By Minister Moses – February 2012
If your doctor told you that, in order to prevent you from catching a recently spreading virus, he would have to infect you with the very same virus – you might be taken aback.
Yet this is, in fact, one of medical science’s greatest developments – and over two hundred years old.
When our bodies are exposed to foreign molecules in controlled doses, our adaptive immune system orchestrates a response and amazingly memorizes it, so that, in subsequent encounters, our strengthened immune system responds quickly and robustly. That’s why we get malaria and other jabs before travelling to certain holiday destinations, for example.
Similarly, the Christian walk can be seen as a journey through life. And as such we are bound to face difficulties and hardships along the way;yet strangely, we [the Christian community] receive little, if any,vaccination for the problems we are likely to encounter.
Year in year out, we hear the same New Year’smessages over and over again: “This is going to be the year of promotion, break-through and harvest…that which the locust has eaten shall be restored double fold…” and so on. Yet in the flurry of such exciting prophecies, nothing is said about the challenges awaiting us en-route, and, as a result, we remain totally unprepared forthe challenges of life that hit us even before the month of January is over.
The truth of the matter is that if you’re going to lead a purposeful life in 2012, you’re also going to attract problems. A purpose driven person must be prepared to face a problem or two; no worthwhile goal is ever accomplished without its fair share of hassle. The sooner we realise this, the stronger our immune systems will be against it.
I fear, however, that in many Christian communities, we have developed a view of problems that is inaccurate and unhelpful;that problems are bad, from the pits of hell and should never be encountered by the ‘man or woman of God’ walking by faith. Are problems all bad? Could they not be part of the process that elevates us to our destiny? The fertile ground in which we grow?
Look how Jesus immunised His disciples from the grief they would face when He would later be taken away from them: ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’ John 16:33
Jesus knew what was coming, so He exposed His disciples to a controlled dose of the reality of it, even though they didn’t want to hear it. He also knew that His imminent death, though seemingly bleak, meant the salvation of you and me two-thousand years later.
To have the right disposition in 2012, therefore, means we have to be exposed to certain truths; truths that not only relate to the wonderful things we shall achieve, but the difficulties we will have to endure to do so. There will be disappointment, pain and some heart ache. But I write these things, not because I’m a faithless prophet of doom, but because I want you to have peace and resilience.
During unexpected hard times too many believers pursuing their destiny have become disillusioned, discouraged and even shipwrecked because they felt like their hardship was unfair. You don’t deserve it, but it’s coming none the less, not to destroy you, but to elevate you. So rise above it!
Apostle Peter spells it out bluntly:
‘Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you…’.1 Peter 4:12
2012 will be a good year for you, perhaps the best of your life, but you may also face incredibly tough challenges too. When you do, please don’t become disillusioned. Just remember that Jesus predicted it, and immunised you for it. Take His word as a vaccination against the trouble, knowing that your spiritual immune system will not falter, but carry you through to your destiny in 2012.
MM.
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