>>>BACK TO HOME PAGE<<<

Because of the current global crisis, many of us are facing various hardships that affect our faith (i.e. positively or negatively). As Christians, the bible encourages us to believe that everything happens for a reason. That the all-knowing, omnipotent and ever loving father has planned every little detail of our lives and knows the end from the beginning. This means that before we were born, God knew that our generation would have to go through this trying time. When we look back in history, it is hard to imagine the struggles and hardships our great (great) grandparents or even parents had to endure to get to where they are now. That is, the wars, slavery, famine, drought, loss of loved ones, poverty, etc. When you read about or hear stories from the past, it is easy for the person telling them to analytically explain to you how these events shaped their lives. While it is easier for one to imagine the situation that someone went through and hear them explain how they grew because of it, it would still be hard for them to personally experience it. We know that we are each put on earth for a purpose and as we grow up, we expect certain things from God to help us have a fulfilled life (this is hope). However, hope doesn’t mean that there will not be challenges along the way to where God is taking you, which is your calling. This middle space between where you are right now and where you are supposed to be is the gap in your life where some personal growth and changes happen. God will take you through certain situations (some hard, others easy) to get you to where he wants you to be. Today’s blog is inspired by two sermons from (the past two Sundays) Elevation church. I love that the two sermons specifically spoke into the situation that I find myself in. One of the sermons is by pastor Richard Wilkerson titled, “The Frustration of Expectation” preached from the scripture of Romans 8: 18-27 and the second is by pastor Jabin Chavez, titled “A Ridiculous Reality” preached from 1 Samuel 17: 32-34 and Acts 13: 22.

Pastor Richard uses Paul’s message to the Romans about their “future glory” to encourage us to be more expectant in life. In his sermon he asks us what we are expecting God to do for us. He believes that, “your current situation is not in charge of your future purpose.” and that how we wait on the Lord is very important. He goes on to explain that many of us just like the man in Acts 3 tend to give up and lower our expectations after we have been waiting a long time. This man’s expectation to be restored (from being lame) was so low that all he asked for was money, he was not believing for a miracle but God exceeded his expectation and restored him to fullness. According to pastor Richard, expectation produces frustration. This is what happens in the space in between our expectation and our purpose. He urges us to be aware of this gap and remind ourselves that it is leading us to the secure eternity that Paul speaks of.

I honestly hate this waiting period. However, I am learning that when you are aware of the fact that God planned your current situation, then you start to anticipate what he has in store for you. If you think about video games and how they are built, the player is given challenges that lead them to different levels. It is in conquering the different challenges that you learn to build strategy for the levels ahead. You may have to fail at certain stages before you can know how to deal with a bigger issue ahead. Playing the game can be frustrating just like our lives, but when you get to the next level (because of all the work/ practice that you have put in), you start to be more and more expectant. You find yourself looking forward to the next challenge just so you can get the satisfaction of conquering it. Moreover, pastor Richard says that, “frustration is an indication that you are living with divine expectation” and that instead of cursing our frustration, we need to solve the issue, learn to manage it or even fight through it. He suggests that in other cases, it may also mean that fixing this issue is our calling or purpose in life. Furthermore, he warns us against aiming at perfection but rather, our aim should be at making daily progress which helps us fill this gap. He also warns us against the devil and argues that the devil will always try to frustrate God’s plans because he hates God’s purpose for your life. It is important to remember that in those times where you find yourself feeling guilty about your past mistakes, you need to remember that, “the enemy doesn’t care about your your past, you do!” says, pastor Richard. What is most important to do in this season is to rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance because he is the helper that Jesus promised us.

Just like a pregnant woman that is expecting a baby, we are reminded that we have to eliminate some toxic things that may affect what God has put inside of us. These could be bad habits, behavior, etc. To do this you need to allow God to cleanse you and do his work in you before he does something through you. In the meantime, we are asked not to give up but rather to keep on pushing through the darkness, keep breathing, and waiting patiently on God to do his work because he is all that we need to go through this. Take that leap of faith today, because God is watching you and he is ready to save you when you fall. Hope for a better life now because “it is in the unknown that our God makes himself known,” says pastor Richard. He further contends that when your current situation is full of frustration, always remember that “it is the struggle of today that produces the strength that I need for tomorrow.”

