Equipping young women professionals with young families to find fulfillment, contentment and joy as mothers and home makers without losing sight of who they are as women.

Issue 06, Volume 21: He Made a Way

As we walk with God, it's easy to expect life to be perfect. This is far from reality. We have a good life, a blessed life as promised by our God. However, that life is not free from trouble.

We often quote, “many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” Yet we get surprised when we land into trouble.

Once in trouble, many of us get preoccupied with anxiety and dejection, quickly forgetting that we have a promise to be delivered from every trouble.  And sometimes, the trouble seems too big, and we worry even more. How unfortunate, because God promised to deliver us from all trouble. He didn't say 'some' or 'small ones'. He said 'all'. What part of 'God will deliver us' don't we understand? What part of 'all' don't we understand?

I was thrilled to remember that God knows every single detail of my life before it happens. Nothing catches Him by surprise. God knows the troubles lined up on my path long before their time, and He goes to work to make a way for me. How incredible!

Do we stop to consider the hand of God when we find ourselves in an accident for instance? We most likely spend lots of energy pitying ourselves and worrying. God makes a way for us and those with us to live, for those involved to survive, to be spared of major injuries, to be made whole and restored.

That trouble you found yourself in, the damage could have been worse than it turned out to be, possibly your worst nightmare. But God miraculously prevented the worst from happening. How amazing to have God in our corner!

God makes a way for us to find favour with those in our path in a trouble situation. He makes a way for those who would otherwise curse or mistreat us, to pronounce blessings over us instead, to treat us with love and kindness, to be favourably disposed towards us. He makes a way.

Standing there, not knowing how we would get through the test. But holding onto faith knowing nothing can catch Him by surprise. That He got it figured out. Not just some of it, all of it, from beginning to end, every angle, every detail. He got it all figured out.

And when it looks as if we can't win, He wraps us in His arm and steps in. Supplying everything we need. He has the situation in control.

When our backs are against the wall, and it looks as if it is over. He makes a way. God makes a way!

Looking back on where we've come from, now we know that He made a way. His grace was strong enough to pick us up. We are doing fantastic today only because He made a way.

God moves mountains. He causes walls to fall. He causes chains to break, and giants to fall. He performs miracles. He makes a way.

How splendid to know that God makes a way. He has your life figured out, the good and the bad days alike. No occurrence in your life takes Him by surprise. Dare take Him at His Word. You will be wonderfully surprised. He makes a way.

Lillian Chebosi

Volume 06, Issue 20: God Dependence

What if we understood that God wants to be involved in every aspect of life? So many times we go through situations not knowing what to do, which way to go. We turn to people to help us figure out things. It honours God when we show total dependence on him, when we seek his guidance in the affairs of life.

God’s spirit lives in us. We don’t have to stumble in the dark, wandering about, making steps we are not sure of. What if we really knew that God dwells within us and willing to be involved in our day-to-day lives?

I am blown away by the close relationship David had with God. In many instances he would ask God what to do, how to do it, when to do it. That must have honoured God immensely; that David acknowledged that he knew nothing, could do nothing apart from God.

When Saul died, David didn’t just decide to go and grab the position he had been anointed for years ago. He asked God if he should return to his homeland. And when God said yes, David didn’t stop there; he asked God which city he should settle in. He could have just made a pick, move in to one of his favourite cities. But David had made up his mind to have God direct every step of his life. How amazing!

The Philistines attacked David after he was made King of all Israel. Though he had proved mighty in battle, he turned to God to find out if he should go fight the Philistines. Furthermore, he was also interested to know if God would help him defeat his enemies. David smashed them to pieces, and later declared that God exploded on his enemies like a gush of water!

Later on, the Philistines attacked David again. David did not go by the previous knowledge, and victory. He went back to God to ask if he should go fight them. God gave him a different set of instructions for this battle, and David did exactly what God told him.

I suppose many of us would have gone ahead in our own judgement, going by previous experience. How about admitting that our understanding is limited and relying on God in every instance? Imagine what would have happened had David not gone back to God on this repeat occurrence, and possibly gone by the strategy that gave him victory the previous time, after all, it was God’s strategy.

I picture David as a man going through life conversing with God like you would a close friend walking beside you. Some of his psalms are expressions of his heart to God from what is going on in his day. He doesn’t hide his emotions from God, he tells Him as it is, being real and bare. What a way to live out our relationship with God.

