Life is a journey! Everyone knows that. Each person’s journey is also different- even with the best efforts of trying to streamline and standardize life to make it more predictable! Time was when I had everything in life well sorted out predictably, but not anymore! I could plan events ahead and watch them unfold. Almost all things we do have another person’s input and that is where some of the challenges lie- you need to trust others. Talking about trust, it is important for anything you have to do and most things are done with other persons so a relationship is important. Relationships set you up for improvement or disappointment. I know which one you prefer-improvement leading to success! I’ve found out that the longer you live or the more ambitious you get, the more disappointments you encounter. Let me digress briefly. Even when we don’t like it, I’ll quickly add nonetheless that disappointments help us appreciate success.
I’m a relationship person so it’s easy for me to form friendships and I daresay, I relate to God as my Father- having enjoyed a very good relationship with my earthly father before he passed on. In life, challenges happen and you can become so disappointed that you find no one to trust! Mind you, some of your disappointments are self inflicted- arising from what you did or didn’t do. I’m not differentiating one from the other since they both lead to disappointment. Others have disappointed me but I have possibly disappointed myself even more. As a very time conscious person, I wanted to spend the shortest possible time in the university and thought I had it all figured out. Meanwhile, I was a member of all music clubs and choirs on campus in those days and spent so much time on all these things. By the time I realized what was happening I had so many courses to re-sit. I had disappointed myself but I began to retrace my steps and how I prayed!
That was not the end of disappointing myself but I began to learn how to trust God to lead me through the Holy Spirit in my choices. In such times, I have learned to talk and walk with God as I would to any friend face to face. Through this process of walking and talking and reading the Bible, I came to an understanding of God’s love and power. I reached a point of knowing that God loves me more than I can ever love myself. It was an Aha! moment for me. This didn’t happen overnight-as I read more of the word of God and internalize them, it becomes easier to depend on God and move beyond my challenges.
David the Psalmist is a person I learn quite a lot from. In spite of the passage of time, his writings still apply even today. The word of God is full of examples of people who reached the end of themselves in one area or the other and still made success of their lives by depending on God. There is a story in the Bible of King Hezekiah of Judah (2Kings 18 and 19), who was outgunned and outclassed by his opponents the Syrian king. He didn’t stand a chance in the fight against the Syrians. He had no allies to trust so he took his case to God and his nation was saved from destruction. Each person needs a personal relationship with God through the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is that relationship that will engender trust and commitment that you can depend on in times of stress and distress. God will do anything to help a committed son or daughter of His- just keep reading His word, talking and walking with Him. Don't give up on that trust, your breakthrough is near.
Olapeju Otsemobor, PhD
CEO of Wajomate Consulting, an M&E consultant and a deacon at New Estate Baptist Church, Abuja, Nigeria.
