Encouraging words when going through the storms of life 3.

This write-up is by a friend Ekenu Unu. I found it very encouraging at a time in my life when I needed to hear these words again."This too shall pass". I hope it's a blessing to someone else.

There is a song that springs up in my spirit whenever I am faced with something that I question my ability to bear. And this too shall pass, Like every night that came before it.There are things that happen in life that literally knock the wind out of you. Perhaps it is a financial situation that you can’t see the way out of, perhaps it’s the betrayal of a loved one, perhaps it’s the loss of health, or the loss of a spouse. Whatever it is, it feels like the end of something. Sometimes it feels like the end of you.It’s not.

When a storm is raging, it feels so intense. The lightning and thunder can cause even an adult to long to hide under the covers but it does not last forever. Even the hurricanes eventually end. And while it may have devastated the things above the land, deep underneath the earth still has the ability to give life again. I have experienced things in my life that felt like that. A raging storm, chaos and pain that seems to never let up, situations over which I feel I have no control. When Jesus was in the boat with the disciples, he was sleeping, while the storm raged around them. They became afraid. They went to rouse him, because they were so fearful that they roused him with attitude, saying “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown”. He awoke and commanded the storm “Quiet, be still”. Then after dealing with the storm, he then said to the disciples. “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

This is what I have been learning lately.I have been convicted. I write about my faith and I can tell anyone who cares to listen that I trust God, but a little rain and I start to panic. The truth is that we may not notice Jesus in our lives when the storms are raging. It may seem as if he is sleeping. We may be shouting and crying out, “Lord, are you not there?” I have been challenged to my core and today I stand in the midst of a storm but for the first time in a long time. I am not afraid. The wind has been swirling around me threatening to destroy so much that I hold dear, but today I realize that those things that I thought defined me, even if the winds uproots them from my life, I will still be me. This storm too shall pass.

There is something crippling about fear. I don’t know how many times it is written in the bible, do not fear, don’t be afraid. In my personal revelation, it is an area that God has been dealing with me on. I am being forced to grow in ways I never thought possible. Do not give way to fear.When we run under the covers, instead of facing the wind, we are simply hiding. We cannot hide from our problems. We cannot hide from our pain. We can petition God, cry out in anger and it may seem like He is silent, but perhaps this storm is an instrument of God to build your faith. I know it has been for me and this particular squall is no exception.

It is the fear that holds us hostage. It is the fear that blinds us to our own power.I have been afraid of so many things. I cannot share my whole heart. As a result, I have made so many decisions that I would remake if I had the chance. In Luke, there is a word that says whoever loves his life shall lose it. Imagine how the disciples felt in that boat. There was a man who they knew to be the son of God laying there. He had been talking to them of spiritual things, showing them heaven. He had been assuring them of their own power. They knew that as long as they were with him, they would be alright. Yet they panicked. In our lives sometimes we panic.We compromise our faith because we panic.

A young woman, who knows that God has promised her the desires of her heart, makes decisions she knows are wrong just to keep a man because deep down she is afraid that she might never find love. A wife goes to ungodly places because she cannot have a child and is afraid that she might lose her home as a result. A mother doesn’t chasten her son because she is afraid he will turn his back on her.A woman doesn’t stand up for herself because she is afraid she will lose her marriage.I understand this kind of fear all too well. I have felt it. I am thankful because we serve a God that calms the storms first and then chastises later.

This storm too shall pass.

But in the meantime, in between time, even though the rain may come down with enough force to drench you and the winds threaten to knock you over. Even though it looks like you life is about to fall apart. Hold on to your faith. Do not give way to fear. And this too shall pass Like every night that’s come before it. He’ll never give you more than you can bear. And this too shall pass. So in this thought please be comforted. It’s in His hands. Yes this too shall pass

Encouraging words when going through the storm of life 2

In the words of Pastor Joel Osteen, "Discover the champion in you." Read and be encouarged in Jesus name, amen!

If someone were to ask you to describe yourself in two words, what would you say about yourself?

Has it ever occurred to you that rarely do people admit their flaws or their weaknesses openly? We cringe when people criticize us, even if done constructively. Inwardly we suppress feelings of anger towards the person and question why they had the nerve to question our ability or intellect.

