“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he
fall.”
1 Corinthians 10:12
The art of reflection is not a
common phenomenon in many people’s lives, not at least in the so fast-paced
world that we have become in recent years.
With lifestyles focused on today and now, the thought of taking time to
look back on issues is never too close to one’s priorities. Life is too fast, too quick, and as such,
people want things done now and now – without thinking through the foundation that
their actions are based on, or at least the results thereafter.
Further, a reflection is a “serious thought or consideration”, as outlined at www.bing.com.
Following the descriptions above, and in order to inform this
article, I would want us to look at reflection as a “serious and intentional thought process that considers one’s
past in preparation for the future”.
Before Paul asked the Corinthian Church, who thought that they
stood firm – and were stable in their faith – to take heed, lest they fall, he
had previously reminded them of their ancestors long ago in the
wilderness. He pointed out specific
things that had happened to them. Some
of the reminders include:
v All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them;
v All of them
walked through the sea on dry ground;
v All of them were baptized as followers of Moses;
v All of them ate the same spiritual food;
v All of them drank the same spiritual water; and
v God was not pleased with most of them. (See 1 Corinthians 10:1-5).
The above lessons,
warnings, examples were documented for not only the good of the Corinthian
church, but also for our own good – that we may learn from them. After all that had happened to the Israelites
– God walking with them and supernaturally providing for them and protecting
them – He was still not pleased with some of them. The lessons are to prepare us in our way of
life so that we do not displease God.
According to the Message
Version of the Bible,
“These are all
warning markers—danger!—in
our history books, written down so that we don’t repeat their mistakes. Our
positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we
are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don’t be so naive and
self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily
as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate
God-confidence.”
1 Corinthians 10:11-12 (Message Bible)
Earlier in Chapter 9 of 1
Corinthians, Paul had talked to the Corinthian church and admonished them on
how to remain firm in their faith. He
had given them an example of how an athlete has to do all that it takes so as
to win the race. He also gave them an
example of his own life.
Essentially, Paul, was calling
upon the Corinthians to take a reflective path in their lives; to look at their
origins; to turn back on the path they had followed as believers so as to amend
in any ways that were not right before God, and thus match forth in maturity in
their faith. He was calling on them to
transform their lives.
The same Paul called upon the church
in Rome – pleading and urging them to become living sacrifices for God. As he did this, he noted that it was not
possible for the Romans to attain this status unless they stopped conforming to
the old ways of life, and embrace a new way of life by being transformed. The Bible records that:
“Do not be
conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its
external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire]
renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may
prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God,
even
the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].”
Romans 12:2 (Amplified Classic Bible)
In order
for transformation to take place, a reflective attitude has to be
embraced. As mentioned earlier, we all
live in a fast-paced world – patience is a value that is running out so
quickly, even among believers. However,
for you and I, the Lord God calls us to transform ourselves so as to know his
perfect will for us. For this to happen,
we’ve got to stop conforming, and for us to stop conforming, we’ve got to take
an account of what areas we are conforming in – we have to reflect back on our
past lives – our entire lifestyles.
What
attitudes and behaviours have you carried from your past life? What have you embraced in fast-paced life
that you cannot afford to give God his time, because you feel time
constrained? Consider your prayer life. Consider your friends. Consider your worship. Consider your thanksgiving. Consider your thought life. Consider your music. Consider your words. Consider your favourite TV programmes and
movies. Consider your dressing. Consider – take a reflective gear! What has this world (this age) rubbed unto
you? What have you adapted that is
drawing and derailing you back from knowing and living in the perfect will of
God?
It is
only after a reflection of the above (and as the Spirit leads), that one can
now be transformed, changed and renewed.
v God had forgiven all his iniquities,
v He had healed all his diseases,
He had redeemed his life from destruction,
He had crowned him with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
He had redeemed his life from destruction,
He had crowned him with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
v He had satisfied his mouth with good things
- so that his youth was
renewed like the eagle’s.
King
David chose to remember; he chose to reflect.
It is upon his reflections as documented in Psalm 103, that he calls on the God’s angels, who excel in
strength, who do His word, and heed the voice of His word, to bless the
Lord. He further calls on all God’s hosts,
His ministers, who do His pleasure, to bless the Lord. And finally, he calls on all God’s works to
bless the Lord in all places of His dominion.
As we draw to the close of the year, I urge us to
call into remembrance the benefits of the Lord upon our lives. Like David, I personally choose to remember what
God has done for me this year (and years before), so that as I enter into 2019,
I am not grumbling over what I did not accomplish. I choose to have faith and confidence in God
who did, knowing that He will do yet again.
God gave me health – He healed me over and over again; he provided for
me; satisfying my mouth with good things so that my youth is renewed like an
eagle’s. God has seen one of my sons
through to the completion of form four. God has grown me spiritually, God has enlarged
my circle of faith-based friends! God
has opened great doors for ministering His word through writing and speaking
engagements. God has done great things for me in 2018, and the year is not yet
over! I bless His Name!
What has God done for you – reflect and lay a
foundation for your transformation.
Transformation is
engineered by reflection. This article
calls on you dear reader (and I), to engage a reflective gear on our
lifestyles. By the grace of God, we have
a powerful tool of reflection in the Word of God. I invite you to join me to mirror ourselves in
God’s Word so as to see the areas we have conformed and thus transform so as to
be able to walk and work in God’s perfect will for us.
“For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like
glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what
you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect
law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you
heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”
James
1:23-25 (NLT)
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