Our strength is never our own

Asia, Manchester:

‘God, can you help me with this? I really can’t do it on my own.’

‘I’m good over here: I’ve got this one. No help needed.’

Looks familiar?

This is the actual conversation most of us have when we are requesting help from God for something difficult, and another time when we think we don’t need the help, because we are strong enough to handle it.

However, pastor of the Asia district of Seventh-day Adventist Churches in south Manchester, Latoya Smythe-Forbes, has sent a reminder that our strength is never our own.

“Israel asked God twice, ‘Should we go?’ (Judges 20:12-25) and God said yes, and twice they were defeated and twice they experienced major losses. It was a time of great distress as Israel was never called to be a nation that experienced defeat. They are called to be a nation that is mighty and brave, to show forth the praises of God.

“But instead of the victory, they thought they would have received for going into battle, they were shamefully defeated.

“Much like the battles we face daily, victory may not be the end experience. However, it is how we react to a situation that makes the difference. 

“Are you going to lament and cry, asking God why He has forsaken you? Because often times when things get challenging and things get a little harder than we expected it to be, it’s easy to begin to cry and to ask why.”

Pastor Forbes revealed that more often than not, these feelings of defeat come upon us when the initial intention was to please man.

“When you are doing what God wants you to do, you do not bear the voices of those who cry and complain. Your focus is on God. When you are in God’s church and things aren’t going the way you want it to, this is what you do: the Israelites after the two defeat said, ‘let us go and talk to God. Let us go before the Ark of the Covenant, but this time, let us fast and pray, let us consecrate ourselves’.”

In referencing the work of each follower in their local churches, Forbes stated that for the things we seek of God, there must first be a consensus among brethren to live a life congruent to their request of the Almighty.

“Before we fight for Justice, let there be justice among us; before we fight for equality, let equality be among us; before we ask for a united Jamaica and a united nation, let there be unity among us,” she ended.

familyandreligion@gleanerjm.com