literally, for no apparent reason very angry at me! She cussed and banged
doors when I passed by, she talked about me in an evil manner so that all the
housemates disliked me! Once she had her bed mattress missing and she caused a
riot in the house accusing me and saying before I came to that house there was
no theft! Mind you, I found my room robbed and my door open! One evening after
church she locked me outside and I gently knocked on her window requesting that
she open for me! It was not very late, her TV was on, and yet she ignored me! I
could feel anger building up within me as I knocked even harder until she
eventually opened! When I got in she was giggling with her roommate! I had not
been so angry in nine months!!! “Can you stand the test of time Titi!?” Can you
resist temptation? Not only sexually, but the temptation to act in wrath when
you are unfairly treated? (Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not
curse! Roman 12:14). A true Christ’s follower was never called to do anything
easy! Blessing somebody who hurts you when all you want to do is fight, revenge
and get that anger out of your chest is not easy but God wants us to do it!
When somebody goes all their way out to make my life miserable it’s prove that
there is a devil out there that delights in seeing the children of God hurt! Bad
people exist, bad circumstances do happen but you have a promise in Jesus! (I
have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you
will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world! John 16:33) Oh by
the way, she found her mattress in another house mates bedroom!
Joel Osteen is one of my favorite preachers and one advice
that I have taken from him is: “never let anyone steal your joy!” During such a
circumstance, my joy was the only thing I could hold on to! I greeted and
smiled with her the following day and made a decision that I will not take the
things of yesterday and drag them to this new day! We cannot stop fire with
fire that is why as a Christian you have to be the one who remains cool and
keeps the peace! By doing this, you are setting yourself free, removing any hindrances
to your prayer life and placing heaps of coal fire on your enemies head! They
will burn in their own wrath and issue while you go on loving, smiling, giving
and fulfilling your duty as a child of God!
Revenge is not too sweet…
My current housemates are on a serious noise competition
which I find quite hilarious! The white guy against the colored guys! This is
more of an anger issue than it is race! The coloured guys make noise and the
white guy goes all out to prove that he can do it better! Any South African
should know that you cannot fight a colored man, let alone a group of them!
Once in the kitchen I was with the white guy and he was telling me how much
they make noise and how he could do it better than them, and he’ll show them! I
just wanted to tell him not to be overcome by evil but anger was written all
over his face and his body! Revenge is not sweet at all, it makes you look
ugly, bitter, and angry and that whole package that comes with evil! This is
just a small example of how we are easily overcome by evil, nobody wants to be
wrong, nobody wants to be the first to apologize, but for the sake of peace somebody
has to do it! (Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is
right in the eyes of everyone. Romans 12:17). In a fight there is always a
winner and a looser, in this case, the colored guys always win! They come back
from partying in the early hours of the morning, shine their car lights bright
on the white guy’s window and put their music on full blast, thus, waking us
all in the house! I believe that if this guy could walk up to them, apologize
for the times he was wrong, he would be the bigger person and actually win this
whole “fight”! (If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him
something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do
not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:20-21).
Sometimes yes, we do have the power to revenge, we do have the right to get
angry but we must learn to give all the power to God and He will see to it that
justice prevails! (Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for
God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the
Lord! Romans 12:19).
Be the fool for God…
It’s not always comfortable being the one pursuing peace
especially when you have every right to be angry at someone! Every time I
fought with my sister in the past, she was always the first to ask for forgiveness!
I felt superior then, but now that I think of it, this humbled me so much! We don’t see each other often and recalling
her kindness usually gave me a guilty conscious! Yup, that’s what good does, it
makes the other person guilty and shameful for the way they treated you! Unless
they sort out that issue with the Lord, they will live with a guilty conscious every
day of their lives! I had to ask God to wreck my heart, break, and re-mould me
for all the years I had been angry and bitter towards people because I couldn’t
live that way anymore! Obviously nine months is not long enough to fix a heart
that has been bitter for many years so I die daily sometimes with fasting and
unrelenting prayer! I am desperate to have all of my flesh crucified! When your
enemy thinks that you are a fool when you pursue peace, know that you have your
reward and here it is: “The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come
bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at
the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee; The city of the Lord, The Zion
of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 60:14! For years and years it may feel like
God doesn’t see you when you try to do the good thing like He commands you to,
but nothing ever goes unnoticed in God’s eyes! God sees you and somebody will
have to pay! Your enemy is laying down a foundation for his children, and the
same children of your enemy will be the one bowing down before you one day! I
don’t think any parent would like to see her child being under anybody’s mercy,
but their actions prove otherwise! By being good, you are laying down a good
foundation for your children too, likewise your enemy, and for future
generations your enemies children will be bowing down at your children’s feet! Being
good is worth it!
Although you have been forsaken and hated…I will make you
the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations. Isaiah 60:15
For somebody who was consumed by evil most of my life, I
have found that letting go and letting God really freed me! I do not go to bed meditating
on how somebody made me feel or what they did to me, but I am determined each
day to always be the person who demonstrates the goodness of Jesus Christ! Not
everybody is going to like you, not everybody is going to say the right things,
and not everybody is going to treat you right, even those in the church, but by
the power of the Holy Spirit, strive to always overcome evil with good! Be not
deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap! An evil man will reap evil and your goodness will not go by unnoticed by
the father!
"Do not let anyone steal your Joy"as I meditate on these words • Let go and let God• I'm touched and inspired , ur a true symbol of the woman of The Almighty,Jehova Jaera,You don't know ur purpose on this earth until u Knw and Witness the Power of the almighty , for He said He will not leave nor forsake us ...Phenomenal Women you are .all of the above tests was only for God to prepare you for the woman u are today .Keep the Faith and he will fullfill all ur needs. .He says "Forget the past , I am creating something new in ur life ,there it is ,,God God God he is indeed faithful.im glad all those things made u stronger
ReplyDeleteWOW thank you friend, you are such a constant blessing in my life!!! I pray you're holding on to the faith and in due time we shall reap if we faint not! All the love and kisses!!
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