U Turn, God Turns

[authormvrobinson-blog]

Freedom: Breaking the Cycle of Secrets

Here you are, unemployed and are about to spend thirty months in a cell for drug abuse and possession. Just an hour ago, you had a job. Thinking back, you are flooded with unhappy memories of your family. Your parents are jobless and can hardly put food on your table. None of your three brothers have ever gone to school; only you had, with the help of a local-funded scholarship. You graduated and lived the life of an average Joe. Even then, things were never easy for you. All the while, you knew that you could never get away from drug dependency. You couldn’t even remember the first time you had it. Now, almost two months after you acquired this job, you’ve been fired, unemployed and are about to spend thirty months in cell for drug abuse and possession.

When all the good things have left you, all the bad things find their way to you. A series of unfortunate events can strangle you until you learn to forget how to breathe, and if you try to swim, they’ll swallow you until you don’t find the way out.

It seems that you are blindly imprisoned in a cycle of secrets, where everyone sees what is happening except you.

But are you aware that you can change this hopelessness? Do you believe that you can find the way out of this miserable life? Do you want to know how?

Learn to accept the circumstance that you are in. Acceptance means understanding the causes of your situation. How did things end up the way they did? For example, did you become drug dependent because you liked the feeling of lightness from all the burdens that you have been carrying since you were a kid?

Is there a way to stop this?

Keep this in mind: you cannot change the past, but you can change what is ahead of you. You have to believe that there is a way to stop this cycle of misfortunes. Believe in yourself. And if you can’t find enough reasons to believe in yourself, believe in the forgiving, loving, almighty God.

Dear child, God is waiting for you to come back to Him. If you have become tired of this world, turn back to Him. If the rough road becomes rougher and you find it hard to hold on anymore, turn back to Him.

For others, making a U-turn is a sign of a weak mind, but they are wrong. A courageous mind takes a U-turn if it needs to, and it does so because it knows that there are wrong decisions that can still be turned around. That’s how people learn from mistakes in the past and move on with their lives.

There are three ways to break the cycle and attain freedom: accept, believe, and learn. Accept what is wrong and understand how it came to be. Believe in yourself and in the power of God. Learn from the mistakes in the past and move on with your life.

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[heartlikeheaven-deactivated2025]

One thing is certain–He will never throw our past failures back in our faces.

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, August 17 (via heartlikeheaven)

[thevirtuousgirl]

[authormvrobinson-blog]

Falling Is Not Failure

Falling is not failure. Even if it is, failure is not something to be feared. When you fear failure, you fear being alive. Humans were placed in this world to fulfill a lifelong mission. Whether it is to serve others or to work for the preservation of Mother Nature, every person’s mission is an integral part of their life. In your journey to accomplish what you’re called to do, you will meet boulders that will get in your way. You will trip on rocks that will make you fall. But the act of falling is not inherently wrong. Falling means that you’ve tried, and sometimes, trying is more important. Once you have tried, you have begun to live.

Elbert Hubbard once said, “There is no failure except in no longer trying.” When you are peppered with challenges that seem insurmountable, remember that mountains are not meant to be moved. Mountains are meant to be scaled. If you stop before you reach the peak, how can you appreciate the beauty of being so close to the sky? If you quit and go back, how can you find the abundant valley that lies on the other side? The beauty of trying lies not in succeeding but in having the courage to look fear in the eyes and show it how little it controls you. Fear can only stop you if you let it, so take the reins; direct your life to the path you want to traverse. Along your journey, you will discover more causes to fear, but you will also find a lot more reasons to live.

Maybe you’ve had a recent encounter that has shaken your confidence, driven you to despair, or made you retreat into your shell. At this moment, you may not believe that you will overcome this, but you will. You will be able to pick up the pieces and build yourself whole again. You will be able to leave this moment behind and face the future with courage. Maybe now you feel weak and weary. Maybe now you don’t trust yourself enough. That’s okay. There are trials that can’t be faced alone. That’s why God is always watching His people. He knows when to lighten the load. He knows when to stretch out a helping hand. All you need to do is ask.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

—Matthew 7:7

[authormvrobinson-blog]

Faith to Endure through Closed Doors

After placing third in the 2015 Miss Universe pageant, Miss USA Olivia Jordan posted a photo on her Instagram account, saying, “Sometimes, it’s just not for us . . . Not because they are better, more qualified, prettier, nicer, superior to us, but because it is their opportunity, not ours . . . and our opportunities are not for them either.” This is one of the best acceptance statements that I have heard. Miss Jordan’s attitude and humility really did do well for her.

