BE JOYFUL

BE JOYFUL

A couples of day ago I sat around a balcony in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of friends chit- chatting, listening to great gospel music having light conversation and I realized that I am blessed like really, truly overwhelmingly blessed. When I just had a look at my entire life and what God had done to me, literally no human language could ever  try to  describe how grateful I am to my Maker, despite of circumstances, people ,things and worry which are the stealers of joy, I still had joy in my heart.

It reminded me of the life of the greatest missionary who ever lived on the face of the earth Paul the Apostle, the type of life he lived. How he repeatedly called himself a prisoner of Christ in his epistles and how he lived a life full of joy, was always rejoicing regardless of the circumstances, people around him, t and worry that could have stolen joy from him. Where was the source of Paul’s joy? Can we also be partaker of Paul’s joy?

Those who have trusted Christ have the privilege of experiencing “fullness of joy”(ps16:11)yet few Christian take advantage of this privilege.Paul,after going through dangers and discomforts his life still overflowed with joy. What was the secret of this joy? The secret is found in another word that is repeated in Philippians: it is the word mind, Paul uses the word mind 10 times, and also use remember think 5 times .Add the time he uses remember and you have a total of 16 references to the mind, in other words the secret of Christian joy is found in the way the believer think-his attitude, the steps below will help us maintain joy in our life

Single –mindedness: a double minded man is unstable in all his way (James 1:8) what is your focus in your life as a Christian? What do you cling on? Paul in the very first chapter of Philippians verse 21 he blew it “for me to live is Christ and to die is a gain”. Means his joy did not come from the thing he did neither the circumstances around him, mark you if his joy could have been related to the circumstances around him then Paul would be ever sad. But he focused on nothing less than Jesus Christ, single mindedness

Submissive mind: now days most people wants to associate anything, achievement, success, name them, with themselves. Everyone is egotistical. Should I call it pride! A handful consider others more important than themselves, this was another source of joy that Paul had, Christ First and others comes second. Servant leadership if I may call it.we get this in Philippians 2:3

Spiritual mind: am sure you have ever bordered a bus, one normally focus on the destination. If you know that your destination is 300km away, you will not bother yourself even If the bus stops in between you will remain focus to where you are going. As Christian we should always focus to where our destination is and that is heaven. Circumstance, things, people and worry should not steal our joy. We should always remain focus on our destination

Secure mind: worry is actually wrong thinking (the mind)and wrong feeling (the heart)we should not have trouble with our worry. All that we need is something to guard the heart and the mind so that worry will not enter. Paul describes the secure mind “And the mind of God, which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and mind through Jesus Christ (ph 4:7)The words here to emphasize is through Jesus Christ. My question is, What is your relationship with JESUS.HE is the beginning of all this joy, the reason why Paul maintain joy in and out of trouble is he had JESUS.(for me living is Christ and to die is gain) TO BE JOYFUL FIRST STEP RECEIVE JESUS AS THE SAVIOR OF YOUR LIFE

GOD IS NOT DEAD!!!

The sun had already set in the East colouring the Eastern horizon   orange. Cattle were being brought from there grazing field and hens were moving hither and tither to their already dark shelter. I  walked leisurely to my bachelors house still fighting with myself whether to go and watch my result that had been hanged outside the headmasters office. I had listen the entire of the Cabinet secretary speech while releasing the result but in vain, I had not had my name being mentioned especially when he was announcing results from my county Trans Nzoia. With the expectations that I had, I could not accept anything as my results, especially with the promises that I had been given.

I stood outside my house at an angle expectantly watching guys who went to see the results. I was building castles in the air how my allies and other villagers will walk to my home celebrating my aftermaths,  to my surprise none came. That is the moment that I realized that either I have flopped or something worse than that  had happened .Alex Wangila,one of my bests friend came my way exposing his teeth as if angle Gabriel had brought the news that his name is among people going to heaven. Without hesitating I risked asking him what I had scored, Bana si umechikasa’,(dude you have really tried) ‘wacha izo si unishow’ (jokes aside just tell me). He spitted it”373 out of possible 500 marks,” he answered. The words echoed in my ears and my heart almost dropped into my boots. How do I processes that!!

I had repeated class eight, reason I had no money to join high school, Mrs wenani poached me to her school and she had promised to sponsor me in high school only if I score 400 marks!!.here comes the most ugly news I have not scored the required threshold to be sponsored .all my hope were buried! What will I do?, where will I go?, will she really sponsor me? Those were the questions that were crisscrossing my mind, unfortunately no answers.

I had just given my life to Christ the other day so I was a new convert to Christianity.it become my prayer item. God why me?. All my brothers the farthest they had gone academically was standard 8, what pained me the most was, will I also join them!!?

It was on Monday, my mum came from posho mill and directly entered my room,’ madam Aswani anataka kukuona,nimekutana na yeye’,(madam Aswani wants to see you, have met her)it got me thinking, madam Aswani was a deputy HM in the former school that I did my first attempt, KCPE that is, she was a librarian too. What disturbed me was, what does she want? Am sure I did not lost any book or been in any serious indiscipline case that could have forced her to follow me a year later after clearing from the school.

I gathered enough courage and guts and tiptoed to her home the very next day. She was tying the cows outside her bungalow house. ’karibu Sana Simon’,(welcome Simon)I looked tensed confused and worried. I walked in the house ,I was served hot coffee with some king size sweet potatoes, I really enjoyed the delicious meal. She asked me of the promise Mrs Wenani had given me, if she will fullfil,it was so sad telling her she could  not.I saw her frowning, it was so clear in her  that I could read the wrinkles in her face condemning the merciless woman to death.

It was Tuesday, the day I was in madam Aswani’s home, the following Thursday she had bought me all the requirement to join form one!! After bringing her a letter from my favorite district  secondary school  St Teresa’s- Bikeke,I was admitted the next day on Friday that is ,all my school fees cleared and all the requirements under my possession, what a joy!

Mark you she is not my relative neither were we related with her in any way . Deputy head teachers were in charge of discipline how could I dare to be close to her!.

I was now a student not a pupil, my mum was just agape on what is going on. My brothers  never uttered any word since I was now one step ahead from where they reached. The question that was always in the FAQ of my head was how am I going to be sustained in the high school, to make the question more simpler ,who will pay for me school fees if madam fails.I never doubted madam but the fact was she also had children in the university under module 2(self-sponsored program),But I kept my trust to my Maker.

Days turned into months and months into years and finally I did my final exam in high school and passed with flying colours,allow me emphasize it again with flying colours.I do not remember depositing money in the bank as school fees after doing it in form one that day I went with madam Aswani to National Bank of Kenya to pay. She really concentrated to show how to do it since she believed the subsequent onces I will be doing it on my on.But it is unbelievable that that was the first and the last deposit as my school fees in the bank. Ask my mum about paying school fees in high school she will boldly tell you that high school is totally free, she never incurred any penny.

I thank God for the bursaries that helped me clear school fees, the kindness of the teachers who never sent me home for fee when I had not gotten the bursary. GOD fought for me using the right weapons and I made it.Am now a third year in the university pursuing bachelor of science in computer science.Indeed GOD IS NOT DEAD!!