Spiritual Amnesia: How Soon We Forget!

This was a message at the end of a series from the book of Ezra and Nehemiah in 2015 at Daejeon Onnuri English Worship.  You can go to my youtube channel (www.youtube.com/brbhatta) to get access to the rest of the sermon in that series.  God bless you!

Not a Lunatic but a Thinker

Satirists and humorists describe a person with a PhD as one suffering from the “Permanent Head Damage” syndrome.  The thing is; if you are a PhD holder and your head is still intact as it was before you started, the possibility is that you have managed to get that PhD through some other means other than your own head, maybe through other’s head.

One of the signs of learning is that the more you learn the more you know how much you do not know.  The one and only Plato cites a phrase from his teacher Socrates and says “one thing I know that I know nothing”.  The assertions and convictions you had before your PhD appear so foolish and immature that you pause long and hard to make any such assertions again without making sure of the evidence available.  Dogmatism gives ways to pragmatism in which there could be other ways of looking at the same reality from a different angle.  But in the eyes of ordinary folks, such a lack of conviction appears to be a weakness and especially if it happens from a pastor, it is worse.

The other day, a pastor friend gave me a long distance call and lectured me nice and long.  Having heard from the man after nearly 15 years, I wanted to have the same friendly conversations we used to enjoy.  But alas! He demanded that I respect him because he has gotten his PhD.  I congratulated him and hung the phone wondering what kind of PhD that would be! 

The idealist is often misunderstood and thought to be a lunatic by the common folks who are busy in looking for the things that would make their lives livable in this world.  An ordinary father worries about putting things on the table so that his children won’t go hungry.  A roof to maintain over their heads, clothes to cover their bodies and a stable future is what he thinks about all the time.  If he can lead a life of peace and relative prosperity to his dying days would be a great success for this father.  When an idealist comes to his house and talks about life in a deeper sense, this simple father has no interest in it.  Thinking is such a luxury that such a father cannot afford in his life. 

The naive, the proud and the innocent ordinary folks appear to have no time to think about the deeper things and therefore, to them, the thinking person is often considered a lunatic or out of sync with the world we live in.

VoF is now a year old Journal - "विश्वासको आवाज"ले १वर्ष पार गर्‍यो!

१वर्ष पार गरेको अवसरमा पाठकलाई दुई शब्दः

"विश्वासको आवाज"ले आफ्नो जन्मको एकवर्ष पार गरेको देख्दा धेरै खुसी लागेको छ।  चोखो विश्वासमा नेपाली चर्चमा देखापरेको खाँचोलाई पुरागर्ने प्रयास गर्न परमेश्वरले हामीलाई प्रेरणा दिनुभएको कारण आर्थिक तवरमा कुनै पूर्व तयारीविना यसलाई प्रकाशन गर्ने जमर्को गर्‍यौं र आज एकवर्षको यात्रा पारगर्न सफल भएका छौं।

विगतका ६ दशकमा नेपाली चर्चले आत्मिक र सङ्ख्यात्मक क्षेत्रमा धेरै प्रगति गरेको कुरा हामी सबैमा विदितै छ।  सदीयौंदेखिको अन्धविश्वास र आत्मिक अन्धकारलाई छोडेर येशूको सुसमाचारको ज्योतिमा लाखौं नेपालीले पाईला टेकेका छन्।  लाखौंले मुक्तिको सन्देसलाई सहर्ष स्वीकार गरेका छन् भने हजारौंले पूर्णकालिन सेवा गर्ने निर्णय गरेका छन्।  तापनि, आत्मिक र सङ्ख्यात्मक प्रगतिको तुलनामा बाइबलीय ज्ञान र नैतिकताको सवालमा नेपाली चर्च धेरै कम्जोर छ।  येशूलाई मुक्तिदाता भनि स्वीकार गर्दैमा नैतिक परिवर्तन नहुने तथ्य हाम्रो सामु छर्लङ्गै भएको छ।  यसरी बाइबलीय ज्ञान र नैतिकतामा चर्च कम्जोर हुनुका धेरै कारणहरू छन् जस्तै;

