Motivation and Inspiration by Peter Mbada: Stuff happens!

Stuff Happens

Abstinence is the solution!

Last week we were battling with getting our girl to complete her homework in time. You know one of those times when 5 minutes before taking off in the morning the kid tells you she has some schoolwork due that morning which is still outstanding. We realised she had been watching too much television – even though its Christian networks; Christian cartoons, but it was consuming so much of her time. I declared a TV blackout! We switched off the television; not just for her but for everybody because we are in it together. We can’t teach her a principle which ourselves are not able to live by. If we are to teach her abstinence from television or from anything else for that matter we have to lead by example. We were not about to take her where we have not been ourselves. Don’t teach somebody what you are not prepared to do yourself! It was awfully quiet and weird for the first day but we had to go through it. Guess what – we never died! By the third day of abstinence you will be amazed how much time we found ourselves with in our hands; homework was done in time and we still had plenty of time for more valuable things. Even my daughter proposed that we extend the blackout season!

Don’t opt for a user friendly relationship

In a generation were there are so many conveniences and alternatives faithfulness has become a scarce resource. Loyalty and sticking in there is now a thing of the past. Days when people would get a job for life are gone; professionals are mobile and are unwilling to make permanent and life-long commitments. Couples are shunning the marriage institution and resorting to live-ins and co-habiting because you can have a user-friendly relationship without any binding commitments. But ‘Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today and forever’ (Hebrews 13 v 8) has not changed in His demands for faithfulness, loyalty, commitment and obedience. He is looking for faithfulness.

Stuff happens

I once witnessed one old man, very committed to God, testifying on how his son came home one day to introduce to him his ‘boyfriend’ whom he was going to get married to! Stuff happens! Sometimes things can go wrong in life; very wrong. Things can fall apart! Sometimes the happenings in life can swing completely out of control and you can wonder whether you are coming or going. Life is not fair and is never meant to be. You just need to know how to play the game. Whatever you have gone through or whatever you will go through God’s commitment to your life will never change. Even if things go wrong you must never shift in your faithfulness and commitment to God; because God is never glorified in what never happens! When things go wrong; it’s so that the power of God may be manifested in your life and that at the end of it all His name be glorified. If stuff doesn’t happen you will miss an opportunity for God to be glorified through your life!

Counting begins when the pain begins

Faithfulness is unconditional. It is not dependant on the actions or reactions of the other party. In fact with faithfulness, counting begins when the pain begins. The substance of your commitment is seen when your faithfulness is tested. True faithfulness is when you are exposed to disappointments, pains and heartbreaks and you remain loyal and committed. You don’t opt for ‘tit-for-tat’. The substance of your faithfulness is not measured in times of bliss and abundance; but in times of pain and frustration. Abraham waited 25 years to receive his promise but he remained faithful to God. David was anointed king; he was the true authentic, God ordained king of Israel; but for 40 years he continued to serve under Saul who had been rejected by God. He did not organise a coup – he remained faithful! Moses was stressed and wearied by the grumblings and complaining of the children of Israel in the wilderness but he never gave up on them; he remained faithful to the service. You were born in sin and over the years you have disappointed God but he has never given up on you. He has remained faithful and true to His word and covenants.

God honours faithfulness

God does not measure ability by how much you have performed against others. He measures ability on how you have performed against yourself. The true measure of your ability is not how much you have performed against others but how much you have performed against how much you should have performed! The servant who multiplied the five talents received the same commendation with the servant who multiplied the two talents (Matthew 25 v 14 – 23) because the master was not measuring them against each other but against their faithfulness to invest in their given talents. Paul said ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, and I have kept the faith’ (2 Tim 4 v 7). He did not indicate winning against anybody else but finishing his course. ‘The race does not belong to the swift nor the battle to the strong’ (Ecclesiastes 9 v 11), but to those that endure to the end. God honours your willingness and endurance to remain in the game till the finishing line. The reward is not for those that get there first; but for those that get there! Your dependability and reliability is a measure of your ability.

God honours faithfulness more than ability!

Calvary love

Peter Mbada

Thanks for purchasing ‘Destined to Succeed; Unstoppable and Unlimitable’ and for the great testimonies! You have to read it to believe the testimonies!