Build Bridges - The Power of Relationships 2

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

No human being is a self-sustaining island. Relationships are pivotal to success but significantly, relationships differ and are at different levels. There are relationships with fellow human beings at different levels.

There is also the most important and significant of relationships which is your relationship with God. Spiritual relationships are more important than biological ones – Luke Chapter 17 verse 21, 23 verse 21. Relationship with God is critical. In this relationship, humans generally take it for granted that God supplies every need of theirs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. This is true. God has been and is still in the business of meeting the needs of humanity especially His own. However, God also has needs which He expects humans to also meet. One of such needs is to accord Him the respect He deserves from you as well as give Him quality worship.

Beloved, God is great and mighty in power and deeds. He created the entire universe and owns everything in the Universe and everything including you and I are subject to Him. Therefore, reverence and worship should flow spontaneously from our hearts to Him in quality praise and adoration. This gladdens the heart of God. Sometimes, challenges and what you consider competing priorities but which are not really priorities may becloud your mental processes and you forget or decide not to worship. Please repent and return to the place of deep reverential fear for God and worship the King of kings and Lord of lords to whom all honor, glory and power belongs.

Glow from Within

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Confidence Boosters/Beauty Secrets

The secret of a wonderful woman’s beauty, youthfulness is that she is always happy and because she is always happy, she radiates inner peace, joy and happiness which translates into youthfulness and beauty. I noticed this in the life of a woman I have known for more than thirty years.

I also noticed that she always glows from within, again, a function of the peace of God which she always chooses to radiate; irrespective of what the circumstances are. Surprisingly, I know quite a lot about her; her philandering husband who does not even bother to hide his indiscretion; the fact that she has only one biological child in a country where having dozens of children is a criteria for a community award and a goat slaughtering party for the woman concerned. Yet, this woman is always full of wide brimmed smiles and compassion for other people. She is always happy because she chose to focus on God and not the circumstances. Despite her age, there are no furrows or wrinkles.

Beloved, you can also glow from within if you always radiate the peace, joy and happiness of God for that is what translates into youthfulness and beauty.

Sarah, the wife of the biblical patriarch Abraham and mother of Isaac was described as beautiful because she had a clam and quiet spirit. The gentle and quite spirit was a result of her trust in God and the Apostle Peter refers to this beauty as incorruptible beauty. It cannot be tainted by anything. Please read 1^st Peter Chapter 2 verses 1 to 6, Genesis Chapter 12 verses 11 to 15.

Do Not Fear

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

For years, a particular person always spoke to intimidate me and terrify me into inaction, wallowing in fear and always terrified; afraid to succeed in life. I was always emotional and traumatic; having no self-esteem and self-worth. But one day in the afternoon, God exposed the person and the intent of the talk – get me afraid, worried, tensed up and believing that I will never succeed. But all these evil strongholds were destroyed as God made me understand that no one speaks and it comes to pass when He did not command it.

First, the Holy Spirit took me to the one verse of Scripture I read that morning – Philippians Chapter 4 verse 8. As I reflected on meditating on the truth, I realized that all the evil pronouncements against me and my loved ones as well as using evil words to try to chart the courses of our lives were a lie from the pit of hell which would never see the light of day because they are not the truth of the word of God.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit reminded me of what Goliath said to the army of Israel as the devil used him to torture the army of Israel mentally and by extension spiritually and physically for forty days and forty nights. The army suffered for this length of time because they believed the lies and evil report of Goliath against them, lies designed to incapacitate and immobilize them to a spot, neither moving forward nor backward.

But one day, Goliath and his lies collapsed like a pack of cards before David, a mere teenager who had never served in the army and who had never been to war. Why? Because David knew the truth of the word of God and refused to accept the lies of Goliath. Rather, David challenged Goliath and his lies with the truth of the word of God and in no time, that same day; Goliath vacated the face of the earth so that the people of God could enjoy peace and progress in their land. Please read 1^st Samuel Chapter 17 for full details.

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit reminded me of what the older brothers of Joseph said about how Joseph’s dreams would come to pass. Though they attempted to kill Joseph which would have made their words come to pass, God foiled their plans and Joseph’s life was spared. Eventually, Joseph was sold to the Midianite traders who also sold Joseph to Potiphar in Egypt. Unknown to Joseph’s ten older brothers, they were instrumental to moving Joseph to God’s height, plans and purposes for Joseph’s life.