१)   स्तरीय र इमानदार बाइबल स्कूल (सेमिनरी) को कमीः नेपाली चर्चको सेरोफेरोमा शुरू भएका अधिकाङ्स शैक्षिक र बाइबल तालिम दिने संस्थाहरू दक्ष र इमानदार सेवकहरू निर्माण गर्नुको सट्टा यी संस्थाहरू चलाउने व्यक्ति वा समुहको पैसा कमाउने माध्यमहरू बन्न गए।  दाताहरूबाट पाइने छात्रवृत्ति हातपार्न जस्तासुकै चरित्रका विध्यार्थीलाई पनि सित्तैमा भर्ना लिनथाले जसको कारण असल विध्यार्थीहरूमा पनि यसको असर पर्नगयो।  यस्ता स्कूल र तालिम केन्द्रहरूबाट अध्यन गरेर निस्केका विध्यार्थीहरूले आफ्नो स्कूलको संस्थापकबाट सेवालाई जीविकोपार्जन गर्ने माध्यम बनाउने प्रेरणा र पाठ सिकेको कारण  नेपाली चर्च अनैतिकताको जालोमा कैदी हुन वाध्य भयो। 

२)   चर्चमा औपचारिक ईश्वरशास्त्र अध्यनलाई निरूत्साहित गर्नुः बाइबल अध्यन गरेर फर्केको विध्यार्थीले चर्चलाई सहयोग गर्नुको सट्टा चर्चलाई नै बेचेर खान खोजेको कारण नेपाली चर्चका पास्टरहरूले शुरूका दिनदेखिनै ईश्वरशास्त्र अध्यनलाई शङ्काको नजरले हेर्न थालियो।  एकातिर चर्च विभाजनमा यस्ताहरूको बढी सक्रिय भुमिका हुने भएकोले पास्टरहरू असुरक्षित हुन गए भने अर्कोतिर पास्टर बन्नको लागि कुनै शैक्षिक योग्यताको मापदण्ड नभएको कारण मण्डली बौद्धिक हिसावले विपन्न हुनगयो।

३)   ईश्वरशास्त्र अध्यन गर्नेहरूको बेइमानीः तेस्रो मुलुकबाट ईश्वरशास्त्र अध्यन गरेर फर्केकाहरूले आफ्नो शिक्षाबाट चर्चलाई सहायता गर्नुको सट्टा आफ्नै राज्य निर्माण गर्न थाले।  कतिले चर्चको सल्लाहाविना आफ्नो आर्थिक फाईदाको लागि बाइबल स्कूलहरू खोले भने कतिले विदेशी दाताको दास भएर नयाँ नयाँ मिसनहरू ल्याएर बामे सर्दै गरेको नेपाली चर्चलाई ठाडै चुनौति दिन थाले।  शिक्षा र बौद्धिक स्तरमा यिनीहरूबाट आम चर्चले कुनै सहायता पाउन सकेन।   

४)   दक्ष ईश्वरशास्त्रीको कमीः  बाइबल अध्यनको नाताले उच्च शिक्षा हासिल गरेकाहरू त धेरै छन् र गर्न नसकेका पास्टरहरूले भारतका व्यापारिक स्कूलमा पैसा तिरेरै भएपनि आफ्नो नामको अगाडि “डक्टर” लेख्‍न थालेका छन्।  तर पढेर आएका हुन् वा डिग्री किन्नेहरू, दुबैमा आम चर्चको विकासको लागि विशुध्द बाइबलीय शिक्षा सिक्ने र सिकाउन सक्ने गुण र क्षमताको कुनै लक्षण देखिँदैन।  एउटा लेख लेख्‍दा शैक्षिक स्तरको आधारमा स्रोतै खुलाउन नसक्नेहरू आज नेपाली चर्चका विद्वान बनेर अग्रिम आसन ग्रहण गरिरहेका हुन्छन्।  आफ्नो चर्चको वा सम्प्रदायको विश्वासको सारलाई शैक्षिक तरिकाले प्रस्तुत गर्न त्यहाँका अगुवाहरूलाई नै आपत पर्नेछ भन्दा फरक पर्दैन होला।  विभिन्न बाइबल कलेजमा पढाइरहेका शिक्षकहरूलाई पनि एउटा स्तरीय गुणस्तरीय शैक्षिक लेख लेख्‍न लगाएमा कतिले पास गर्लान् भनेर लख काट्न गाह्रो छैन।  चर्चको शैक्षिक उन्नति त्यो समाजमा विध्यामान बाइबल स्कूल र त्यहाँ अध्यापन गर्ने शिक्षकहरूको हातमा निर्भर हुन्छ।  तर नेपाली चर्चले यस्तो स्कूलको अनुहार अहिलेसम्म देख्‍न पाएको छैन जहाँका शिक्षकहरूले आम चर्चलाई बाटो देखाउन सक्छन्।

