Fruitful Living
Dealing with the pressure of time (Final part)
Handle situations patiently to avoid pressure
PLANNING
Planning means we must make decisions – choices that determine our activities and priorities. If we do not, we can be sure that someone else will do our planning for us.
It is amazing to me how many Christians drift through life, making no goals or plans, aimlessly shifting from one place to another.
Emergencies may interrupt their lives for a season, but they soon return to their rudderless ways. All of life and, thus, all of time is a gift from God.
We do not give God a portion of our time; it is all His. We cannot leave God out of any aspect of our existence; we cannot fence Him out of our families or work or play.
SET PRIORITIES
Faithfulness to God begins now in the time dimension. We do not wait until we are with Christ in heaven to become good stewards.
Handling time, therefore, is not so much a matter of time management – finding the right kind of datebook or scheduling format – but of managing ourselves.
That means setting personal priorities. What is more important when you start the day; an extra hour of sleep or an hour alone with the Sovereign Lord of the Universe?
Establishing priorities involves decisions concerning what is most important in light of your relationship to Jesus Christ.
When people are not in church on Sunday, it is not because they do not have transportation. They have prioritised their lives apart from serving and worshipping the living God. Once we consider and arrange our priorities, then we must have the discipline to order our lives according to those guidelines.
DISCIPLINE LIFESTYLE
Discipline is never easy. Time is often wasted because we do not have the discipline to follow our convictions.
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then you must cultivate a disciplined lifestyle which is a combination of your genuine hunger for God and a dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit.
He will persevere through us if we give Him our opportunities and our devotion. Our willingness and obedience along with God’s enabling are essential.
The Lord has settled many of our priorities in His Word. We do not have to decide whether to go to church, minister to our family, or serve others, the scriptures clearly underscore their importance.
Once we base our convictions on God’s Word and His principles, the rest of our priorities will come into place in time.
THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS
Think about the life of Jesus. He lived thirty-three years, but thirty of those years were spent growing up and being in a carpenter’s workshop. Ponder that for a moment.
The Son of God, the King of kings, the Prince of Peace quietly, diligently laboured in a small town, hewing, sanding, and shaping pieces of wood. That was His life until the day He laid down His hammer and chisel to begin shaping lives into the image of His Father. Yet that part of His life lasted only three years. During that brief, incredibly short time, He did all the Father asked of Him.
Jesus taught multitudes, but He also had time to have dinner with various people, spending as much time in homes as He did in crowded villages.
He talked with the poor, blind beggars, and hated tax collectors, He visited women at the well and publicans and sinners at meals. What was His secret?
“And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there” – Mark 1:35. And after bidding them farewell, He departed to the mountain to pray – Mark 6:46. And it was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God – Luke 6:12. And it came about that while He was praying alone” – Luke 9:18.
TIME ALONE WITH GOD
Jesus had all the pressure of saving a sinful world. He had only three years to fulfill His public ministry; but we never read that Jesus rushed to Bethany or “scurried” to Jerusalem or “dashed” to Nazareth.
His life was always measured to a diving tempo – even in the swirl of a crowd screaming for His crucifixion. The key for Jesus and the key for us to do the will of the Father is spending time alone with Him.
If, for Jesus, prayer could not be substituted, how can we think there will be another route for us? When we get alone with our Father, the peace and quiet of the Holy Spirit settles us and assures us. He saturates our hearts with the Lord’s presence and stills our minds with His calm.
There, in the solitude, God speaks through His Word by His Spirit – changing this attitude, convicting us of that sin, compelling us to this action.
WE HAVE GOD’S WISDOM
As we commit our days and resources to the Lord, we have His sure guidance. As we cast our plans and schedules before Him, we have His wisdom.
We look to Him to order our thoughts and direct our steps, not knowing the twists and turns the day will take. The wisest thing we can do to relieve the pressure of time is to spend time alone with the Lord Jesus Christ.
After all, He is the all-knowing, all-wise One who knows our end from our beginning, who knows all about us and our future, and who can orchestrate our days.
ETERNITY WITH CHRIST
We will all give an account one day of how we invested our time on earth. We will spend eternity in one of two places – heaven or hell. If you have not made that decision to spend eternity with Christ, I encourage you now to trust Him for the forgiveness of your sins, believing in Him as the Son of God who died in your place.
Only then will time take on real meaning. If you are a believer, I encourage you to examine your life and establish godly priorities so that you are ruled by Him, not by others, then commit to spending quality time alone with the Lord Jesus Christ each day.”
- By Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
Fruitful Living
‘Allahu As-Samad’
Introduction to the Concept of As-Samad
Servants of Allah, one of Allah’s most profound names, As-Samad, is mentioned in Surah Al-Ikhlas, where Allah describes His oneness and perfection:
“Say, ‘He is Allah, [Who is] One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge (As-Samad). He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.’” (Qur’an 112:1-4).
