Big God vs big problem!

 

Our Kenyan roads are always a sight to behold and don’t get me started on the crazy traffic jams. Though I did find a strategy to help me bear the hours in the standstill moments; grabbing a book and making the most out of every minute. Because we are encouraged in Philippians 2:14-15 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine as stars in the universe.

We have a unique culture on our roads, unspoken yes, but one that is adhered to in almost every town across the country. A culture whereby the minority is expected to pave way for the majority without putting up a fight because the latter always has the upper hand. Pedestrians will have their way but will step aside when a cyclist approaches. The cyclist will pave way for the biker, who will in turn pave way for the motorist. Motorists who use their own personal vehicles always enjoy a certain autonomy on the road but will always pave way for the matatus, for their own good. Matatu drivers who are a constant menace on the roads will always be pushed over by buses and tracks because ultimately your size dictates your authority on the road. The only time we defy that rule is when an automobile, regardless of its size, has the mandate to rule over all on the roads. A good example is the ambulance, the police patrol vehicles or even some politicians entourage. They have way over all because of the symbol of power they possess.

Over the weekend I was traveling by matatu and I helplessly watched as a bus almost knocked us off the road simply because our driver didn’t want to pave way for the bus. In that moment I had an introspection and reflected how it mirrored my walk of faith.

Am I like the pedestrian, walking on my own, relying on my sole strengths and abilities or am I in Christ, anchored in His love and confident that I can do all things because He strengthens me? Am I walking in the flesh, setting my mind on the things of the flesh or am I living according to the Spirit and the things of the spirit? Because to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Romans 8:5-6)

Am I like the cyclist & biker, I’ve heard a thing or two about Christ, it sounds pretty good but am not yet in the bandwagon? Am I settled with living on the fence? Am I like the seed that fell by the wayside, birds came and devoured them; when I hear the word of the kingdom, I don’t understand it then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in my heart.(Refer parable of the sower Matthew 13:3-23)

Am I like the motorist, I know about God and I believe in Him but my faith is dependent on the size of my challenges? Do I cower in fear when my hardships overwhelm me and pave way for them in my walk of faith or do I magnify my faith to allow me to push over my situations? Because ultimately the size of my faith will determine how I move the mountains in my life. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”(Matthew 17:20). Do I allow my problems to affect my faith or do I allow my faith to have a rippling effect on my problems?

Lastly, am I like the ambulance, my size doesn’t define how I rule over the roads in my life because every mountain knows the power and authority in me and paves way? That I am confident in the authority am I walking in here on earth. That I know who I am and who I belong to. That I am a royal priesthood, a chosen generation, a Holy Nation? (1^st Peter 2: 9) That I was chosen in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before Him in love? (Ephesians 1:4) I know the power that is within me? That it is God who works in me both to will and to do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13) and that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think according to the power that walks in us? That it doesn’t matter which challenge approaches me because I am of God and He who is in me is greater that he who is in the world. (1st John 4:4) And that in all these things I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

There is a saying we love quoting to encourage ourselves in hardships but I believe it should be more than a saying, it should be our lifestyle. That in all trials and tribulations, we shouldn’t merely cry out to God about how big our problems are but focus on telling our problems how BIG our God is because Jehovah is His name, He is the mighty warrior, He is great in battle and ultimately our faith paves way for our victories.