आदि इत्यादि कारणले नेपाली चर्चमा बाइबलीय ज्ञान र नैतिकताको कमी देखिएकै कारण गत वर्षबाट पास्टर गणेश तामाङ् र म मिलेर विश्वासको आवाजलाई नेपाली चर्च र विश्वासी माझ ल्याउने जमर्को गरिरहेका छौं।  बाइबलीय ज्ञानको कमीकै कारण नैतिकतामा पनि ह्रास आउँदछ तर जहाँ साँचो बाइबलीय प्रकाशलाई स्वीकारिन्छ, परमेश्वरको वचनको ज्ञानले पवित्र जीवन जीउन प्रेरणा दिन्छ।

एक वर्षको यात्रामा हामीले धेरै चुनौतिहरूको सामना गर्‍यौं। लेख लेख्‍नु आफैमा एउटा चुनौति थियो भने कथा, कविता र गवाहीमा मात्रै रुचि राख्‍ने नेपाली ख्रीष्टियान पाठकहरूमाझ गुणस्तरीय र अनुसन्धानमूलक लेखहरूले कतिको मन जित्लान् भन्ने चिन्ता अर्को चुनौति थियो। लेखेका लेखहरूलाई पुस्तकको आकार दिनु एउटा चुनौति थियो भने त्यसलाई छापेर पाठकको हातले समात्न सक्ने पुस्तकमा उतार्नु अर्को चुनौति थियो।  तर पाठकहरूले यी चार वटै अङ्कलाई अत्याधिक मनपराइदिनुभएको कारण हाम्रो चिन्ताको निवारण भएको छ र आगामी दिनमा अँझ स्तरीय लेख लेख्‍न प्रेरणा मिलेको छ।  पास्टर गणेश तामाङ् आफैले कम्प्युटरमा यसलाई पुस्तकको आकार दिनको लागि रातौं विताएको कारण झण्डै छपाईको आधा रकमबाट हामीले राहात पाएका छौं भने आशा चर्चले छाप्नको लागि नपुगेको रकम हालिदिएर यसलाई हामीले पाठकहरूको हातमा थमाउन सक्ने बनाइदिएको कारण हाम्रो साहस बढेको छ।

प्रिय मित्रहरू, यो लेखबाट म भन्न चाहन्छु कि "विश्वासको आवाज"लाई प्रकाशन गर्न हामी दुई भाईलाई धेरै मेहेनत गर्नुपरेको छ।  कतिपटक निन्द्रा पुग्दैन, कतिपटक चर्चको सेवालाई ओझेलमा पार्नुपर्छ, कतिपटक परिवारलाई नै बिर्सनुपर्छ र कतिपटक शरीरलाईनै खतरामा पार्नुपरिरहेको छ।  तापनि, हामी यसलाई निरन्तरता दिन चाहन्छौं कारण यदि हामीले पनि खुट्टा छोडिदियौं भने फेरी कस्ले यो कठिन कामलाई काँधमा लेला?  कसले यो आर्थिक फाइदाविनाको सेवालाई आम चर्चको लागि गर्छु भनेर काँध थाप्ला?  कसले नेपाली चर्चमा गुणस्तरीय ईश्वरशास्त्र सम्बन्धिका लेखहरू लेखेर सहयोग गर्ला? 

त्यसकारण विगतको वर्षमा हामीलाई यो पुस्तक किनेर र पढेर सहायता पुर्‍याउनु भएको लागि धन्यवाद दिँदै आगामी वर्षहरूमा पनि यहाँहरूबाट निरन्तर प्रार्थना र सहयोगको आशा गर्दछौं ताकि "विश्वासको आवाज" धेरै भन्दा धेरै नेपाली विश्वासीको हातमा हामी पुर्‍याउन सकौं।   

A Mentor's Heart

At the beginning of his ministry, Paul did not give a second chance to John Mark who for some reasons appeared to have deserted Paul and Barnabas in the middle of their challenging journey (Acts 13:13; 15:36-39).

