Living in South Africa means to be faced with many unpleasant realities. We read about murder, robberies, rape everyday and so often either a loved one or even ourselves are left traumatised by one of these events.
What should we make of all this? How do we put it all in perspective?
I have experienced so many different emotions in reaction to what I see around me. It is almost as if I have seasons of different negative emotions alternating themselves. There is anger. Anger towards what happens to all the innocent victims of crime and poverty. Anger, because I don't feel safe in my own home, anger because I can't walk in the street feeling safe.
Then there is sorrow. Sorrow for the lives lost. Sorrow for opportunities lost to corruption and unfair doing.
Sometimes there is bitterness. So often it is the bitterness that roots itself into our lives especially after our own personal taste of all these unpleasant realities. It tends to infiltrate all our thoughts and actions.
The emotion I certainly most fear, is fear itself. It is out of fear that so many of us want to leave this country. It is our of fear that we can't see the good in other people anymore.
All of these are valid emotions, almost natural reactions to these unnatural realities we face. But I don't want to live with the baggage of these emotions in my life. I don't want anger, sorrow, bitterness and fear to drain the energy I could have used constructively everyday.
So how can we fight this? While struggling with all of this I was listening to pod casts by David Pawson. This wise man's words stuck with me. He just said: God won't let the devil do anything to me (His child) that has not gone through His authority first. Therefore He will not put anything in front of you that He knows you cannot handle without Him.
The secret is - you can face anything as long as you abide in Him. God does not withhold sorrow or pain, but He will never let you go through anything that can spiritually destroy you.
I would rather face danger but have God's peace in me than living in safety but with fear ruling over me. The reality is: nobody can touch us without going through Jesus. That is true safety.
What should we make of all this? How do we put it all in perspective?
I have experienced so many different emotions in reaction to what I see around me. It is almost as if I have seasons of different negative emotions alternating themselves. There is anger. Anger towards what happens to all the innocent victims of crime and poverty. Anger, because I don't feel safe in my own home, anger because I can't walk in the street feeling safe.
Then there is sorrow. Sorrow for the lives lost. Sorrow for opportunities lost to corruption and unfair doing.
Sometimes there is bitterness. So often it is the bitterness that roots itself into our lives especially after our own personal taste of all these unpleasant realities. It tends to infiltrate all our thoughts and actions.
The emotion I certainly most fear, is fear itself. It is out of fear that so many of us want to leave this country. It is our of fear that we can't see the good in other people anymore.
All of these are valid emotions, almost natural reactions to these unnatural realities we face. But I don't want to live with the baggage of these emotions in my life. I don't want anger, sorrow, bitterness and fear to drain the energy I could have used constructively everyday.
So how can we fight this? While struggling with all of this I was listening to pod casts by David Pawson. This wise man's words stuck with me. He just said: God won't let the devil do anything to me (His child) that has not gone through His authority first. Therefore He will not put anything in front of you that He knows you cannot handle without Him.
The secret is - you can face anything as long as you abide in Him. God does not withhold sorrow or pain, but He will never let you go through anything that can spiritually destroy you.
I would rather face danger but have God's peace in me than living in safety but with fear ruling over me. The reality is: nobody can touch us without going through Jesus. That is true safety.
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