I may not know Miss Jordan personally, but I believe (and I think it’s safe to say) that she is a woman of faith. Well, if she is not, her attitude is certainly something that believers of the faith should possess. Acceptance and endurance despite closed doors is a character of strong people—strong people anchored by faith.

When doors are closing in and things don’t seem to go according to plan, it’s important not to be disheartened.  Discouragement will do nothing but hinder you from achieving your dreams and true potential. Have enough faith to believe that something greater is on the way. Use your faith to jump over the hurdle, even if you think you’re going to stumble.  And when you do fall to the ground, always get back up.

Remember that there are better plans and there is a perfect time for everything. Some opportunities are not really lost or missed, they’re just not meant to be.  It’s all part of a process.

Think of it this way: you are not born an adult. You (and all of us) have to go through infancy, childhood, and adolescence. We begin to learn how to walk, fall down, get scrapes, and get back up, until we learn how to run. We grow, we change, we learn. And just like your physical growth, everything that has happened in the past and everything that is happening to you now is part of the process of making the future you.

Closed doors are not meant to destroy you, they are meant to lead you into another direction, to lead you to the right door. Sometimes you have to go through just one door before you get to the right one, sometimes it takes a hundred. But no matter how many doors are shut in front of you, never give up. Do not wallow in self-pity. Instead, enjoy the process. Like a fine diamond, you have to go through fire and a lot of pressure—a lot of scraping, shredding, and cutting before you become the person you dream of: a strong, beautiful, and precious diamond. And when you get to the end of the process, say thank you and remind yourself of how far you’ve come.

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The Price of Obedience

A pillar of salt—that is what Lot’s wife became when she looked back to the burning city of Sodom. In the early book of Genesis, we see this as an example of what will happen if we disobey God’s will. The eating of the forbidden fruit got the First Couple thrown out of Eden, and the painting of sheep’s blood over the doors of the Jews in Egypt during the Exodus tells of the punishments and rewards of following the will of our Lord.

But there are two sides to a coin, and obedience comes with a price.

Humans are given free will, and it has been said that even God himself cannot take it back. Thus, obedience is a willing submission to do His bidding. Upon closer look, obedience is the sacrifice made by man offered to God of his own independence in the generality of his actions. Though we are asked to follow and obey, we are not told to give up individuality. We can still live our own lives the way we want them to as long as it is in accordance with the law of God.

With that we must ask ourselves, what are we giving up in order to be a better follower of the Lord?

Obedience, these days, is keeping to the faith. Each day, temptations surround us, and we struggle constantly in eschewing these material goods so we can focus on the path that our Holy Father has set for us. In our obedience, we pay the price of being misunderstood by the larger community. Abstaining from meat on Fridays, for example, will raise eyebrows when coworkers splurge on meat pizzas. Declining plans to go to church on Sunday will also raise concerns from those who do not share the same beliefs. The ostracism of those who believe in the Word in a world that is chock full of relativism is a struggle, and this, right here, is the price of obedience. Contemporary culture, with its fast pace and seemingly forward views, is usually not very friendly to those who seek guidance from a higher power. To go against the flow of the river is to know how tough it is to stand amid the flood like a rock; it is difficult and very isolating. But the Lord always provides, so we must run to our communities, where we can find like-minded people who share the same beliefs. So despite the high price we pay for obedience now, we cannot forget that when the mortal coil is shed, it is our souls that will rejoice when we are rewarded in the kingdom of heaven.

Sources:

http://www.the-american-interest.com/2006/09/01/between-relativism-and-fundamentalism/

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11182a.htm

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freewill/

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[authormvrobinson-blog]

Embrace the Life Journey

How precious are our lives? How grand a gift has our Father bestowed upon us? How magnificent is our mother, who gave birth to us? And yet, there are some of us who take life for granted, who go through it without having lived, who waste away each day unfulfilled. If you are one of them, my wayward friend, awaken! Life is but a journey—embrace it.

