Five Pitfalls To Avoid In Life (One)

 

This month, I bring you another series from the word of God I have entitled Five Pitfalls To Avoid In Life. I will be writing from portions of John Chapter Six until I have exhausted the five points. John Six, is built on Jesus’ feeding of five thousand men (could be more if women and children were counted) with five loaves of bread and two fishes. 

I believe you know the story well. After this miraculous multiplying of bread, the events that followed will form the basis of the points I will write on. I must admit; I will not be presenting you with any new revelation. These I believe are things you are not oblivious of. Let’s just look at them as reminders.

1: Don’t Live The Expectations of Others.

Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone (John 6:14-15)

After the miracle of the multiplication of bread and fishes, the people were amazed; and behind their amazement was a desire to make Jesus King—an earthly King. But no, Jesus had a bigger assignment and was not going to settle for any earthly rule, so “he departed again into a mountain”: He rejected their offer before they could even throw it at Him. His assignment was bigger. Just as the people thought to make Jesus King(an earthly king), people―parents, friends, siblings, spouses, teachers etc— might in your life time, attempt to define your life for you. Advice and counsel is good; but be careful you don’t settle for other people’s expectations and ruin your assignment. People will try to impose their expectations on you, but focus and do what you believe God has created you to do.  There will forever be pressure on us to fit into people's mold. Note that this is not the first time an attempt was made at making Jesus a King (other people’s expectations). In the wilderness, the devil offered Him the same opportunity.

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee[ I will make you a King], if thou wilt fall down and worship me (Matthew 4:8-9).

Apart from Jesus, we see in John the Baptist another man of God who didn’t allow other people to define his assignment. He knew why he was on earth and will not settle for the expectations of others for his life.

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias (John 1:19-23).

John the Baptist knew his assignment; he was a forbearer of the Messiah. His assignment was to pave the way for Christ. See another interesting part of John’s answer: “As said the prophet Esaias [Isaiah]”. This simply means, before John was born, his assignment had already been prepared by God. This is exactly the same scenario that played in God and Jeremiah’s discourse in Jeremiah 1:5. Note that, people who live on assignment cannot be tagged with other people’s assignment, they are unique, they got their own assignment to fulfill.

And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.)

As you enter this new month, may you keep focused on your assignment and don’t let people’s expectations define what God is doing through you.

-----To Be Continued