God wants to be involved in every part of my life. He wants to be there with me as I learn to play golf, help me with it even though I am only playing for leisure. He wants to help me figure out what to cook and get out great dishes in my kitchen. He is not bored when I am lost organizing laundry. He wants to help me with both the difficult and easy tasks at work, with decisions. He wants to see me through meetings and reports, and all that comes with my day at work. If only I could recognize that I can be in his presence every single moment of my day. If only I can depend on him for everything.

Looking at our lives in comparison with David, we are miles apart in terms of the victory he walked in.  The Bible records that God gave David victory wherever he marched. I am persuaded to think that one of the key reasons for our limited success is our limited dependence on God.

Just like every other person, I want to be successful in every undertaking of my life. There’s no area of my life that needs to be run apart from God. I want to be in his presence with every breadth I take. I want to ask for his help, his guidance every step of the way.  May we fathom the courage and patience to practice God dependence.

Lillian Chebosi

Volume 06, Issue 19: Just Show Up

What do you do when it’s hard to keep your word to yourself? Sometimes you realize it’s easier said than done. That’s when its gets down to figuring out what you are made of.

It’s not always easy to keep up the fight. It’s not always easy to do the things we said we would do. These are the times when you have to decide to just show up.

When the mornings are extra cold, the last thing early birds like me want to do is jump out of bed to do the things we committed to do. We have to find ways to make ourselves show up.

When it’s hard, give yourself a little break but have the stamina to get back up on the race. You owe it to yourself to finish what you started.

Show up even when it’s hard. Keep showing up until it gets easy again. Just show up, and before you know it, you will take off again.

If you want more out of your life, keep showing up. If you want to develop yourself in order to develop others, you’ve got to do a little more, a lot more.

If you want your body to serve you well into your sunset years, you’ve got to put in the time and effort to keep it in shape.

If you want to grow your mind; if you want to go deeper with God; if you want to scale heights in your career; if you want to grow your business to stand tall in comparison to your competition; if you want to equip your children for greatness; whatever it is you are pursuing, you’ve got to put in the extra effort.

Show up if you want to leave your mark on this earth. Show up if you want to go beyond ordinary. Show up if you want to be counted among the great. Show up if you want to leave behind a legacy of something awesome.

I am a morning person. I find it easier doing things in the morning. This is the time of day when I am most alert, creative and energized. But it doesn’t mean I have it easy getting out of bed to get on with it. My system has no problem waking up, but sometimes it takes sheer will to get out of bed and do stuff when everybody else is still asleep. I just want to lie there, and if I do, I will no doubt drift back into sleep. During hard days like these, I have to find ways to make myself show up.

None of the great athletes we celebrate win their medals on the race day. They show up every day on the tracks and gym to prepare for the race day. They train hard and long day after day irrespective of the mood or weather. Why do we think it should be any different for the rest of us? Each of us was made to be a world champion at something, yet we settle for so much less.

It certainly takes no extra effort to get up just in time to run out, or get back in bed at the end of the day just after covering the basics. Most of us have busy days balancing work with supporting spouses and children, and running a household. This leaves us with very limited personal time. To engage in effective personal development – studying, meditating, exercising, thinking, reflecting, visualizing, preparing, etc., we have to look for extra time in our already full schedules. We have to determine to show up.

Lillian Chebosi

Volume 06, Issue 18: Living Content

It’s good to have dreams, and goals, and aim high. But life shouldn’t be put on hold until our dreams come to pass. While waiting for things to change, we should live content where we are.

Our attitude should be, ‘I am believing to get married, but in the meantime I am content being single’. ‘I am believing God for my dream house, but in the interim, I am happy with the house I have’. ‘I am believing for a promotion, but for the time being, I am content supporting others’.

Living content is not settling for less. It means we are not frustrated, but trusting God’s timing, believing he will get us where we need to be.

Living content is being happy where you are, with what you have. It means you are happy while in the mad house, and you are happy in your dream house. You are happy driving your old car just as you will be driving your new car.

Resolve to bloom where you are; to be grateful for where you are, for what you have. Train your mind to see the good in every season, and in every situation. If you are not content in the season you are in, even if you make it to the season of your dreams, you still won’t be satisfied. You may be satisfied for a little while, but discontentment will follow you wherever you go.

Discontentment follows us around. God blesses us with a promotion. We are happy for a little while then we find reasons to be unhappy. God blesses you with a big house. You soon discover that a big house comes with bigger expenses. If you are discontent, you will be unhappy paying higher utility bills and maintenance costs, missing to recognize that God provides grace for every season.

