When God is at work in our lives.

Brooke and Erika had just finished attending a seminar sponsored by their organization. The seminar, “Proven tools for eliminating social vices” was designed to help them with their youth counselling work.

After the seminar, Brooke and Erika discussed as they headed home.

“That was a great seminar, wasn’t it?”, Erika said.

“Yes, it was. I gained a lot. But they missed out the most important aspect”, Brooke replied.

“And what is the most important aspect?”, Erika asked.

“The power of God. The strategies that were outlined might help us, but they can only deal with the visible effects of an evil heart. It’s just like we are dealing with the bad fruits of a tree rather than dealing with the root cause. I mean, why do people engage in all of these social vices? The reason is that they have not experienced the power of God to transform their habits”, Brooke explained.

 “Well, that’s your opinion Brooke. And must you bring God into everything? I find it totally disrespectful and undermining of other views when you do that. Perhaps, we should leave God in church”, Erika replied, with irritation.

“I’m sorry you feel that way. But you know so well how I used to be and how my wrong choices led me to the prison for a few years. You remember how I became a different person after I accepted Jesus as my Saviour and received his love and forgiveness”, Brooke explained.

“Well, there’s no denying that you have truly changed and have become a different and better person than you were”, Erika said, agreeing to Brooke’s explanation.

“That’s why I can’t stop talking about the power of God to change lives. With the power of God at work in the lives of the youth we work with, it will become easy for us to see the changes we desire”, Brooke added.

“I see your point. I like to think of God only in church and on Sundays. I now see how He can be a part of my life and even my work”, Erika concluded.

When we meet Jesus and experience His love, power, mercy, forgiveness, goodness, etc, we can’t keep quiet. We talk about Him, and He becomes a part of our lives – at home, work, church, everywhere and in all things. “…for in Him we live and move and have our being…” (Acts 17:28). “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:7-8).

God is not just real to us only on Sundays or when we are with our Christian brothers and sisters. He is real at all times and in all situations. He wants to be involved in the little events of our lives and in the big events too. He wants us to be filled with His thoughts and guided by His word and will for our lives. He wants us to show His love and light to the world around us in all we do, so that through our actions and attitude, they can come to know and experience His love too. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

We no longer live for ourselves. We live for God by His power. As we experience His grace changing our hearts and lives, we have a duty to tell others about the power of God and His work in our lives.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain” (Galatians 2:20-21).