Becoming A Catalyst For Changeনমুনা

YOU CAN BECOME A FORCE FOR UNITY

Joseph became a powerful force of unity in his family. His life was as colorful as the coat of many colors given by his father Jacob. The lessons from his experiences are truly remarkable.

You may very well know the story. Joseph’s brothers hated him very much and he was sold into slavery. But upon a turn of events, He ended up being in charge of all of Egypt. When famine came, his brothers came to him to buy food. They did not recognize it was Joseph, but after disclosing his identity, he did the unthinkable—he released forgiveness.

Forgiveness is essential if we desire to become a force for unity. Lack of forgiveness is the greatest cause of disunity. God wants us to forgive others as He does us. If we won’t, we cannot expect His pardon.

Seventy times seven. Do the math. That’s how many times Jesus said we need to forgive (Matthew 18:21-35). In other words, more than we can. Colossians 3:12 says, “just as we are forgiven, so should we forgive also.” And it is not enough to just forgive, it is important to gain a SPIRIT OF FORGIVENESS.

Besides having a spirit of forgiveness, to live a Nazirite lifestyle of humility also requires a daily, constant surrendering of rights. Some examples of our “perceived rights” that we need to turn over to the Lord are: Gadgets, Dating/ Relationships, Money, Activities, Dreams and Ambitions, Reputation, etc.

This is how we yield our rights: Identify them. Surrender them. Thank God. When we are able to thank God for whatever happens, then, we truly have given up our personal rights.

Living surrendered lives is not always easy, but if we are to take our commitment as disciples of Jesus, as modern-day Nazirites, to the highest possible level, we must constantly “die to ourselves” and follow Him.