At the end of his ministry, Paul asks Timothy to bring Mark along with him because by this time Mark was very useful to Paul (2Timothy 4:11).   When did this reconciliation take place?  We have no information.

In between these two sentiments, many years had passed and tears of sorrow were shed.   Both of these men had gone through the growth pangs of spiritual maturity.  Barnabas had gone on to heaven and Paul was about to enter the glory.  As he looks back, he wants to make sure he sees John Mark in person before it is too late.  We are not sure whether Timothy and Mark reached Rome before Paul was executed.  According to the early church historians, they were late to say goodbye to their spiritual father.

Paul leaves behind a legacy and an example of a greatest mentor one can ever wish to have in life.  Goodwill to everyone and malice to none, Paul raised so many young men and women to take up the mantle of his ministry.  For sure, many deserted him; many turned against him and did a lot of harm to him.  But this was a man who could never forget what Barnabas did for him. 

If not for Barnabas, he would probably be lost in Tarsus or in fact be discouraged in Jerusalem.  While all the apostles rejected him, Barnabas took chance with him and compelled Peter and James to accept him in their company.  Even after accepting him for a brief period of time, they wanted to get rid of him and sent him to his hometown.  For nearly five long years, no one really knew what had happened to this young Pharisee in Tarsus.  But again, Barnabas took the journey to Tarsus and sought him out.  Brought him to Antioch, trained him for one year before taking Paul into the ultimate call Jesus had prepared for him.   For the first time, when God began to use Paul in the Island of Cyprus, Barnabas must have shed the secret tears of joy to see his junior being mightily used by God.   Realizing the hand of God in Paul’s life, Barnabas began to take the back seat of leadership.  Some believe that John Mark left the company because he could not accept Paul becoming the de-facto leader instead of his uncle Barnabas.   Henceforth, Luke also puts Paul as the leader and Barnabas gradually fades into Paul’s shadow.    

Sure, Paul was a man of uncompromising principles.  But when it comes to building relationships, we see a master craftsman who left behind so many sons and daughters in the faith.   

How I wish I could become one tenth of what Paul was in mentoring the younger generation God puts under my influence!

"We become what we think about"

"We become what we think about" - Earl Nightingale

Intellectual consent and Emotional attachment to one's beliefs can determine the kind of life one will have in this world.

The Bible says; "Anyone who comes to God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Heb.11:6).

Some of us have difficulty in believing in the existence of God. We visit temples, mosques, churches, and what not. But deep down in us we wonder if the thing we pretend to worship really exists. The reason we take part in religious activities is because that is what we are brought up with; that is our culture, that shapes our identity as a people and individual. Particularly in the eastern societies, atheism is not so much a sign of respect or sophistication as it is made in the western societies. An academician in the eastern societies is more respected when he/she wears some religious garbs.

Others are so emotionally attached to their religious traditions, rituals and practices without ever giving serious thought to see if the things they believe have any truth behind them. Is there any truth in what we worship? Are there multiple creators of this little universe? Why are there so many religions? Can all religions be true at the same time? Whey each religion differs from the other at its core?

We brush aside such questions because we are so emotionally attached to what we believe. Doubt is considered irreligious, so we shut our thinking faculty and allow the emotions to have free reign.

As a Christian, the Bible calls me to make sure that the God I worship really exists, that I am not just worshiping something wishful. I must be certain with every possible evidence about the existence of God. I must not settle for the unknown God because if this universe is indeed created, the creator can, should and must be knowable. 

 Once I have settled the issue of God's existence, then the Bible calls me for the emotional attachment to the kind of God I see in existence. That God is Good. He reward those who seek him. My faith in the existence of the Good God affects the kind of life I will have on this earth. 

Earl Nightingale came to the conclusion and said that from the pages of the New Testament to the works of Emerson, "we become what we think about". 

Strong emotional attachment to the clear understanding of the existence of a Good God will make a human being good in every sense of the word "good".

जता जित उतै ताली बजाउँछन् हजुर!!

