Consider Your Ways: A look back at 2014

As we come to a close of another year, watching the orange skies at 34,000 feet in the air, I am reminded of several lessons the Lord has taught me during this 2014. Scripture encourages us to constantly consider our ways, look back in time, change course, and to evaluate our experiences. Therefore, allow me to share with you what Jesus has taught me throughout some time now –a las buenas y a las malas.

      1)   Give liberating help

It is interesting how God made humankind. No body is independent. We all need each other, all the way from a professional level to an emotional stage. We all have different needs that one or more persons can satisfy with their different talents, gifts, abilities, and resources. In many cases they are valuable and needed simply for who they are. God made us that way and we ALWAYS respond to it one way or another:

          a)    Serve deliberately unconditionally without any reserves

          b)   Turn to our dark side and serve our selfish desires

Jesus stated that there are two principles from which hangs the Law and the Prophets –in other words, the Bible– Such are: Love God & love your neighbor. We lack in the latter principle. Furthermore, and more importantly, the Lord has taught me to serve unconditionally because 1) We do it to Him & 2) It is how we grow spiritually.

      2)   Regardless of how much good we do there will always be displeased people.

In giving deliberate unconditional service you will feel satisfaction and a blessing that surpasses understanding. I consider it as one of the greatest pleasures of life. In many cases you see tears of gratitude, smiles that cannot be described, and through such efforts and acts of kindness their life change completely. These souls will forever be thankful with you. However, you’ll find people who will not be pleased with your work. Some of my friends call them “haters.” Regardless of their reasons, we have to keep in mind that the battle between good and evil is real. In many instances the real person hatin’ behind the curtain is Satan. Therefore, pray for spiritual discernment! After all, remember that you do not live to please others but God. Even Jesus, who had thousands following Him, also had haters. It didn’t matter how good He did, there were many who strongly disliked him.

      3)   Be different

It is not a crime to think differently. Small-minded people will not understand and will oppose you. But you know what? That is completely ok. Ask the controversial questions, challenge others mentally, and hold on to biblical principles and values you have been taught. God gave you a personality and an identity. You are special and unique; so don’t let anyone try to change who you are, except God.

           

1)   “Mind your own business” (1 Thessalonians 4:11).

a.     Personally, I’m getting tired of people trying to find me a wife. Stop it! It’s normal, ok, and a HUGE blessing to be single. Seriously.

2)   You are the apple of the eye of God (Zechariah 2:8).

a.     Yea. That special.

      4)   Praise God for closed doors

Remember when you prayed for that specific thing you wanted and didn’t’ get? Perhaps that application you submitted and it was declined? You ask God’s guidance upon your relationship, and your dreams were shattered? Let me ask you, because you prayed about it, did you go back in prayer to give thanks? Well? Wasn’t that an answered prayer? We often confused God’s answers to our prayers only when he says “yes’, and we tend to forget that when He says “no” or “wait” these are also God’s answers.

I believe this happens because our perspective of who God is & what we think is best for us is corrupt. The other day I overheard a mother saying, “Since when do teenagers know what they want?” Well, this same principle applies with our relationship with God.

1)   Thank God for shut-doors of opportunities

2)   Remember that Father knows best

      5)   Set time aside for God, family, and friends.

God – God is to be the center of our lives, and not simply an item in our to-do list, we must set time aside so we can spend it alone with Him. Yes, life is busy, but Jesus had the same 24-hour period you and I have & his agenda was overbooked. Yet, he managed to spend hours with His father in intimate prayer, usually very early in the morning. It was through such intimacy that He was able to defeat the enemy’s temptations. In our Father we find our strength.

Family & Friends –

            There are phone calls and text messages that we ignored for a period of time. We see them in my phone and we make the decision to follow-up with that person later on that day. Often times we tend to forget to call or text back. Days later we’re reminded, and feel guilty. When someone feels guilty it means he/she did something wrong. This is what I call prioritizing. We, throughout the day, make the decision to what dedicate our time to and what not.

While prioritizing is essential, we must be able to prioritize without neglecting; there is a fine line between these two. Eve blamed the serpent, Adam blamed Eve, and Adam also blamed God in an implicit way. It is within our nature to find excuses to justify our actions. Our eyes are opened when someone we care for treats us the same way we treat others.

Do not neglect your time with God and others. God, family, and true friends will always be there for you.

      6)   It’s ok to make mistakes

We are bound to make mistakes. Whether little or big, life-changing or not, we all make mistakes. Yes, it feels horrible and sometimes humiliating, but the fact of the matter remains –we all mess up. Todos la cajeteamos.

While it may mess up our day, week, month, or life, I believe that it is completely normal and ok to make mistakes. What’s not ok and normal is to continue making the same ones over and over again. Additionally, mistakes are doors of opportunities to learn, grow, find closure, ask for forgiveness, rebuild burnt bridges, become a new creature, and ultimately experience the grace of God. If you have messed up big time in your life than you will understand the love and grace of God like no body’s business.

In Luke 7 the story of a sinful woman is told. Jesus stated, “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” What a privilege! Rejoice. Remember, where sin abounded grace abounded much more.

      7)   Self control

Proverbs 25:28 states that a person who lacks self-control is similar to a city with broken walls. Well, now days we do not have cities that are surrounding with walls so it is a bit hard to understand this concept. But when we dig a bit deeper in scripture we learn that walls were a great deal back in the day.

For example, the book of Nehemiah chapter four gives great detail of how much enthusiasm and effort they put in to rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. Some parts of the wall had holes, and in others there was simply no wall at all. Many were opposed to the construction, so Nehemiah set armed guards day and night to watch out for enemies. With one hand they were working and with the other holding a weapon ready for battle. The wall was a great deal because it protected them from their enemies. Let’s remember that for months the Medes and Persian armies could not take down the city of Babylon because of their fortified walls.

Therefore, scripture in Proverbs 25:28 uses this “wall” concept to illustrate that without self control we are easily defeated by our enemy, the Devil. The adversary is not looking for the gate but for breaches. He is not stupid, he will not waste his time by going through the front door where he’ll be easily spotted and identified. He spends time studying you and your weaknesses, the integrity of your wall. It is through these holes in our lives that Satan gains access to do what he sees fit.

Read chapter four of Nehemiah, and notice how despite the fact of their breaches and holes in their wall they were able to defeat the enemy.

These are some of the many lessons the Lord has taught me in the past twelve months, and I pray they may edify you. It is my desire that you may take a moment during these final hours of this year to meditate, look back, jot a couple of notes down, speak to the Lord, and draw some lessons out of your own. You will not regret it.

I wish you the best of the best in this 2015! Happy New Year!

-Pastor Sergio Ochaeta