It was an interesting week. Interesting in a sense that, within a week, there were a number of deaths that occurred to loved ones of whom we’re directly or indirectly connected to. Now, I know deaths are occurring every day, it’s just that it reoccurred to my mind that we’re indeed dying; how life is so fragile and short. And the thing is – life is fragile and short and so many people are not living their lives to the full. And when they leave the earth, with wasted lives, directionless and meaningless, no joy nor bliss nor glory await them but ultimate suffering.

That is what God has decreed upon men – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The only way to have life and live life to the fullest is surrendering one’s life to Jesus Christ, who is the Resurrection and the Life. But for us who have been born-again, who have this hope of eternal life, what kind of life should we be living here and now? How can we live the life to the fullest? When we live for the glory of God (1 Cor.10:31). “So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it (2 Cor.5:9).”

This world is not our home…

There is no other way. And be reminded that we are strangers and aliens in this world (1 Pet.2:11). This world is not our home. All the great blessings of life would not necessarily be found in this present time but we’re waiting for them in glory. Therefore we do not need to be distressed if we do not have everything that those around us are trying to get in this life. That is the truth that will deliver us from the pressures of the times. We must hold things lightly. We must not think that houses, cars, money and material gain is all that important. Even if we lack these things, the great treasures of our life remain untouched. To strive constantly to gain what everyone else has is a mistake. God teaches us to hold these things lightly. We must never forget that we are in the world but not of it. We are never to settle down here for good. C.S.Lewis has put it: “Our kind heavenly Father has provided many wonderful inns for us along our journey, but He takes special care to see that we never mistake any of them for home.”

We are pilgrims and strangers, passing through this world…

We are pilgrims and strangers, passing through this world. We are involved in it, deeply sometimes, but we are never to see ourselves as a part of it. And one day, we’ll be home just as He promised! “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor.4:18). “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory (Col.3:2-4).”

You can’t help but feel angry, troubled, upset, and sad about the tragic massacre in Maguindanao. The brutal murder of 57 people has plunged our country into a state of sadness and utter disbelief: How could someone do such a thing? Is there anything that could have been done to prevent it? What is happening to our society? Why is there so much evil in this world? The inability of some to reconcile the existence of a loving God with that of an evil and depraved world is one of the primary reasons why many reject the message of the Bible. However while this tragedy will prompt some to question the existence of God, in truth, it is only by turning to God that any real answers can be found.

…When we trust God and choose to follow Him, our suffering is not in vain…

The Bible teaches that God created the whole universe. He created our world and everything in it, but the world He created was very different from the world we live in today. Genesis 1:31Genesis 1:31
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. And the evening...: Heb. And the evening was, and the morning was etc.  

WP-Bible plugin says that “God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” However when Adam and Eve disobeyed God everything changed, sin and death entered into the world – and into the heart of man. God created man with a free will – the ability to make choices. He could have made us like robots, pre-programmed to love and obey Him. Instead He gave us a choice, because He wanted us to come to Him willingly. Mankind suffers because of its sin, and it is because of our sin that we are separated from God, who is perfect and holy. However there is hope.

The Bible says that everyone has sinned, that the punishment for sin is death (both physical and spiritual), and that our sin separates us from God. Furthermore, there is nothing we can do to obtain the holiness (or perfection) necessary to enter into God’s presence. Left to ourselves, without God’s intervention, we are hopeless. However because God loves us, He has graciously given us a way out of our predicament. He provided us with a substitute, Jesus Christ, who was perfect and blameless, to take our place and bear the punishment for our sins. Because He died for us, we can be forgiven.

When we trust God and choose to follow Him, our suffering is not in vain. The Bible says that God uses trials and obstacles to teach us and draw us closer to Him. Yes, closer and closer…until we finally see Him face to face and leave this world of sin. But in the meantime we’re here to represent the Lord – to love and to care, and to preach the gospel in an uncompromising boldness. When I see tragedy like this, more and more I’m reminded that man’s heart is indeed evil and the only solution isn’t a social program, isn’t a political reform, not even a higher education – but Jesus Christ. When the love of Jesus invades and permeates any one’s heart, that life will never be the same again! I know…for He did it to me!

Let the love of God in Christ fill your whole being today. Let Him touch you again…so that you can be His hand to touch others throughout this week until He returns!

One day, someone ran up to 19th century pastor, John Wesley, and exclaimed, “Your house burned down! Your house burned down!” Wesley calmly replied, “No it hasn’t, because I don’t own a house. The one I have been living in belongs to the Lord, and if it has burned down, that is one less responsibility for me to worry about.” This is the response of a man who had the right perspective concerning earthly possessions. He knew who was in control of his life and he trusted God to completely provide for his needs.

How many of us would respond to tragedy like Wesley did? So often, when things don’t go the way we planned, we have just the opposite reaction. When tragedy strikes, we turn on God as if we’ve been slapped in the face, asking why He would allow something as devastating as the loss of property, health, or a loved one. In our wrong thinking, we focus on God taking something from us. But I believe this response comes from the inaccurate idea that we are entitled to our possessions. This could not be further from the truth. Paul reminded the Corinthians that everything they had came from the Lord: “What do you have that you did not receive? (1 Cor. 4:71 Cor. 4:7
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? maketh...: Gr. distinguisheth thee  

WP-Bible plugin).” You see, the Christian world-view is much different than those who don’t believe – everything is a gift from above and ultimately belongs to God. In His grace, He allows us to be stewards of earthly possessions.

Jesus got to the heart of the matter in Matthew when He said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (Matt. 6:24Matt. 6:24
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  

WP-Bible plugin).” This is the problem: we either have money or money has us. If we have money, we use it in ways that honor God and bring Him glory. But if money has us, we tend to cling to it tightly and become miserly with our worldly possessions, allowing worry and discontent to rule in our lives. This is nothing less than disbelief in God’s provision. As the Great Provider, God knows your needs and is more than able to provide for you. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians that the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness (I Cor. 10:26r. 10:26
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WP-Bible plugin). If everything belongs to God, will He not share what He has with His children? Jesus asked a rhetorical question of His followers: “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? (Luke 11:11Luke 11:11
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?  

WP-Bible plugin).” The implied answer is, “Of course not!” Good fathers give good gifts. And God the Father, has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:32 Peter 1:3
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3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: to: or, by  

WP-Bible plugin).

So, the next time you start thinking God has taken something away from you, try remembering how many things God has given to you. He has given you life, He has given you significant relationships, and most importantly, through His Son, He has given you eternal life. Everything else is just icing on the cake.