एकनारायण भण्डारीको सब्द, अन्जु पन्तको स्वोर, “मलाई बाँसुरीले रूवायो”ले भन्छ;

ओल्लो डाली न्याऊली रुन्छे पल्लो डाली कोईली

एउटै बन बेग्लै मन नाचेको छ मजुर।

हार्नेको त आँसु पुछ्ने हात भेटिँदैन

जता जित उतै ताली बजाउँछन् हजुर।।

हो, जित्नेका लागि सबैले ताली बजाउँछन्।  त्यसमा पनि गरीब देशमा पैसाले जस्तोसुकै हारलाई जितमा बदल्न सक्छ।  झूटलाई सत्य, अधर्मलाई धर्म, गलतलाई सही बनाउन सक्ने क्षमता पैसामै छ। 

यसै पैसाको लागि आज लाखौं यूवा विदेशी भुमिमा रगत र पसिना बगाई रहेका छन्। यसै पैसाको लागि कसैले मानव तस्करी र चेलिवेटी बेचबीखिन गर्छन् त कसैले पैसै कमाउनको लागि ती बेचिएका चेलीहरूलाई उद्धारगर्ने मिसनहरू सुरूगर्छन्।  भ्रष्टाचार गर्न चुनाव जित्नै पर्दैन कारण जिते पनि हारे पनि राजनीतिको उदेस्यनै नेताहरू मिलेर देश र जनतालाई लुटेर पैसै कमाउनु हो। 

हार्न त कसलाई पो मन पर्छ र।  तर नहारेर के गर्ने?  नैतिकता र शिष्टाचारको रेखाङ्कन नै नभएको सामाजमा जीवन शर्मा जस्ता देशप्रेमी कलाकार र दार्शनिकको निम्ति स्थान छैन।  आदर्श र ईमानदारीताले कसैको पेट नपालिने भयो यो सामाजमा।  जोगीले पनि ठगेरै भिक्षा माग्नुपर्ने भयो।  पुजाहारीले त ठग्ने नै भयो।  पास्टरले त नठगि सुखै छैन कारण उसलाई पनि कसैले ठगिनै रहेको हुन्छ।  सत्यता र इमानदारीताको पक्षमा पास्टरले आवाज उठाएको खण्डमा उसैलाई दोषी बनाई सेवाबाट लखेटिने समाजमा मिसनरीहरू त झनै ठूलो ताली बजेको सुन्न चहान्छन्।  ती तालीका आवाज किन्नको लागि भेटी दिने निर्दोष विश्वासीहरू छँदैछन्।    

जता जित उतै ताली बजाउँछन् हजुर!!

अन्जु पन्तको स्वोरमाः मलाई बाँसुरीले रुवायो

Joy vs Jealousy: Lessons from Leah vs Rachel

In my life as a minister of the gospel, I have been baselessly and brutally attacked by many Christians.  They have falsely accused me, reported me to the authorities and even spread false rumors of filing court cases against them even as they claimed and sold ministry properties.  My best intentions for them have been turned into something which I never imagined.  Few Christian friends begged me to loan them some money.  I put in their hands whatever I had at that time; even at the point of starving my own family.  Instead of returning it in time, they turned against me to avoid paying it.  In most of these cases, I see a pattern of greed and jealousy mixed in their attacks against me.  They themselves fight among themselves when one gets more than the other!  As long as I was down and about under their foot, they were happy.  As soon as the Lord began to lift my head up, they jumped to their guns.  Yes, to live and minister in such situations is demoralizing, discouraging and lonesome. 

However, from my early Christian life, I have learnt to be content in who I am and what I have.  I have no grudge against anyone for what they have done to me because my life would not have been what it is today if there was no hand of God behind all of this.  The Lord allowed me to go through all these experiences so that I would humble myself and totally and completely depend on God’s mercy to sustain me.  The Lord used all such experiences to make me the kind of minister I have become.  He broke my heart so that I would be able to minister to the broken hearted.  He wounded me so that I could minister to the wounded.  He afflicted me so that I could minister to the afflicted.  What a joy it is for me today to hear so many children of God respond in saying that the Lord has used the words that came from my mouth to heal them and bless them.  Not only did the Lord make me who I am today, but he also vindicated me and protected me.  The Lord stood with me when I was attacked, the Lord went ahead of me when I was afraid, and the Lord covered me with his wings when the arrows were so thick and fierce.  The more my adversaries tried to destroy me the more I felt the good hand of the Lord upholding me and blessing me.  As I reflect in my own experiences, I am reminded of Leah’s experience in the Bible in Genesis 29-30.

