Features
Dealing with pressure of time
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore, keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!” – Mark 13:32-37.
BE WISE
“One of the scarcest commodities is time. Christians seem just as afflicted by the time squeeze as anyone. Finding time for Bible study, church attendance, service, and other activities stretches their faith and patience. Is that the way God intends for us to live? Are we at the mercy of our generation’s hectic pace, or has the Lord provided instruction in His Word that can help us use and invest our time wisely? The Apostle Paul exhorts believers in his letter to the Ephesians church regarding the proper use of their hours, days and weeks: “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is – Eph. 5:15-17.
Paul serves notice in this passage that people fall into one of two categories – those who invest their time wisely and those who spend their time foolishly. As we think about our lives, what are we living for? If we knew that we had only six months to live, how would we spend our time? Would there be a difference compared to how we presently manage our various duties and opportunities?
TOMORROW MAY NEVER COME
Many of us fall into the trap of planning for the future while wasting the present. We talk about what we will do and how we will spend our years once we retire. But none of us knows the span of our existence: Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth – Prov. 27:1.
Since we do not know the future, we must concern ourselves with how to invest the time we have been given now. But no matter how we define it or how often we are reminded of its importance there never seems to be enough time to accomplish all we desire. The modern conveniences that were supposed to liberate us have failed. Even what leisure time we have is scheduled around the competing activities of children and parents, all vying for our attention. So the years go by and we sigh: Time passes quickly, doesn’t it? Although time is a space in the eternal heart and mind of God, we finite beings feel the pressure of living in the dimension of time.
ETERNITY IS CERTAIN
The stress and anxiety that comes from living in a time-conscious world even affect our health. Our nation has one of the world’s highest rates of high blood pressure. Ulcers, heart disease, and strokes can often be linked to our fast-paced lifestyles. We even try to cram God into our time box. We talk about worship on a particular day of the week, and on that day we limit our worship to an hour or so. We cannot confine the Lord in such a manner because He sees all time against the backdrop of eternity which has been described in this way: “If a bird came once a year and carried away one grain of sand at a time and kept returning until all the grains of sand in the world were removed, then eternity would have just begun” That idea staggers our thinking. Our finite minds can only dream of eternity, and even then, we see a dim shadow of the glory of everlasting life.
But as Christians we are a people of eternity. We live in this space called time with the gift of eternal life indwelling our beings. We have an eternal inheritance. We possess the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. His life will never end and cannot be dated by a clock or a calendar. I can perhaps understand an unbeliever wasting his time with drinking or drugs or working day and night to achieve more fame, more money, and more power. I can understand that because they are not sons and daughters of the Eternal One.
TIME CAN BE ADEQUATE
Christians, however, can know – despite the pressures we place on ourselves – that there is always enough time to do the will of God: So then do not be foolish, but understand what will of the Lord is – Eph. 5:17. God will make sure we have adequate time to achieve what He desires. He never requires or asks more of us in a given day than He has planned to do through us. That does not mean we will accomplish all we feel we should do.
As long as we are living in a right relationship to Christ and walking sensitively to His leadership, He enables us to achieve all that He expects. From the moment we wake up in the morning, God has already provided all the necessary time to do His will. He guides and governs our day, our opportunities, our chores, and our relationships in such a way that His plans are accomplished. Proper planning, can help us to fulfill His will. So many of us simply react to the turns of the day. While the unexpected can always be expected to happen, the one who prayerfully and carefully plans can depend for guidance upon the Lord to whom nothing is unexpected.
Dr Joyce Aryee
Features
Mysteries of this world
A young boy was travelling on a school trip to Mountain Afadja and his younger brother asked him to buy him meat pie when returning home from the journey. On their way back to Accra, he saw a vendor with meat pie and he moved quickly towards the front of the vehicle to buy one through the window.
A few seconds later, a vehicle smashed into the back of the bus where he was moments before and the aftermath was a disaster. His desire to honour his promise to his younger brother, saved him from death.
