TO PRAISE OR NOT TO PRAISE

Since last night I have been thinking about the influence of praise. I found myself asking this morning, "Does God praise people?". If He does, does it suggest we too should be praising people? We know praise is powerful. In the field of psychology, praise is necessary if not for self-esteem sake. In the work place, praise motivates employees to work harder. I guess when you, as an employee, is being praised for a job well done, you would be elated because your efforts have been appreciated. But let's not forget, to be appreciated and to be rewarded are two separate issues.

 I am sure there are books written on the power and necessity of praise. Maybe you have read one too. BUT I am still wondering about the influence of praise. I've just briefly mentioned the good side of it but what about the downside? To praise is to lend motivation, to empower . The more you are being praised, the more motivated you will be in pursuing that which you have been praised for. Take Robin Hood for example. He's a thief. He resort to violence and chaos. What he did was against the law of the land but the praise of the poor empowers him to pursue his life of crime. Robin Hood did not think what he did was wrong because he's being praised by the poor all the time. Robin believed what he did was in fact good and right because people praised him for what he did. Praise gave him the sense of justification. Praise assured him his actions were right and noble. It is because of praise Robin could not see the truth. And I wonder how many Robin Hoods there are in jail cells today.

I ran through some of the Scriptures today that supposedly indicate God praising man. What I see is not so much as praising but more so of affirming. For example, Genesis 7:1, "Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation."  Was God praising Noah or was He affirming the fact that that he was a righteous man? Now righteousness is not a result of man's doing. It's a position God reckon on that person. Because of Jesus, we are righteous in the sight of God. It was never because of our own works. Fact is, we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. Righteousness is by God's act. It's called grace. We can strive to live a righteous life and God saw that in Noah. He wasn't praising him. He was affirming the fact that Noah was doing right by God which was his responsibility.

Praise is indeed powerful. Praise encourages. Praise empowers. Praise creates Robin Hoods. I don't know if you will be proud to be reckon a Robin Hood but I am quite certain Robin didn't make it to heaven. Hahahaha. Ya, he's a cool guy. He's awesome and skillful with the bow and arrow and helped the poor. But think about this. If poverty is finally eradicated by Robin and all the citizens are no longer poor but prosperous, do you think they will still want Robin to hang around? Here's my take for today ...

Before you praise someone, you need to understand the influence of praise. Man by nature is self-centered. They naturally seek the praise and approval of others. That's why Facebook works so well and is additive. People are craving for the "likes" and emojis. The more 'likes" the more postings. The posting are mainly centered on? Your guess is as good as mine. Careful now. Praise appeals mostly to the Pharisees ... "for they loved human praise more than praise from God." (John 12:43). Jesus affirmed that more than two thousand years ago. Today, It is a proven fact that human nature does not change. In fact, cannot change. That's why Jesus said mankind need to be "born again".

My point today? Instead of seeking the praise of man, seek rather the praise of God. If you do right, God will affirm your works. He will reward you accordingly. Lest you forget, you are s servant of God and He is your master. He must increase and we must decrease and that too for our sakes. Human love praise but cannot handle praise. It's more necessary to offer praise to God than to man. But let's acknowledge each other. Let' affirm each other's good works and let's all give all glory to God. I can't handle praise but God can. If you were to praise me today, I'll just return it to God and acknowledge God by saying, "God is indeed good". Amen! Lest praise consume you, take apostle Paul's advice. In everything we do, do is as to the glory of God. Have a good day.

DOES GOD KNOW EVERYTHING?

Does God know all things or is God all knowing? These two aren't the same. If someone were to ask me: "Does God know everything?", I would have to answer the question with a question which is: "Is God all knowing?" (read my previous posting).

God, as we know, is ALL KNOWING. What it mean is, nothing is unknown to God just as nothing is hidden from God. God doesn't need to learn nor does He need to improve nor gain knowledge because God is perfect. If there are things He cannot know, if there's knowledge He need to acquire, then God is not perfect and God is not God. Only the imperfect need to make adjustments and  improvements and gain knowledge. That's the difference between God and us. He is perfect, we are not. He is all knowing, we are not.  He is the Creator, we are the created. He designed the universe for us to learn and to discover Him. If we are humble to acknowledge our limitations, we will then discover how awesome God is and the purpose of our existence in relation to Him and His creation.

God in His nature is all knowing . Does God know everything? Let me say this: IF GOD WANTS TO KNOW the number of hair you have on your head, He knows. IF God wants to know how many fruits a particular tree will bear by a particular time, He knows. If God want to know what you would wear or eat today, He will know. AND just because God can know if He wants to doesn't mean God arranged the foods you would consume today or the clothes you are wearing now or the movie you plan to watch tonight. Understand this. Your career path is your choice. Your present job has to do with you and your abilities and is still your choice. Your spouse is your choice. The number of children you want to have is your choice. And lest you forget, we reap what we sow.  In other words, we are the consequence of our own actions and choices. What happens in life happens too by chance (Ecc. 9:11). So let's not say "It's God's will" when it is not or look for God's will in just about everything.