Be content in each season – when you don’t have enough, and when you have a lot. Content when your children are in diapers and content when they are in school. Content when in maintenance and content when in management.

Be satisfied where God has you right now. Yes, dream, but don’t wait to have it all to enjoy life. Bloom right where you are. I am content whether I am driving a 20 year old Volkswagen or a brand new elegance Mercedes Benz.

You can’t let contentment be based on what you have or don’t have. It’s a tragedy to go through life always dissatisfied, wishing you had more. Be content in the season you are in. God gives us grace for each season.

Whether you are in your dream house or the mad house, make up your mind to enjoy your life. Whether you are on the bus or driving your own car, enjoy your life. Don’t go through life wishing you had more. Real joy in life is in the little things. You don’t have to have a lot to have fun. Learn to enjoy the simple things in life.

Choose to be happy today – not when your children are out of the house, not when you’ve lost the extra weight, not when you seal that grand business deal, not when you change your address – move to your dream house; now. Don’t go through life always wanting something else. You could be in the best season of your life but miserable. These are the best days of our lives. Don’t miss it living discontent.

Don’t complain you don’t have enough – choose to blossom where you are, with what you have. Be content with where you are in life – your status, your position, your relationships, your possessions. Be content right where you are.

Make the decision to enjoy life right where you are. Enjoy the season you are in. Let your attitude be, ‘I am believing for a better house but in the meantime, am happy with the house I have'. 'I am believing for a new car, but in the meantime, I am happy with the car I have’.

Resolve to live content; to enjoy your life, and to be grateful for what you have. You may have 1,000 reasons to be unhappy but you have to make a choice to be content, to focus on what is going well in your life.

Living content is a choice. It has nothing to do with our circumstances. It means all your dreams haven’t come to pass, you are not where you want to be, but you are happy anyway. Be content when God blesses you with a lot and when God blesses you with a little. Content in the valley and content on the mountain top.

Lillian Chebosi

Volume 06, Issue 17: What Drives Your Life?

Everyone is driven by something. Take a moment to consider the driving force in your life. This would help you get started in straightening things out sooner rather than later should you need to.

What is the driving force in your life?

Materialism

Many people are driven by materialism. Their desire to acquire becomes the whole goal of their lives. This drive to always want more is based on the misconception that having more will make them happier, more important, and more secure. Only, they never get satisfied because possessions only provide temporary happiness. Self–worth and net–worth are not the same. Your value is not determined by your valuables, and God says the most valuable things in life are not things!

Fame

Some people are driven by fame. Their need for notoriety, being noticed and applauded, and their success being talked about is stronger that their commitment to keep doing what got them in the spot light in the first place.

Approval

Some people are driven by the need for approval. They allow the expectations of parents or spouses or children or teachers or friends to control their lives. Others are driven by peer pressure, always worried by what others might think.

Guilt

Many people are driven by guilt. They allow their past to control their future. Each of us is a product of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it. God specializes in giving people a fresh start.

Resentment and anger

Many people are driven by resentment and anger. They hold on to hurts and never get over them. Resentment always hurts you more than it does the person you resent. Your past is past! Nothing will change it. For your own sake, learn from it, and then let it go.

Fear

Some people are driven by the fear of what might happen. Regardless of the cause of the fear, fear–driven people often miss great opportunities because they are afraid to venture out. Instead they play it safe, avoiding risks and trying to maintain the status quo.

Pleasure

Some people are driven by pleasure. They surrender themselves to a life of endless partying, revelry and other forms of personal gratification.

Success

Some people are driven by the need to become a raving success. They will stop at nothing in their pursuit for success. In the process, they neglect other areas of their lives such are physical health, spiritual well-being, close relationships, friendships. Many families are sacrificed at the altar of personal success.

Purpose

When living for God’s pleasure is the driving force of your life, you do not know how you could enjoy anything without God; not wealth, not success, not family, not fame, not anything; apart from his presence. It is at this point that all your success and relationships have meaning. You know deep down that your success means nothing without him. You are enjoying life not because of your wealth or your job or your family or notoriety, but because God is at the center of it all.

When God is the driving force of your life, you surrender your fears to him; you let him deal with your past, and heal your hurts; he becomes your success, the reason for your success, your motivation to do it well; you know he loves you, so his approval is all you need; and you find pleasure in him.

I am persuaded to believe that nothing matters more than having God’s at the center of your life, and nothing can compensate for not having him at the center – not success, not wealth, not fame, not family and friends, not pleasure. Without God, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason. Without God, life is empty, trivial, petty and pointless.

Lillian Chebosi