Laban had two daughters; Leah and Rachel.  The older Leah was unsmart, unattractive, and partially blind.  But the younger Rachel was stunningly beautiful and smart.  Jacob fell in love with Rachel and worked as a servant for 14 years to get her.  Leah was hopelessly and deceptively handed to Jacob as his first wife by her cruel and cunning father Laban for no price.

The Bible says; “Jacob loved Rachel but despised Leah”.  But God saw “Leah was hated” (Gen.29:30-31).  The love birds; Jacob and Rachel could have forever tormented unwanted Leah’s heart.  But then, life is not all about human beings.  Smart or unsmart, attractive or unattractive; these are human categories because in God’s eyes, we are all beloved and priceless.  For life to be meaningful and joyful it needs more than human elements; it needs the divine favor of God.  The Psalmist understood such a truth so very well and says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  How precious to me are your thoughts, God!  How vast is the sum of them!” (Ps.139:14-17).    

Leah might have lacked so much in her physical appearance and possibly because of such weaknesses, she turned to God who formed her in her mother’s womb.  Instead of anger, bitterness and jealousy controlling her life, Leah must have asked the Lord to cover her weaknesses.  God indeed saw Leah’s situation and heard her cry.  She gave birth to her first son and named him “Ruben” which means “God has seen”.   Second son she named “Simeon” which means “God has heard”.  What a beautiful combination; she can now say “God has seen my suffering and heard my cry!”  Her third son she named “Levi” which means “attached or fellowship”.  She was no longer alone and dejected; God has joined her in Jacob’s clan in such a way; she was the head mother as Rachel was still barren.  She no longer needed Jacob’s love to be joyful, and when the fourth son was born she named him “Judah” meaning “I will praise the Lord!”  Leah was full of life, joy, and praises for God who saw and heard her.  Leah’s faith in God’s faithfulness continued to increase whereas Rachel began to burn with jealousy and anger.  She began to demand children from Jacob to a point of anger and frustration that Jacob puts his head between his hands and screams, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having Children?” (30:2).

Rachel’s jealousy drives her to such a foolish extreme; she forbids Jacob to sleep with Leah and compels him to sleep with her maid.  The maid gives birth to two sons.  Rachel names the first “Dan” meaning “vindication” and the second “Naphtali” meaning “struggle”.  Naming of these two sons reveals how Rachel’s life was defined by her struggle against sister and the desire to be vindicated.  Instead of looking up to God, Rachel’s focus was drooling with jealousy over her sister’s blessed life.  The more she looked at Leah and her sons, the more bitter she became.  Finally, though not from her own body, she felt satisfied and vindicated when her maid bore two sons for her.  Sadly, this too was a temporary relief to Rachel’s tormented soul.  Even though she had forbidden Jacob to sleep with Leah, Leah could still according to accepted customs allow Jacob to sleep with her maid.  She did it and her maid produced two more sons.  First one Leah named “Gad” meaning “good fortune” which could also be translated as “troop”, and the second one “Asher” meaning “happy”.  Leah could not stop but be happy and joyful in what God has done for her whereas Rachel lost all her happiness due to her struggles with sister and the desire to be vindicated.

Finally, it seems Rachel was tired of being jealous and bitter.  She accepted her lot in life.  She could not imagine anything better than what she could achieve by her own efforts.  She realized she could do nothing as her womb was closed.  It is also possible that she looked to God in her own ways and made peace with her life.  She was willing to trade Jacob for a handful of mandrakes (30:15) as a sign of utter resignation from a life of struggles and vindications.  She allowed Jacob to visit Leah.  Leah again gave birth to two more sons; one she named “Issachar” which means “gift or reward” and another she named “Zebulun” which means “honor”.  Leah was not only happy and joyful, praising the Lord; she was also rewarded and honored by the Lord.  She also had a daughter to the full satisfaction of a mother of eight sons and one daughter.  Rachel was nowhere to Leah’s joy, happiness and contentment.  There was no contest between the two and Rachel resigned to her lost cause.