We are on a sojourn. The physical body is only temporary. It is merely a vessel for the spirit. When the body decays, the spirit continues on to its ultimate destination: Heaven, where we can join God in His majesty. However, when we do nothing with life, the promised eternal life will be undeserved, and thus our admission to Heaven will be barred.

Take heart, for any accomplishment will be accepted by God, no matter how small. He is as much a liberal recipient as He is a generous patron. God notices each good deed, more so when they are made with effort and sincerity. Every act is one step closer to Heaven.

Yet there are those who seek success but shun the work that precedes it and remain quarantined in their comfort zone. This fortressed solitude festers fake achievements falsely gained from others’ endeavors. Life is already free; it is not meant to be caged.

Recall Matthew 25:14–30, the parable of the talents, wherein three servants were entrusted with talents by their master, who was going on a trip. The first two servants doubled the amount of talents they had while the third one buried his. When the master returned, he rewarded the two who had used their gifts to gain more. For the third servant, who had wasted his talent by hiding it from the world, the master took the talents back from him and banished the servant from his household.

The point of the parable is to make use of what we have. The third servant was not condemned because he did not make a profit; he was punished because he did nothing with what he was given. God has given us life and equipped us with talents to succeed. He expects us to apply them as best as we can.

On another note, to embrace life sincerely, we need to love it wholeheartedly. It will be difficult to live if you loathe living. After all, how can you not love it, with all the surprises it brings? The secret of life is enjoying it to the fullest.

“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

—1 Timothy 6:12

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[leohearts]

Remember, you can’t change what has happened, but you can build a new beginning.

Craig Williams (via leohearts)

[morethanconquerors831]

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Proverbs 3:5-8 (via morethanconquerors831)

[for-by-grace]

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12 (via for-by-grace)

[theadventurer]

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:5 (via theadventurer)

[authormvrobinson-blog]

Power of Second Chances

Have you ever turned down someone before—for example, rejected their job application, or declined a business proposal, or perhaps refused their romantic advances? Did some of them return on a later date to try again? If you’ve noticed, most of the attempts from second chances were better than the first. Why do you think that is?

Yes, it is true that failures depress us, and it is a perfectly normal reaction. We have all experienced failure. We have encountered difficult moments in our lives wherein we exert so much effort yet fall short of success. But when given a chance to do it again, the indomitable human heart refuses to break and it rallies the shattered spirit and comes back sturdier, for it is when we fall down and hit rock bottom that a person’s true worth is measured. It is this determination amid adversity that defines a person.

And when several determined individuals work together, the sheer force in their solidarity alters the course of history.

Take the European colonial era as a case study. The Old World had been diseased by multiple wars spanning several years. Eventually, war weariness resulted in increased unrest, which became problematic in the major European powers. The British Empire, the leading colonial superpower in that era, was not spared the nuisance; prisons in Britain became overcrowded. Their solution was to establish penal colonies, places where convicts worked, in the Americas and in Australia. When the criminals’ sentences ended, they were given land so they could start anew. They became pioneers in the New World. As history unfolded, Australia became a nation of its own and the United States of America is now a modern superpower. Both countries resulted from people who were given second chances.

Another great example is of humanity as a whole. Our collective sins are so heavy that it is a wonder God has not erased us from existence—yet God’s patience is infinite. He gave the world His only son, Jesus Christ, so that our sins will be cleansed. He listens to our confessions daily to unburden our hearts of guilt. He gives us second, third, fourth, fifth, an unlimited number of chances at redemption.

Do not underestimate a person who tries again. By giving them another attempt, you are empowering them to become better than who they were in the past. Be generous in giving second chances, and you will be amazed at what people can achieve.

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” —Matthew 18:21–22

[letters-tothelord]

psalm 73:21

[slain-in-the-spirit]

If there’s anything I’m learning now, it is to not take things hastily. A flower blooms in its perfect time, as a butterfly outgrows its cocoon in time. God won’t let you stay where you are forever, everything takes time.

E.B (via slain-in-the-spirit)

[beereans]

God came near when I called Him,    and he said, “Do not fear.”

Lamentations 3:57 (via beereans)