Life happens (Ecc. 9:11). It comes with the good and the bad. Originally God made all things good but we mess up and we still do today amidst all the resources available to us. Here's the good news. God is all knowing. What we don't know or need to know, He knows. Can't see a way out of the mess? He sees. Can't figure out things? He knows everything. Listen to these words of Jesus:

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11)

When you have to travel to an unknown country where the streets and safety issues are unknown to you and where the people, culture and weather vastly differ from yours, wouldn't it be neat to have a friend and a guide who is a local there? Jesus offers to be your guide in life. By His nature, He is all knowing, all powerful and He is all present. By His nature, God is love. It is a good time now to access your device now, look into your Bible and read Matthew 6:25-34. Who knows. God may just be whispering to you. Only God knows.

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Pet. 5:7).

LIFE'S JOURNEY IS LIKE ...

Life's journey is like ... many things but for today, let's just say it's like driving a car.

1. You have the car key, you are the driver, so therefore you are in charge. The moment you start the engine and get moving, you alone decide how you want to drive. Whether you drive fast and reckless or slow and safe, whether you'd be a road bully or a courteous driver, it's all you. The responsibility and the safety of the entire ride is all but in your hands. Take charge of your own life.

2. You need a destination. The purpose of the car is to get you from point A to point B. So where are you heading? If you don't know your destination, you'll be driving around aimlessly. Not only will you waste petrol and resource, you may not have enough to keep you going. When you know where you are heading, you can plan your journey. You will know what you'll need. Take charge of your dreams.

3. You need to stay alert and obey all the right signs. There are lots of inexperienced and reckless drivers out there on the roads and you do not want to drive on the wrong side of the road. Neither do you want to miss your turns and delay your journeys by getting into an accident. Take charge of doing right.

4. You need to take care of your car. Make sure your car is serviced regularly. You don't want to experience a breakdown during your journey. Make sure your spare is pumped up, your petrol tank is filled up and your car always in tip top condition. You can't get far if your car is not properly maintained. Take charge of your health.

5. You need to take a break. Life's journey is a long, long road. Some roads are easy to travel on while many stretches are treacherous, winding and uphill. At some point, you need to take a break, to just get out of the car and stretch a little, have a cuppa or something to eat. Regain your composure and continue on. Take charge of the breaks.

You didn't ask to be born but here you are. You may not like where you are or you may not like your life as it is now but remember, you got a machine that can take you as far as you would like. Life is not fated. Your destination is not fixed. Where would you want to go? How far would you want to go? You just got to fuel up, start the engine and hit the highway of life. You don't have to be where you are now. You can get going. It takes a decision and it takes a will. So what are you waiting for? You got the key! And since you are driving, might as well enjoy the ride. There's no rule that says you must drive alone. In fact, life is easier when you are NOT driving alone. Remember, you are the man. You are in charge. It's not up to God. It's up to you. The good news is, you can invite God to tag along. He knows the roads and He's a fantastic travelling companion.

 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. (Matt. 7:13-14 NLT)

Less Is More

Suppose you can choose a holiday of your choice. And suppose money is not an issue. Say you can stay at the best hotels, eat at the best of restaurants and shop at the best of the best. Would you? I think most, if not all, will jump at the opportunity. Why? Because of the "system". Or shall I say, the way this world works? It's all about indulgences. This present system suggests the luxurious lifestyles are meant only for a certain category of people. It divides us into the" have" and the" have-not". So the "have-not" strives very hard to jump the gap into the "have". How that can happen is up to your imagination. And the "have" work hard to make sure they don't fall into the "have-not". And so this world continues to evolve around the sun 365 days a year on the same orbit, like it's never going anywhere else and like it's never going to change even with passing millenniums. Life therefore is (according to king Solomon) a chasing after the wind. Life gets pretty complicated in this present system. It never satisfies and enough is never enough. To remain in that status quo, needless to say, takes a lot out of a person.

Now let's look at the flip side of the coin. Say I am not able to afford that dream holiday. Does it mean I am deprived and on the losing end of life? Let's see. It doesn't take much to purchase some basic and proper hiking gears for an early morning bird watch. Armed with a pair of binoculars, a camera  and a simple chalet with basic amenities to stay the night over, I can have a fun filled and gratifying holiday! In the cool of the mornings as I take my hike along the bird trails, I am shrouded by the coolness and the freshness of the forest.  I hear the morning calls of various kinds of birds. Some calls are familiar while others need a little exploring. At the slightest movements of leaves, I'd notice a bird. Looking at it through the binoculars or camera view finder, I see one of the amazing handiwork of God's creation! Sometimes it feels like I am in God's art gallery! Time flies. Packed lunches are usually delayed or forgotten. At the end of the day, relaxing in the simple chalet over dinner with friends, we gasped and awed at the shared photos looking for the shots of the day. Conversations and laughter lingers on till the late hours of the night. Lying in bed I could just think to myself, "What a wonderful and satisfying day. Thank you Lord". At the end of the holiday, I would have spent but a fraction of what it would have cost an Alaskan Cruise. My point? Less is more.

It doesn't take much to be happy. What God 's word teaches is so true; less is more. Where did we get the notion that more is more? In fact, more is never enough. Remember, it didn't take much for Jesus to feed a crowd of five thousand men alone. It was just five loaves and two little fish. With only twelve disciples, Jesus changed the whole world. Less is indeed more. I am not saying we are not to strive for more or that more is bad. I am saying the miracles of life, they are in small packages. So if you want more, look at the small details. If you can see it, you can have more. If you can't see it, maybe you too busy chasing after the wind.It doesn't take much to be happy in life. Whatever little you have, you have more than you know. God bless.