Perspectives

Life’s Challenges

  • Peter Friesen, Author
  • Retired Minister

Proverbs 3:5-6… 5) Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6) in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight. (NIV)

One of the oldest instruments for navigation have been the magnetic compass. It is a vital tool that allows ships to steer a given course. However, people who depend on accurate navigational instruments, soon find out that a magnetic compass needle does not always point accurately to earth’s true north. Just as the ship’s compass is affected by the iron in the ship’s hull, so my Christian walk is affected by the echo chamber of this world, trying to convince me or to confuse me into believing that faith in God is not necessary.

There are individuals who want to create confusion in our minds and tempt us to downgrade our faith; and they can be very persuasive at times. If we listen long enough to their type of reasoning, we might be tempted to go without Jesus Christ as our guide, and His Word (the Bible) as our compass. When we invite the temptations or pursuits of this life to conflict with our pursuit of Christ, there is a real possibility we might wander aimlessly with no sense of direction, especially when life deals harshly with us.

Do we want to close out the year 2021 on a positive note? Do we want a right relationship with God and other peoples, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense? Do we desire to be truthful and kind? The wisdom of Proverbs invites us to trust the Lord completely, never to trust our own judgment. To most Christians this would be good advice, but it is not always that easy for me. Rather than leaning on Christ for guidance, I find it so tempting to do it my way.

Have you ever found your judgment to be questionable? By that I mean, you say to yourself, “I should have known better.” Is it not true that we often by-pass the advice we could get from Scripture before we make important decisions? Well, it seemed so reasonable at the time to do these assignments the way I wanted. I have given it a lot of thought, so why should it not work? But time and again, it just does not turn out the way it is supposed to. Then I do the next silly thing, I wonder why things turned out so unacceptable.

There are times when we are so raring to go, that we rush into things without a clear idea of what God wants us to do. Perhaps we should sit back and do what should come naturally to Christians, and that is to pray and put our trust in Christ. In everything we do, we must learn the lesson to put God first, that way He can direct and crown our hard work with success. Let us not be conceited, so sure of our own wisdom. Instead, let us learn to trust and revere Jesus Christ as our Lord. Then He will give us the renewed strength and ambition we need so that we can achieve our goals, and the power to say no to the things that are bad for us.

Like a compass needle, which though it spins around, will always come to rest pointing north; where does our mind point when it is idle, when it is not busy? Do we really acknowledge Christ? Because if we do, Christ will show us how to differentiate right from wrong; He will give us the sense to stay away from individuals who want to lead us astray, individuals who will try and move us away from Christ, steer us away from a life that is filled with joy and peace.

As we close the year 2021, why not say to ourselves, “In the New Year, I shall pursue wisdom.” In other words, “I shall try to understand and do what is right in the sight of God; and have the common sense not to let that wisdom slip away from me.” Give it your best in 2022… You cannot give more… And leave the rest to God… All the best to one and all… To God Be the Glory Great Things He Has Done…

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Would you pray this prayer with me…? “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I do not have peace in my heart. I really want that peace, joy, and happiness that I long for. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will bring honour to Your Name.” Amen