A lot of the students at the rear area of the bus died. Such is life and certain things are inexplicable. What made him see the meat pie vendor and leave the back seat towards the front of the bus, moments before the heavy truck crashed into the rear of the bus?
There are happenings in life that does not simply make sense and if you try to apply logical reasoning to them, they fail to explain why what happened.
Recently a young man who was working at a construction site decided to stop work briefly to get something to eat. On his way returning back, the whole three story building that he was working in had completely collapsed with a couple of his colleagues under the rubble.
Again the question is, why did he not delay his going out of the building for a few minutes which would have made him a victim of the incident? No logical explanation to this.
A cousin of mine was living in Takoradi during the early days of the 31st December revolution. One morning on his way to work, he was stopped by a soldier holding a gun and he told my cousin to get unto a truck parked by the roadside, ostensibly to join others already onboard to go do some job.
He was annoyed by someone just ordering him simply because he had authority. He brushed the gun aside and went past the truck heading towards his shop. According to him he heard behind him a gun being clocked and then he heard a soft voice telling him not to look back but continue along. He then hear people shouting “oh, oh” but he did not turn around to look back.
The place was a short distance from his refrigeration repair shop so he soon reached his shop. A few minutes after sitting down in front of his shop, people came rushing to him enquiring where he got his ‘power’ from. He asked them what they were talking about and they told him that the soldier clocked his gun to shoot him but as he suddenly started collapsing unto the ground.
This led them to believe that my cousin have some kind of juju powers, hence they asked him where he went for spiritual fortification. The intriguing question is, whose voice did he hear ordering him not to look back? It still baffles him up to this day.
The June 3rd disaster is another instance of a deliverance from certain death that my brother-in-law experienced. That afternoon he had gone to buy items for his JHS 3 son and as usual when going home, had gone to a store where he has some friends to chat with them for a while before going home.
After some few minutes, he decided to go home since he had been drenched by the drizzling that came after the earlier heavy rainfall. When he got home about 35 minutes later, he switched on the TV and a fire disaster that has burnt people to death as well as destroyed a fuel station, vehicles and buildings near the filling station, including the store where he had stopped to chat a short while ago. A voice had convinced him to leave the place and that was what saved him.
Being a Christian, I would attribute it to God but why he choose to deal with certain individuals and deliver them and the criteria for selection, is a mystery
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Features
Navigating your emotional landscape: A journey of self-discovery and healing
Introduction
Our emotional landscape is a vast and intricate terrain, shaped by our experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and memories. It’s a world where our emotions, both conscious and unconscious reside, influencing our relationships, decisions, and overall well-being.
In this article, we’ll explore the concept of the emotional landscape, its components, and how understanding it can lead to greater self-awareness, emotional regulation, and healing.
The components of the emotional landscape
Our emotional landscape consists of various regions, each representing a different emotional state. These regions are shaped by our:
– Life experiences: Trauma, relationships, and significant events.
– Thoughts and beliefs: Positive or negative self-talk.
– Emotions: Joy, sadness, anger, fear, and more.
– Memories: Happy, painful, or neutral.
– Coping mechanisms: Healthy or unhealthy strategies for managing emotions.
Exploring your emotional landscape
To navigate your emotional landscape, start by:
– Identifying emotional patterns and triggers.
– Recognising areas for growth and healing.
– Developing emotional awareness and regulation.
– Cultivating self-compassion and acceptance.
Benefits of understanding your emotional landscape
By exploring and understanding your emotional landscape, you can:
– Gain greater self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
– Develop more effective coping mechanisms.
– Improve relationships and communication.
– Enhance emotional resilience and well-being.
– Unlock personal growth and transformation.
Conclusion
Navigating your emotional landscape is a journey of self-discovery and healing. By understanding the components of your emotional landscape and exploring its regions, you can gain a deeper connection with yourself and develop a more authentic, wholehearted existence.
Remember, your emotional landscape is unique and ever-changing, and embracing its complexities can lead to a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
BY ROBERT EKOW GRIMMOND-THOMPSON
