Thamsing Lamkang
Problems in life are not our enemies but integral part of human being, in shaping and molding the journey of life. I have encountered many leaders frustrated too easily in accomplishing their visions and goals, or some even stopped of dreaming for failing the first one. A man without dreams is like a broken-winged, bird-it but cannot fly. Because when you dream it adds wings to your life and life begin to fly. “Dreams are necessary to life as oxygen is for survival.” This younger generation especially in today’s context; to keep your dream alive is a must to keep you move. Because dreams make life colorful, fill us with enthusiasm, are a great source of bubbling energy and makes life meaningful and dutiful. So dreams are to life what vitamins are to health! They vitalize, rejuvenate. So, the most pitiable person is one who has stopped dreaming.
Life doesn’t finish when we failed once, twice, thrice……. but positively it is just a beginning. Most people become discouraged very quickly. However good our objectives, as soon as it requires more efforts, they abandon them. This occurs in all areas of our life; there are people who give up their hard earned studies, works, sports and hobbies…..yes we like the easy life and when we have to work too hard we ‘jump ship’. Only those who persist until the end obtain the things they desire. As the unknown poet wrote like this; “Those who wait, persevere. Those who persevere, attain”. For this reason it is good to wait, not lose hope and keep our dreams alive.
Even in our spiritual life journey, many things depend on our persistence and our practical applications. God doesn’t get tired of reminding us of the things we should do and how we should be persistent following His word. We will never get anywhere and other way because God doesn’t give prizes for those who rest spiritually. Don’t give up, don’t be negligent. Persist in everything that God has taught you throughout the years, as there is still so much to discover ahead of us.
Think about the small boy Joseph; when he was targeted and sold out to another country by his own brothers yet, he continued to trust and obey the Lord, knowing that he has a purpose from God. God did lift him up and he became the ruler and saved his own family and the people of Israel.
We have also heard of the American President, Abraham Lincoln, who persisted in his political career to fulfilled one of his most important dream that the Almighty God had put in his heart. Once in a city of America, he encountered countless of black people being auctioned for slave. During that time human life was exhibited in all its awful iniquity. Families were torn and scattered at different directions without any hope of seeing again their loved ones. Hearts were broken, tears of thousand roles. There was a gentleman who witnessed the fate of the Negros; that time he was an ordinary young man. Nothing he can do about it but it became his motivation and dream to be accomplished someday!
He said “I call the Eternal God to witness that, if even I get a chance to hit that things, I will hit it hard.” That day was the turning point in the life of young and dynamic Lincoln. He firmly carried his declaration of his dream, and it was answered by God, proven by the fact that is after years. He broke the iron chain of slavery, wiped out the curse of selling men and women like animals. He proved an able God by setting free to Millions of black slaves. Because of his dream from God he persisted, though he failed many times in his business and political career. But he is not ashamed to open his failures, but took pride for his struggles in life.
He failed, or defeated 12 times in 30 years. Many others even his own closest people mocked him for his persistence, but he keeps on-going, knowing that God is with him. He was only elected in 1860 as the President of the United States of America. He failed 12 times only to fulfill his dream.
However, Mr. Lincoln responded when a journalist asked him, if he is going to quit his political career for losing so many times. No, he said, I’ll wait for another election to come, and surely I will win. The statement he often used whenever he lost an election was “You cannot fail unless you quit”.
Can we also persevere like Mr. Lincoln, and tell the whole world that nothing is impossible in life through Jesus Christ. I started by saying that few people react this way, especially the youths of today. Most of the youths will have a list of complaints. You can call complaining is the world’s biggest sport. If you go out any day and talk to a number of normal people, most of them will complain about something or the other thing.
Complaining is dangerous. In the first place, you can’t go ahead. In the second place, you get discouraged too easily. In the third place, complaining leads to anger at yourself and others behind the scenes. In the fifth place, complaining makes you blame God for your situation. In the sixth place, complaining crowds out gratitude; and in the seventh place, complaining makes you miss most of the good opportunities. On the other hand, never forget that complaining is contagious. If one starts complaining, you’ll soon find yourself surrounded by complainers! We must learn to put up with unpleasant things. If we can’t learn this lesson, we’ll never get anywhere in life.
Can you remember your complaints of a year ago? They seem silly now, don’t they? Time teaches us to recognize that what seemed so terrible that wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Sometimes a problem even turns out to be a blessing! It underlines our sin. Trust God and don’t give up; start over. One must remember that, complaining is the first step to giving up our dreams!
In Numbers 11:1 “Now when the people (Israel) began to complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp.” As if it was God who brought problems in their life. Instead of complaining to their problem, rather if they trust and ask the Lord’s help it could have been easy.
Struggles and problems are very much part of life. God never promised our life will be easy, but He promised us that He will be always with us in times of troubles. In Ephesians 3: 20 says, “God is powerful to do everything…according to his power that is at work within us.”
As a Christian we should always remember that God’s power is the most immense strength that exists in the universe. It is the same power which created the world and each one of us. Power without compare! However, even though we are children of the all-powerful God, and we know that He can win in any situation, and that He will give us a great future, we are often like beggars before God: we ask for just a little when He wants to give us everything so big!
Sometimes we just don’t understand that however difficult a situation, a problem or a desire may be, God will provide much more abundantly than we ask or think, because God likes the impossible project, God will see it through. “If we believe that a problem is impossible, the problem is in us.” How many times do we make material and spiritual plans, and make them so small that God barely fits into them.
How does He do this? “By the Power that Acts in us”! Very often times when we plan things, we think about what we are going to do. Perhaps we imagine how we might talk to a particular person about it and then, right at the end, it occurs to us to ask God to give us power to carry it out, after we have tried absolutely everything else. It is much easier to begin by asking God to give us that power; begin by asking God to show us His will; and then everything else will fall into place in its time, much more abundantly than we ask. “With the help of God, everything is possible.” God is all powerful… according to His power that is at work within us. Are these just phrases and nothing else, or do they mean more to you and me? A supernatural power is within our reach. Let’s grab it by changing ourselves!
A middle age man once said, when I was young my prayer was like; ‘Lord give me the energy to change the whole world.’ When I approached a middle age and realized that half my life was gone before my dream comes true, or even before changing a single soul. So I changed my prayer to, ‘Lord gives me the grace to change all those who come into contact with me and I shall be satisfied.’
But when I reached old age, I realized how foolish I have been. So my prayer is again change “Lord, give me the grace to change myself!” If I had prayed this prayer the day I begin to dream and work, I would not have wasted my life.
So, in order to see our dream come true, one need to be change rather than talking to change others to achieve our dreams.
