Felix Kwabena Donkor is a doctoral researcher in the field of environmental management in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a humble church cleaner and intercessor with a heart for the broken. He is interested in using God´s principles in meeting the pressing needs of his generation and currently co-manages a food garden which is entirely for feeding hungry students and their families.
After playing an active part in my Church’s beginning of the year fast in January, I was expecting a smooth sail through the year 2016. Little did I expect any sudden disappointments for the year given my spiritual preparation! But I was taken aback when one bad news after another came in rapid succession, leaving me wondering if it was worth starting the year with a prayer and fasting period.
I had applied for a project and was earnestly looking forward to being awarded a contract. I did not get it. I had also encouraged a colleague of mine to apply. The day I got the bad news, he met me on my way home and thanked me for my encouragement and prayers for him with this project, because he was successful with his application! He asked me if I also got a positive answer. I jealously congratulated him and was so mad at God! In my eyes I was more qualified and felt God must be playing favorites. I even thought maybe Christianity was not for me—I must be in the wrong religion in the first place! But you can see my pride and spiritual immaturity in this narrative.
As an intercessor I prayed for these brethren, that they will be successful, and here I am complaining why I was not the chosen one! Mercy!
As a human being I always want things to go my way. I have a myopic view, unlike God who has the big picture and my best interest at heart. But I erroneously was expecting the Lord to make my life a bed of roses without challenges or difficulties. I was treating God as a genie, doing whatever I wanted and God would always bless it.
However, all things work together for those who love Christ. Not only what I see as good, but also the ones I consider bad in my human understanding.
As I desire to grow in my spiritual walk with God, I have come to understand that it will come with trials and challenges which I must embrace as I seek His wisdom and guidance through all the changing scenes of life.
Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (
Daniel 3:16-18
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
) answered steadfastly that no matter how hot the furnace may be they will not succumb to the gods of the world, I have learned to follow their example of following the Lord unwaveringly—telling myself no matter how dire my circumstances may become, His word shall still reign supreme and upon it I lay anchor.
Most people have a dream or goal in life. In his 1954 book, Motivation and Personality, Abraham Maslow points to self-actualization as the highest need in the hierarchy of human needs. Self-actualization demands effort. People make plans or set goals to achieve it. Consequently, self-improvement, motivation, peak performance, etc. has become a lucrative industry as there is no shortage of people in need of such services.
It is said that the cemetery is the richest place on earth because there in the grave are countless potentials, ideas or dreams that did not see the light of day as they perished and were buried together with the people who carried them.
Does SMART, SWOT Analysis, or Strategic Planning ring a bell? Almost all literature on realizing goals point in one direction: set the goal; consider the needed resources; divide it into mini goals/small steps; proceed from one step to the other and you end up realizing the main goal.
But there are those times when, with the best of intentions and efforts, you set a goal, divide it into mini goals, start with a step, and realize you are not making any headway. You may even be retrogressing, despite all the hard work. That is when you wonder if God did not have enough time to read any of those articles or has not heard of these strategies!
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9.
Often we look at the natural and are disappointed because we cannot understand God's divine perspective. When we have goals, dreams, or methods that will end up destroying us, God steps in to destroy such plans. Most of the time, it makes no sense to us; it even looks unfair and unjust. But His infinite ways are beyond our finite ways, and if we do not get it, we might end up employing desperate measures trying to help God (like Sarah did in suggesting Abraham sleep with her maid so they could have an heir - which eventually backfired.)
Gideon had to learn this fact when God asked him to reduce the size of his military from 22,000 to only 300 men to fight the mighty Midianite army. Given the size of the task ahead and considering the military technology at that time, this was against common sense to say the least; neither was it smart or strategic planning either! It rather looks suicidal or more of kamikaze tactics of World War II.
However, in the end, this alternative route secured resounding success. We need to appreciate that our meticulous planning, credentials, education, technology, networks, etc. are good and worthwhile. However, it is the grace and mercy of God that ultimately guarantees real success and fulfilment in our endeavours and life.
Sometimes we may not understand God’s methods, but we need not worry when we do not see much progress or try to measure our output by manmade standards. What we have to do is to ensure we are doing what He wants us to do and trust exclusively in his timing. Having God by your side is a recipe for success as he makes everything beautiful in His time. So give God first place in your life and He will take you places. Amen.
Copyright 2016 Felix Kwabena Donkor. Used by permission.
Nonetheless, I was quickly brought to my senses when I was miraculously saved from drowning. I was at the beach with friends and since I only knew some basic swimming skills, I stayed at the shore, following the advice of the lifeguard. I was jumping in the waves with friends. Everything was ok and I was really enjoying the whole experience. Then once I jumped and this time my feet did not touch the ground! I was trying to swim, but the waves were too strong for my basic skills. I was disoriented and did not know which direction to go. I was trying to shout, but when I opened my mouth I was drinking seawater!
In my desperation, I cried out to God. When I thought all hope was gone, a hand held me and brought me ashore. Like Jonah from the belly of the fish, I realized that the most important factor in this life is God. When I was drowning, my qualifications and credentials, networks, the material things that were competing for my commitment with God, could not help!
When I was ashore I kept wondering, "Is this how fast life can slip away, just one jump?" Just one jump and see where I ended up, so far away from the shore where I thought I was safe! I asked the one who accidentally swam to my end what prompted him to come that far and he said, "Something just made me come that far." I thanked him for listening to that small voice but thanked God ultimately for coming to my rescue as His grace and mercies found me even when I was doubting Him. Without God, I would be an educated fool, because there is always a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end is death. However, with God, you can access wisdom to navigate the issues of life successfully.
That night as I lay on my bed, I kept staring at the ceiling, knowing that I could have been lying in the morgue or my coffin some few hours earlier. And it has been a fruitful journey thus far and I have come to welcome the twists and turns as He did not promise a life without challenges. When you give your life to God, then you can truly enjoy life abundantly. The thief cometh only to kill and destroy, but in Him is life. As much as I love to socialize, I have also learned to be guided by the counsel ... blessed is he who does not sit in the counsel of the ungodly.
Sometimes we may deceptively think we are on the shores of a worldly temptation, but soon realize we are in deep waters and struggling to overcome. His hands are not too short to bring us to the shores of His presence, where there is fullness of joy.