When was the last time you did an audit about yourself? And if you haven’t, would you be happy to ask all your friends to complete a questionnaire about you? If not, why not? Are you afraid of what they might write or say about you if they were to be honest?Deep beneath the veneer of laughs that you enjoy with people close to you, would you say they would speak positively about you? Would they state that you are a person they truly hold in high esteem in terms of your character, dignity and how you relate generally to people? Or to be brutally frank, would they label you a loser? If you saw your character in another person, would you like what you saw?Do you really know what you are really capable of doing despite what others think about you? The fact of the matter is that only you can answer that question.

It doesn't matter what people say about you. But what you do or don’t do is a choice. If you need to grow and move out of your comfort zone, no one is going to do that for you. You may read or listen to all the motivation messages by many motivational speakers, if you are not ready to change, no one will force you to.If you wish to settle for less, that’s a choice you have chosen. If you are content with what you have achieved, that’s also a choice you have chosen. As Thomas Edison said, “If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves”.

But before you come to that realization, you need to re-discover yourself before you can re-brand yourself. Sadly, some people go through the motions of life - they merely exist. They are dead men walking. They endure life instead of enjoying life. They have lost all hope. Their reasoning is impaired and devoid of motivation. Others who once had promising careers have lost their jobs and their homes in the global crisis and as a result, some of them have even committed suicide. Life has dealt them a deadly blow and they have decided to stay down instead of getting up. They have chosen instead to settle for a life of mediocrity.

So what if you seem to be going through a crisis? So what if you have lost your home or job? So what if you have lost lots of money in this global crisis? So what if your mates whom you went to school with are now successful? Let it be borne in mind that finding your purpose in life is not about who is the strongest, fastest or brilliant. It is about how you fully maximize your God given potential during your life time. Some of the people you consider as rich may be miserable. Some of them may be successful in business but they make a lousy husband or wife and as such thrive in a dysfunctional family. And to cap it call, some of them may be stinkingly rich, but can't seem to enjoy their wealth due to a debilitating disease which is incurable.

However if you knew yourself, you would realize that if you are going through a crisis, it is only temporary. That is why the operative word in that first sentence is "going through". It does not mean you are going to be stationary in your crisis for life. So what if your so called friends are laughing behind your back? So what if they now look down on you with disdain because you no longer fit into their mix? To use the colloquial phrase, they are “happening” because they have “arrived” and are operating at “another level”.

But look at yourself sternly in the mirror and ask yourself. Do I know who I really am? Do you merely admire your looks in the mirror or do you reprimand the person you see? Do you believe you could have achieved better? Do you wallow in self pity?Do you have to accept what people say about you? If they are wrong and you honestly think so, that is water off a ducks back - move on. Are you going to let someone kill your dream because of what they said? Are you going to let life's circumstances hold you back and imprison you? Don’t let people’s words affect your mood, hold you captive or cloud your sense of purpose in life. For when your glory manifests, not many people will remember your story.In the same vein, if they are right, what are you going to do about it? Are you strong enough to withstand the tide and change for the better? If you need to birth your dream, now is the time.

The phrase “later” or “when the time is right” is called procrastination. God has deposited a lot inside of you. Cash in on it and don’t bury your talents or let them die prematurely. Always remember that you are unstoppable so begin now to unleash them. Tell fear to take a hike, kick procratination to the kerb, strangle doubt, knock depression out, drop the heavy burden of low self esteem and lift up high self esteem. Seek wisdom where it has been lurking and embrace it for it will direct your path. Befriend good health, don't run from love, greet mercy and favour her friend will follow you; entertain prosperity and he'll push away and poverty when it comes near you.Now, ask yourself one more time. Do I really know myself? If you do, go out there and do your thing.

In passing, let me end by quoting Peter Drucker, he said “the best way to predict the future is to create it”.Proclaim to yourself that you are already a success. For as a man thinks, so is he. You may be on your knees now, but by the time you stand, you will be outstanding. If you are pursuing success at the moment, when you achieve your dream, you will end up being driven by success.Change your thoughts to positive ones for when you do that you begin to project a different mindset. A paradigm shift will be forced to take place as something inside of you will be bursting to come forth in the form of your dream.Start sowing the seeds for your success today. No one can stop you. To your success, Tunde Adeleye