Similarly, pastor Jabin’s sermon explains that God wants to do something in us and that the unexpected situations we encounter always teach us something about God, about the devil and about us that we never knew. He believes that (in the gap) we may not choose the battles that come to us in life but we can choose to fight through them to the other end of our purpose. Therefore, he says, “don’t die at the hands of your circumstance because you are angry at the fight that has been given to you.” I personally find that is is much easier to complain about how unfair the unexpected situations in my life are. But I also know that throwing myself a pity party and whining about the things that are happening to me are not wise decisions because if I do not become creative and do something about it or fight through the frustration, I will not grow into who God wants me to be. According to pastor Jabin, Goliath was an opportunity for David to step into what he was called to do. He goes further to explain that Goliath or your challenges in life will uncover your gift, reveal your calling, teach you how to fast and pray, and uncover your anointing to others. Therefore, instead of comparing your giant to yourself, compare him to God! He knows why he brought him into your life. Pastor Jabin further believes that Goliath will help you discover that “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4: 4). Moreover, the giants we face will eventually reveal to us that, “we are bigger on the inside than Goliath is on the outside” he adds.

Using David’s story, pastor Jabin gives us three points to consider when faced with giants or challenges in our lives. You need to; First of all, choose courage over worry and be able to do something that frightens you despite your emotions and the voices in your head that tell you that you can’t! He says, “faith will always be ridiculous…hope will always be unrealistic.” Therefore, “do something that pushes you out of your comfort zone.” Secondly, (Have) faith over facts. He believes that, “faith sees what God can do in the midst of the problem” and further stresses the significance of a Godly perspective. He argues that while Saul and David were faced with the same giant, each of them looked at Goliath with a different perspective. Pastor Javin explains that faith is important because, “there is always going to be an excuse for why you can’t fight your Goliath.” Therefore he encourages us to always look at our challenges as a possibility for God’s glory to be manifested. Thirdly, (remember that) a ridiculous reality will require God’s word over man’s opinion. The people around you will remember your mistakes, they will look at your outward appearance with human eyes, other’s may even discourage you because they want to limit your perspective or expectation of life or they may simply be jealous of you. Just remember that God doesn’t! His perspective of you is a holy one. For instance, pastor Jabin explains how David was referred to as a boy and a child by Saul and yet God described him as a man and a king! “Know whose you are” he suggests. In addition, he asks us to always remember that (these people) “they didn’t create you…(and that) you were not created in their image.” Therefore, you need to keep pushing forward with persistence and “push back from the voices that are trying to stop you from walking in victory.”

Are you hurting, confused, frustrated, exhausted, angry, feeling humiliated, or on the verge of giving up? I am here to encourage you that this is not the end, it is merely the beginning of what God is doing in your life. The circumstances may not look like it right now but I need you to know that this situation is only temporary. Hold onto the little hope that you have, do the best that you can and watch what God will do through you. Paul tells us that, “hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we hope for it patiently.” When I look at everything happening around me, I am often tempted to give into the lies that the enemy is telling me, however, I am choosing to raise my expectations and believe that God is doing something big in my life! What I can do NOW is mind the gap in front of me, (right now) and take every day as it comes. Step by step and day by day, I will defeat all the giants that I face with great faith, a Godly perspective, determination and persistence. I will learn how to manage that which faces me. This may be memories of my past, the voices in my head or those of the people around me and the frustration I feel when dealing with everything. We should know that the joy that awaits us is much greater than the pain, frustration or fear that we are feeling today. We will testify of His goodness. Just don’t stop believing that the best is yet to come.

I pray that the Holy Spirit may guide and guard your heart and soul to remain strong during the tough situations that you are facing. May you learn how to survive on what he has to offer you, that is; love, patience, kindness, joy, goodness, faithfulness, peace, gentleness, and self-control. AMEN!

With love and prayers,

Resty Kansiime

Here are the sermons from today.

A Ridiculous Reality | Pastor Jabin Chavez | Elevation Church – YouTube

The Frustration of Expectation | Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. | Elevation Church – YouTube