Open Heavens 2022

You Can, You Should, You Must Excel in life as a Christian. The question is How? In the journey of life as a Christian, the desire to excel is not just a wish but a divine mandate. We are called to live a life that reflects the glory of God, benefits humanity, and leaves a lasting legacy. This blog explores how you can, should, and must excel in life as a Christian. You Can - Because You Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens You The foundation of excelling in life as a Christian lie in recognizing that with God, all things are possible. Philippians 4:13 reminds us, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." This empowering truth signifies that the Lord is our strength. As believers, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, equipping us with the Spirit of wisdom to navigate life's challenges. When you align your life with God's purpose and draw strength from Him, you become capable of achieving remarkable feats. Your faith becomes a driving force that propels you toward excellence.

Lessons in Excellence and Purpose The book of Daniel tells the story of Daniel who came from a severely disadvantaged position to a position of such prominence that the Bible called him “beloved of the Lord”, kings revered him, and his contemporaries were in awe of him. That is an honourable position!  In a world often preoccupied with measuring success based on background, privilege, and circumstances, the life of Daniel stands out as a remarkable testament to the power of character, determination, and faith.

Luke 10:38-41 The story of Martha and Mary in this Bible passage is a very good illustration of the importance and implication of the choices and decisions we make on a regular basis. We are constantly making choices and taking decisions with outcomes and consequences we do not fully understand. The danger here is that some of those choices are so nuanced and the results seemingly innocuous that we do not give the thought they require before choosing.  Here is a case of two sisters in the same situation with two different choices, none of which is a bad choice on its own. But we know by ‘revelation’ that one choice is better than the other. We now know that Mary’s was a better choice because Jesus explained it to us, otherwise Martha’s looks like a more noble choice. Martha for one, believed she made the better choice and thought that should be obvious to all.

Each Sunday for the rest of the year, I will write about one person from the Bible from whom I learnt something very significant this year, 2022. I will write what I learnt based on a statement or a phrase from the Bible. So today, I start with Caleb! CALEB’S ATTITUDE In Numbers 14:24, after the Israelites refused to enter the promised land for fear of giants in the land, GOD said that HE will wipe out the entire generation in the wilderness and raise a new one that will enter the land. However, Joshua and Caleb were exempted because they have different spirit from the rest of the people. The word ‘spirit’ in that verse is translated as ‘attitude’ in the New Living Translation, so it reads “But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than others...”. The use of the word ‘attitude’ in place of ‘spirit’ made so much difference to me because when we say that Caleb had a different spirit, I would say that I don’t have his spirit and there is nothing I can do about it. But when we say that Caleb had a different attitude, that points me to what I can control – my attitude. I can therefore change my attitude or try to think differently at least. What was Caleb’s attitude that made him stand out among thousands in his generation and gave him access to the promised land?