WHY MOST DEDICATED CHRISTIANS FACE TOUGH CHALLENGIES IN LIFE

Despite the numerous blessings the bible promises, most Christians seem not to be a part of it. Some even think God has forgotten them. There are some who also started flourishing initially, but were suddenly stroked down by an unexpected tragedy, not because they sinned against God. Of course, it can be a punishment from God as a result of a sin committed by the Christian. But there are some who has committed no sin but are still faced with various challenges. WHY?.
There are two reasons that explains why these things happen;

• A PUSH TO QUICKEN ONE'S CAPABILITY

With this statement, i mean to quicken the ability of a person with force. You may never know what you are capable of doing until you are pushed. I remember when I was 6years old, there was this gutter at our area that I never thought I could jump. As a matter of fact, I never even made an attempt to try. Until one day, we were playing at the back of a certain man's window. The man came out of his room and started running after us. Running with fear, i jumped the gutter with ease. From that day onwards, jumping the gutter was nothing difficult for me. I could do it all along but I didn't until there was a push.

Sometimes our Father in Heaven wants us to do something, but because we think we can't, he places challenges before us to serve us a push. Isaiah 38:1-5 [In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, ''This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.'' Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, ''Remember O LORD, how i have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.'' And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: ''Go and tell Hezekiah, ''This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.]

 Hezekiah was a King in Israel, who served the LORD with all his heart. But just like most Christians, he was attacked by a certain kind of illness. Hezekiah tried various sources for healing but all to no avail. It never crossed Hezekiah's mind that he could pray for God to heal him because he was not a prophet. Am sure he was waiting for God to send a prophet to come and heal him because that was the trend at that time. God was waiting for Hezekiah to pray intently for healing. As a matter of fact, that sickness came because God wanted Hezekiah to know that, he is not just a king, but also a healer. For a long time Hezekiah never made that prayer. The message the prophet Isaiah brought to Hezekiah pushed him to say the kind of prayer God wanted him to pray.
Until there is a challenge, you will never know what you can do. God uses challenges to open the eyes of Christians to hidden abilities. The tougher the challenge, the greater the things you are capable of doing. If you are a Christian and you are facing a particular challenge, do not worry too much about the challenge. Go beyond it and see what God wants to open your eyes into. You learn new things everytime you overcome a challenge. That builds your faith and your relationship with God. The duration of the challenge in this case is dependent on the believer. If Hezekiah had prayed that prayer earlier, he would have been healed.

• THE WILL OF GOD

Sometimes God allow true Christians into a challenge, and deny them of certain things to protect and prepare them for other things. God knows us better than we do know ourselves. He knows that if he is to open us to certain things at certain stages, we will mess up. He will take time to get us through challenges to prepare us for it. You will not understand until he has finish taking you through.. A poor man who has gotten money, knows how to manage his money, even more than a rich man who has never seen poverty, but have a degree in Economics. That is the kind of knowledge challenges teach. When God is about to usher you into a higher level of operation, he needs to train you first. The training comes in the form of a challenge. Your graduation will take you to the next level. The more challenges you face, the higher you go.
 

Challenges also come to protect us from the traps of the enemy. The reason why somebody is sick is simply because God is protecting him from traveling, which will course his death. When God speaks to us and we seem not to hear him, he uses challenges to communicate to us.There are some also who pleases God well when they are denied of certain things. God is denying them to protect the rich relationship he has with them. The duration of the challenge is only decided by God in this situation. Because he is the only one who knows what he is protecting you from.

I PRAY THIS ARTICLE WILL BE HELPFUL TO YOU

THANK YOU!

WHO IS A CHRISTIAN

Before we begin our discussion, let us take a closer look at this scripture. Acts 19:13-15 [ Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirit tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, ''In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, i command you to come out. Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, ''Jesus i know, and i know about Paul, but WHO ARE YOU?.]

Just as these people, most Christians believe in the name of the Lord Jesus, but don't know who they really are. Supposing you were the one the evil spirit asked this question, what answer would you give. In order to get the name of the Lord Jesus working for you, you must know who you are. The seven sons of Sceva believed in the name of the Lord Jesus, but the only thing they were lacking was self believe. Paul was doing it, but they never believed they could also do it and so they couldn't. If you are a king and you don't know you are a king, you are even worse than a slave.

Jesus knew who he was. As a mater of fact, he never stopped pronouncing his identity to his disciples. He knew what he was capable of doing and so he was able to do it. In John 6:35, he says, '' I am the bread of life''. So raising the dead was nothing difficult for him. Because he knew he is the bread of life. In John 14:6, he says, '' I am the way and the truth and the life''. In John 8:12, he says, '' I am the light of the world''. He had a positive self esteem and he wants us to do same. That is why he said we should look and imitate him. So i ask again, who is a Christian?, who are you?.

Let again read this scripture. Mathew 28:18 [ Then Jesus came to them and said, ''all authorities in heaven and on earth has been given on to me''. When Jesus successfully completed his work on earth, which his Father gave him. He was honored by God the Father. He made his name great and subjected all powers on earth and in heaven under his feet. Such that, at the mentioning of the name Jesus, every kneel bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord. That was the glory his father gave him.
When you read John 17:20-22, Jesus said a prayer for his disciples and all believers. This is what he said, ''my payer is not for them[disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them maybe one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I HAVE GIVEN THEM THE GLORY YOU GAVE ME, that they maybe one as we are one.

Jesus said he has given us the glory his father gave him. What is this glory?; all authorities were subjected to him. This means that all authorities are now subjected to Christians in the name of Jesus. That is why Jesus said, ''....in my name you shall cast out demons....''.  John 14:12 [ ''I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do what i have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because i am going to the father.''  This is Jesus speaking. We are therefore the light of the world just as Jesus was.  ''The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they have none,'' as once said by one motivational speaker.

You are far better than you think you are. You know why?, because you are a Christian. Christians are light of the world.

SOMEONE MAY ASK, IF CHRISTIANS HAVE SUCH POWER, WHY DO THEY FACE A LOT OF CHALLENGES IN LIFE?. Find out why in my next article titled; WHY MOST COMMITTED CHRISTIANS FACE TOUGH CHALLENGES IN LIFE.