The name As-Samad encompasses the idea of Allah’s absolute independence and self-sufficiency. Ibn Abbas (RA) explained that As-Samad refers to the one to whom all creation turns in times of need, while He Himself is free from any need (Tafsir Ibn Kathir).
Allah requires no sustenance, no assistance, and no support in carrying out His plans. Yet all creation—human beings, animals, plants, and even angels—rely entirely on Him for their existence, sustenance, and success.
Allah’s Independence Demonstrated in Creation
Allah’s independence is evident in the perfection of His creation. He brought the universe into existence with unparalleled mastery. Allah states:
“Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne. He manages every affair…” (Qur’an 10:3).
The heavens, the earth, the mountains, the seas, and every living creature were created without the assistance of anyone. Even the most intricate systems—such as the orbiting of planets, the growth of plants, and the functioning of the human body—operate under Allah’s command.
This is further emphasised in another verse:
“To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. And Allah is free of need, the Praiseworthy.” (Qur’an 31:26).
Evidence from the Sunnah
The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad further emphasises Allah’s independence and self-sufficiency. In a powerful hadith qudsi, Allah says:
“O My servants, all of you are astray except for those whom I have guided, so seek guidance from Me, and I shall guide you. O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those whom I have fed, so seek food from Me, and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those whom I have clothed, so seek clothing from Me, and I shall clothe you.” (Muslim, Hadith 2577).
This hadith reflects Allah’s perfection in fulfilling the needs of creation while remaining independent and unaffected by those needs. Allah’s perfection in providing is limitless, as reflected in another narration:
“Allah’s Hand is full, and it does not diminish by His continuous giving day and night.” (Bukhari, Hadith 4684).
Human Dependence on Allah
Unlike Allah, humans are intrinsically dependent on Him for every aspect of their existence. Allah says:
“O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy.” (Qur’an 35:15).
This dependence is not a weakness but a natural state that reminds us to turn to Allah in all matters. The Prophet Muhammad advised his companions to rely on Allah, saying:
“If you ask, ask Allah; if you seek help, seek help from Allah.” (Tirmidhi, Hadith 2516).
Believers are encouraged to place their trust in Allah, as He alone controls every affair:
“And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose.” (Qur’an 65:3).
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai,
1BN – Michel Camp
Fruitful Living
Cultivating and maintaining Godly relationships (final part)
It is important to understand that Christlike love is not self-centred. We live in a culture that promotes a “what’s in it for me” mindset in relationships. But godly relationships reflect in a different attitude. Instead of asking, “What can I get out of this relationship?” we should ask, “How can I serve, uplift, and encourage this person?”
Whether in marriage, friendships, or even work relationships, cultivating love means sacrificing our own needs for the sake of others. Christlike love is the glue that holds godly relationships together.
Ask yourself. Am I loving those around me in the way Christ loves me? Am I willing to forgive, serve, and sacrifice for others in our relationships?
If we are truly followers of Christ, love must be at the centre of how we relate to everyone.
2. Godly Relationships Are Built on Trust and Integrity
The second point is that Godly relationships are built on Trust and Integrity. Trust is the bedrock of any healthy relationship, and integrity ensures that this trust is not broken. Without trust, relationships become strained, and eventually, they fall apart.
Proverbs 12:22 says, “The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy.” Trust is earned through honesty, faithfulness, and a commitment to doing what is right. In godly relationships, we are called to be people of our word, to be reliable, and to act with integrity at all times.
Integrity in a relationship means that we are consistent in our character—we are the same in private as we are in public. It means we are not deceitful, manipulative, or hypocritical. Instead, we are transparent and honest. This applies to all forms of relationships, whether in marriage, friendships, or even professional relationships.
Building trust requires time and intentionality. Do our actions align with our words? Can people depend on us? If we are to maintain godly relationships, we must commit to being trustworthy and people of integrity.
3. Godly Relationships Require Forgiveness and Grace
No relationship is perfect because people are not perfect. Conflict, misunderstandings, and offenses are inevitable. But godly relationships are maintained through a posture of Forgiveness and Grace.
Ephesians 4:32 instructs us to “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
One of the most challenging aspects of maintaining godly relationships is the ability to forgive those who hurt us, intentionally or unintentionally. Holding onto bitterness or grudges only destroys relationships and erodes our peace.
When we forgive, we imitate Christ, who forgave us of our sins even when we were undeserving. Forgiveness is not about denying that we were wronged, but it is a conscious decision to release the offense and allow God to heal our hearts.
Moreover, grace is essential. Grace means giving others room to make mistakes, to grow, and to change. We are all on a journey of becoming more like Christ, and grace allows us to see others as God sees them—worthy of love, compassion, and patience.
To be continued!
Stay blessed!
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- By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