It was in this lost-ness, Rachel remembered to call upon God.  The Bible says “God remembered Rachel and listened to her” (30:22).  Oh, how much she lost, how much she forfeited because of her own desire to be vindicated by her own struggles!  Had she called upon the Lord from the beginning; the storyline of her life would be different.  However, late though it was, she did call upon the Lord and God heard her.  He opened her womb and she gave birth to “Joseph” which means “added”.  She exclaimed, “God has taken away my disgrace!” She still hoped in God to add one more son.  God did add one more son to her but she died while giving him birth.  Just before dying she named him “Ben-Oni” which means “trouble”.  Her beautiful life ended in trouble so soon and so abruptly because of her attitude toward her sister.  Attitude of greed and jealousy will not eat others, it will eat oneself.

Leah goes on to live a long and blessed life but Rachel lost everything in struggles and troubles.  She never knew how to rest in what God has done and given her.  However, when she realized the futility of trying hard by herself, God did hear her, took her disgrace away and gave her a son like Joseph who would go on to be the type of Jesus.  But by then, jealousy, bitterness, and troubles of all kind had taken the toll in her body and mind.  She could not live to see the glory days of her son Joseph.

Dear friends, it is a universally accepted fact that life is not always fair.  More of often than not, we are unfairly treated, misunderstood, underestimated, abused and exploited.  Unfairly accused and tainted but there is a God who “sees” and “hears” as he did to Leah.  When our anchor is safely cast on him, no matter how strong the winds, the storms and the waves break in, our ship will remain safe to sail another day over the smooth waters of life. 

Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” (Matt.5:11-12).

Let us also not be conceited and jealous toward those who God is blessing and using for his glory.  Doing such would put us into the category of the wicked digging trenches for others but eventually they themselves fall into them (Prov.26:26-28).    Living in jealousy and the desire to be vindicated will consume your life in such a way; you may end your life in trouble just like Rachel did.  Be content and joyful in what God has done for you and he will fill you with joy and honor! 

I can tell you from my own experience that those who unfairly treated me; most of them ended up in utter disgrace, others simply disappeared from the scene and some are barely hanging in life full of anger and bitterness.  Had they repented in time and allowed God to take control of their lives, they would have fulfilled their full potentials because some of them were individuals with great potentials.   What a loss for God’s kingdom and for their own lives!  When their journey on earth will be completed and get to meet Jesus, they will also see how much they missed in life because of jealousy, hate, anger, lust and greed. 

Let us cast all our cares on him for he indeed cares for us.  He cared for Leah and he even cared for Rachel.  But Leah took the highway of righteousness while Rachel took the low way of jealousy and vindication.  Leah lived a long and blessed life and saw her children’s success while Rachel missed it.  It is my prayer that you, my reader, would not miss all that God has prepared for you. 

सफलता चाहानु पाप होईन

प्रिय मित्र, 

जीवनमा सफलताको चाहानाराख्नु मानव चरित्र हो। स्वास्थ्य, सम्पत्ति, र सम्मानको सेरोफेरोमा यो सफलताले लुकामारी गर्ने भएकोले होला परमेश्वरको वचनले हजारौं बर्ष पहिलेनै यसरी भनेको छ; “नम्रता र परमप्रभुको भयले धन, मान र जीवन (शारीरिक जीवन) ल्याउँछ” (हितोपदेश २२:४)। आदमलाई दिईएको पहिलो आज्ञा (आशिष्) नै “फल्दै-फुल्दै, वृद्धि हुँदै, पृथ्वीमा भरिँदै र त्यसलाई आफ्नो वशमा पार्दैजाओ” थियो (उत्पत्ति १:२८)

From Silky Seoul to Dusty Guwahati

Now and then, you will notice a noble but also a vanishing Korean cultural trait where young people give up their seats in a bus or a subway for the elderly.  But today, as I entered the subway at Wangsimni station to go to Samseong station, the courtesy was offered to me by a young man.  Thinking there might be an old person behind me, I turned my head to see.  But there was no one around.  It took a few more seconds to realize that the young man was giving up his seat for me.  Tried to refuse him politely but as he stood, he was already busy in his mobile phone. 

The Heart of a Genuine Pastor for His Believers