In Part 1 of this eBook, I shared personal experiences on how, what we do or not do, matters to ourselves and others. Part 2 described a Biblical example in the parable of the lost son in Luke 15, and how it does matter how we react and the effect it has on, and the difference it can make in someone else’s life.
In the Word of God, we often read how people reacted to different situations. We read that when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane and one of the disciples chopped of an ear of one of the soldiers, Jesus told them that he wanted no more of this. He then healed the man’s ear (Luke 22). That soldier could never have been the same again. So, once again, it matters how we react and treat people.
We are only human and we often do make mistakes. Sometimes we think about ourselves first, instead of others. We are so focussed on ourselves that we forget there is someone on the other side of every situation. Others might react the way they do, because of not knowing better, having had a difficult life or simply because they have not experienced the love of Jesus. Now, it does not mean we simply overlook their rudeness or allow the world to fall into a deep pit.
What matters is, is how we look at the situation and the person and then ask Jesus to help us to react, like He would have done, should He have been there. We need to listen to His voice through the Holy Spirit that, lives in us. The more we try and put in an effort, the more we will see change and a difference. As we grow in life and experience, we will be able to manage things better and even share our experiences with others so that they too, can grow.
Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). When we read Hebrews 11 about Faith in Action, we see how it mattered what the people did and although not all of them saw the victory and outcome with their own eyes, it affected all of us even till this day.
Their lives and what happened in their lives mattered. When we read Hebrews 11, we realise as it is written, that the world was not worthy of those people and although they were all commended for their faith, none of them received what had been promised. It is because God had planned something better so that together we would be made perfect.
Let us bring this eBook to a close, because there are no more words to add to what the Bible already tells us. If we believe in the Word of God, if we have faith in Christ, if we have a personal relationship with Jesus, we will understand that everything matters. Whatever we think, say, and do, matters. Whatever we sow, we shall reap (Galatians 6:7). If we sow destruction, we shall reap destruction. If we sow love, we shall reap love. So, whether we do right or wrong, it matters!
Romans 5:1-5 says: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
We might have to climb high mountains, swim deep rivers, and walk through fires, what matters is to keep the faith and do as God expects from us. Let us keep praying for our loved ones, colleagues, and nations, for at an appointed time, whether we see it or not, the impact will be seen. What matters is that we do not give up!
Love in Christ
Princess K