Author: Pastor Rufus Ajiboye

Many people ask themselves a question of why they feel inner emptiness. So many continue to walk the wrong way in their lives, and it goes on day after day. They feel their life to be aimless and they continue their walk unmotivated. Multitudes of people do not have a clue of why they live and whether the life is worth living. All of these things happen because they do not have a clear purpose for living. The lack of such a purpose often causes violence, different types of evil, disappointments, emptiness, despair, hopelessness, apathy, anger and so on.

Do you know that you are not all you could be yet? Only the Lord knows who you are created to be and He wants to make you become who you are really created to be. That is why He said “I will make you”.

Peter and His brother were created to be Fishers of men, but they did not know that until they started to follow Christ.

The bible said they straightway left their nets, and followed him. Their destiny was changed that very day. That was the point the Lord began to make them into who they were created to be.

First of all, God ”will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able”. Maybe you don´t even feel that He is keeping all your situations under control but as a matter of fact, He has already set the limit of your hardships. God will not let things, that are above what you can bear, enter your life. You probably underestimate your own strength, but God knows better. When your reasoning is right you prevail over hardships. God will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, so you can overcome all difficulties in life – that´s the idea you should feed your mind with.

Yesterday we started talking about how not to give up, when problems and trials are all around us. Today we are going to continue about it and I would like to share with you where we can find the strength for it.

In order for us not to give up when dealing with hardships and challenges we must know that problems are a common thing and a part of life. Nobody is secured against them no matter how big your love for God is. If you think that you are the only one with problems and the others don’t have any, then you set yourself up for failure.

Nowadays many people give up as soon as something does not go like they expected or some problems start to choke them. I will tell you honestly that it is not hard to go through different problems with dignity, – you must learn it. It does not happen automatically; you must prepare yourself for it. If we won’t prepare ourselves ahead of time, then at difficult times we will fail and give up. Lack of discipline and preparation will create instability in our lives and will hinder our progress.

The question arises why so many people start their walk with God but turn aside in one of the crossroads of life; they turn back to where they came from. It reminds me the story of Jewish people. For a long time this nation was in slavery in Egypt. They were burdened by hard work with no payment. The nation of Israel cried out to God, and God delivered them and brought them out of Egypt. They had to walk to the Promised Land. Every day they were getting closer to it. There were difficulties on their way; they had to flee some wrong things, avoid making wrong decisions, wrong relationships; they had to overcome grumbling and complaining. Israelites had to obtain more and more knowledge of God while heading towards their Promised Land.

Laying hold of eternal life means that a person strives to stay on the narrow road which leads to eternal life. Jesus knew that it would be so convenient for many to walk the broad road; being on this road, a person feels comfortable and lives without any restrictions; he does what he wants to do and is not limited by any commitments. But the Bible says that it is the way of sin, because a person is not accountable and moves ‘without brakes’, so to speak; this way leads to destruction. God says that we shouldn’t walk on this way. We must flee sin; we must cast aside all the worldly, ungodly things that hinder us, otherwise we won’t get to our destination – eternal life. Jesus says that many people will deny faith.

«But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses» (1Timothy, 6:11-12).

We say that these three things help us to lay hold on eternal life. We also established that eternal life has its beginning on earth when we get to know the only true God and His Son Jesus Christ.

«But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses» (1Timothy, 6:11-12).

In this passage of Scripture Paul talks about that our Christian life has three aspects: According to it, we must:

flee sin;

pursue righteousness;

fight the good fight of faith.

Describing the difficulties of the last days, Jesus said that there would be serious shakings and even the powers of heaven would be shaken. He said that there would be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; He predicted fear and perplexity among men, and roaring and storms in the sea. At that time some people will be extremely fearful; there will be fear of calamities, lots of depression; but others will raise their heads, praise God and joyfully expect their redemption, because they will have the hope of salvation.