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Thursday, March 23, 2006
Magsaysay: Let God transform you
By Jo Magsaysay
Whatever
My favorite pinch hitter will be filling in for me while I am on a sabbatical.
The Lenten season ushers in a time for self-introspection and what better way to do that by giving way to enlightenment to fill our days with depth as we take a respite from the blur of political mudslinging, self-aggrandizement, superficial lifestyles and a litany of other vexations to our daily living…
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A life of peace and serenity is not far-fetched but is actually possible when we truly believe that the anchor of our strength and the very purpose of our lives rest in God alone. Isaiah 14:24 reminds us that the Lord of hosts has sworn: "What I have planned will happen. What I have determined to do will be done." In reality, God’s fount of blessings is unstoppable even in a world filled with strife.
When confusion and chaos go on around us in our country, workplace or families, all we truly need to do is remember that God is really in charge of everything. It is God, the eternal One who is Our Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Beloved and Love who orders our destiny, oversees the fate of nations and numbers the very hairs of our head.
All things, as in everything, from happy times to tragedies, really are ordered to bring us into the Kingdom and make us eternally happy. We need to realize that nothing—-absolutely nothing—-can thwart His plan to bless us in Jesus Christ if we remain in Him. For if we remain in Him, He solemnly promises He will remain in us.
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Every facet of our lives can be a showcase of His amazing love just as our trials can be badges of honor as each moment is intended to be an opportunity for us to give Him all honor and glory. Fact of the matter is, the greatest and most powerful yet untapped gift is the gift of choice.
Ironically we are unable or unwilling to make the right choices primarily because change brings discomfort. Change is the least in our priorities because our comfort zones exactly provide us with comfort levels and a lot of legroom and breathing space to go about our routine way of daily existence.
Left to work out areas in our lives that need to be changed is futile if we do it on our own strengths and capacities. But when we invoke the divine aid of the Holy Spirit, a desire to constantly find areas in our lives to make it more pleasing to the Lord, can invigorate every pore in our being. Knowing about the works of the Holy Spirit is a far cry from actually experiencing His movement in our lives.
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Although our frailties and shortcomings may vary, what we do with the gift of choice will mark the difference in our outlook that will impact on our destinies.
The willingness to change is sparked by the desire to transform our values, our inner character and the condition of our hearts so we can truly give the Lord an offering that would be pleasing to Him.
That is why we need the Holy Spirit to remove the blinders from our eyes and the fetters from our feet so we can be guided through a deeper self-introspection that will spur us into zeroing in on what needs to be done.
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Heaven and hell are not just concepts but are realities we need to be keenly aware of. If the eternal implications of our behavior are not enough reason to motivate us to go through the transformation phase, nothing else will.
Although there is nothing wrong with the familiarity of our routines but if we are unable to add value to our life’s choices that will translate into how and where we will spend eternity, the very essence of why we exist will be lost.
We need to give God something of ourselves that we have previously withheld from Him and in turn, He will use the gift of ourselves in wonderful ways one cannot imagine!
The Lord says in Jeremiah 17:10: "I, the Lord, searches the minds and tests the hearts of people to reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds." Let the season of Lent be the best time to usher in the Lord’s promise so it can find completion in the way we live our lives for His blessings are unstoppable and beyond measure.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (March 23, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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