Desire To Be With Godly Peeps
By Jeremiah Sanchez
Everyone has someone to look up to.
For those who are big fans of Korean Pop, the so-called Hallyu Fever, groups such as Girls Generation, Super Junior, Big Bang and the likes are amongst their list of idols. Whenever there's a new music video, fans pause every second in order to memorize the steps.
Love participating with the rush of basketball? LeBron is your guy. Or maybe Bryant. Monroe? You decide. But when you're in a game yourself, you envision your basketball star and attempt to duplicate their awesome moves.
People will always look up to other people. It's in this way that they can mold themselves into what they believe as something better. Just take a look at the circle of friends we have. There's a common saying: tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are.
God has a purpose why he created a large number of us. He knew that as the years would pass, matters would become terribly confusing and we would need the help from others in order to survive. We need good influences in our lives in order to be assured of a godly life ourselves. But sometimes, we find ourselves in the company of a bad crowd who tends to draw us to things that would lead to our destruction. Smoking, gambling, and the likes.
We need people who would direct us towards the Light. A kind of crowd who would lead us to the path of Jesus.
Walk with the wise and become wise,
associate with fools and get in trouble
Proverbs 13:20
We need to seek such people for the following reasons:
1. No man is an island
A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three even better, for a triple braided cord is not easily broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:12
There is no 'I' in the word TEAM. We need people. People around us, even those who annoy us everyday, are of great importance. God created Eve for Adam so he would have a constant companion. God did not intend us to be alone. He wanted us to have friends/companions. On our own, we would have difficulty in surviving the littlest matters. But with someone else, the burden would seem lighter. Remember: two heads (or even more than two) are better than one.
When we need help, there are some things we can't do on our own. We try to parallel park when we're proclaimed amateur drivers. Instead of attempting to solve it on your own and face the risk of damage, turn to others who can help. When faced with the challenges of this life, turn to those who are connected to the God of answers. They can remind you of His word and even share words of encouragement to enlighten our spirits.
We are obviously unaware of the fact that we have our own sort of BLIND SPOTS. In order to illustrate such, try looking at your forehead without the use of a mirror. Think you can do it? Of course not.Seeing our foreheads by ourselves without a mirror is an impossibility. But who else can see our foreheads? OTHER PEOPLE. Sometimes, we have habits that are not pleasing in the eyes of the Lord but we do not see them. Our family and friends who are attuned to the Word can serve as our mirrors in order to see. They remind us for our sakes, to help us be the best that we can be for Jesus.
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
2 Timothy 2:22
2. There will always be someone more knowledgeable than you
Let's face it. As much as we want to be smartest people in this planet, we are not. There will always be someone who know more than you.
And we should treat that as a good thing.
Humility plays a big role when it comes to seeking wisdom via others. We have to accept the fact that other people possess the knowledge that we need. If we will remain proud and refuse to accept the advises offered to us by those who surround us, we might as well face an inevitable destruction. Because we should know: God opposes the proud.
"...as the Scripture say: 'God opposes the proud but favors the humble.' "
James 4:6
"Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall."
Proverbs 16:18
Such situations are like those when we face our parents. Our folks never fail in reminding us via the famous phrase: Papunta ka pa lang, pabalik na ako (Been there, done that). It's true. They have been through the road that we are on and obviously, they do know better. They know what to expect and what to avoid. Our pastors in the church are also those who know more helpful facts when it comes to the Word and its application. Our dgroup leaders in church also serve as our guides as they have also experienced trials similar to ours and their knowledge can be helpful for us.
Take a look at Moses.
Moses was the Chosen One. God had revealed such knowledge through the Burning Bush. He chose Moses for one of the greatest missions written in the Bible. Moses led the people of Israel towards their freedom. With a raise of his staff, he parted the Red Sea and performed various miracles in the name of the Lord. He was THE MAN. He had every right to feel superior to anyone. He could claim that he knew better because God chose him.
But notice this.
As the leader of the Israelites, Moses faced and settled disputes within his community. His father-in-law Jethro paid him a visit and Moses relied to the old man his current situation. In Exodus 18 verses17 till 23, Jethro gave Moses a lengthy advice regarding his problem. Now, Moses could have shunned such advice. He was MOSES, the Chosen One, after all. Why should he listen to his father-in-law's advice.
But...
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
Exodus 18:24
Moses LISTENED. He listened to his elder. Despite the fact that he had a higher position over Jethro, Moses was humble enough to take heed of his father-in-law's advice because he acknowledge the fact that Jethro knew better than him.
We have people around us who undeniably love us and care for our sakes. But sometimes, in order to build us up, they are forced to rebuke us or criticize us. As the receiver of such, we have to keep in mind that they are saying such things because they want us to become better people. Rather than think that they have no right to criticize us, we should be thankful because it shows that they care.
Humble yourself. Listen and obey. It's for your own good!
If you listen to constructive criticism,
You are at home with the wise!
Proverbs 15:31
It's better to take heed now of the advices we receive from those who know better than us because someday, we ourselves would serve as the influence of others. There will be those who would look up to us, ask for our help and we should serves as Christ-like examples to them. Our influence will eventually be passed on. So, as early as possible, soak yourself with the influence of those who are in synced with the One who is the Master of Wisdom.
3. We live in a world full of ungodly people
The world we live in right now is no longer a safe place. Right and left, robberies, murders and pain are spreading. People are hurting their fellowmen due to desperate needs, selfish desires and such. Satan rules this world and a number of us follow his ways.
We need each other in order to remind ourselves that despite this world being bound to the rules of Satan, Jesus can still overcome his reign. As he boldly declares in John 14:30, though Satan is the ruler of the world, he has absolutely NO POWER over God and Jesus, His Son. Because we are easily discouraged with the events happening, we need the company of our fellow believers in order to assure us that Jesus is the solution and together, we can cling unto Him as we await His deliverance of His people.
Friends, God wants us to live a life of wisdom. In order to do so, it is not enough that we seek Him and read His Word on our own. It is best enjoyed when we our with those with the same cause. When we help build each other for the better, we find ourselves gaining more godly wisdom than we can ever achieve on our own.
Be thankful for the people He has surrounded you with. Your parents, siblings, friends, dgroup in church, etc, Acknowledge the fact that God placed them in your life because He has a purpose. It is also through them that you can feel the embrace of the God who wants nothing but the very best for you! So, be thankful and desire to be with peeps who love the Lord! :D
Blog by Ashley Bernadette Petallano (c) 2013
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