The Sunday Mail
Pator Tinashe Zinyemba Christian Youth —
MY heartfelt gratitude to those who find the time to read my articles. My prayer is that they are a blessing to you, that you have become a better Christian through them.
I would also like to thank all those who communicate to me, may God bless you all. Christianity is a privilege, it is a responsibility, it is an honour to be called a child of God and to be known in heaven. Unfortunately, many take for granted the weight of responsibility that every believer has, particularly amongst the youth.
My prayer is that you do not fall into that category and that you are striving to become a better Christian with each day. The year has finally come to an end and during this Christmas period, it is a good time to reflect and relax, but more so to plan for the coming year.
Over the past few weeks, we discussed about creating opportunities.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 says, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”
No matter who you are, there are opportunities coming towards you. It is now your responsibility to prepare for them and to capitalise on them. It does not matter who you are, you are guaranteed to have opportunities coming your way.
Be excited about 2017 because it will be a year of multiple opportunities, in academia, career, relationships, ministry and business.
The Christmas period is a very exciting one for many people. Personally, I believe that December 25 is not the day that Jesus Christ was born. There are numerous stories and theological positions on that topic.
Some of the theories are true, others are not; but we will not delve into that debate in this article. However, my focus is the essence of the season.
This is a season of joy, peace, love, hope, expectation and giving, among other things. Most important of all, we are celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus, the Saviour of the world. Jesus Christ was and is a miracle. It is that miracle that we choose to focus on.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
In other words, God selflessly gave His only begotten Son to die in our place. This is the season of selflessness, this is a season of miracles.
I encourage you to make an effort to give during this season. I know that money may be tight but there are many things you can give. Your gifts can actually be more valuable than money. Make an effort to give, especially in areas where you do not expect to get anything back. You can give your time and help out at a hospital, at an orphanage or at an old peoples’ home. You can give advice, find someone to help.
Give some sisterly or brotherly advice. Help someone with an idea or open a window of opportunity for them. You can be more gracious and kind to others.
Be the one to take the first step in mending relations or building bridges. There are many who are in need out there and their needs might not necessarily be financial. If you have the means then please go ahead and bless someone financially.
Jesus Christ is the miracle that we received and we are celebrating the birth of our miracle in this season. Why not be someone’s miracle in this season? Be selfless and show love.
There are some great initiatives by many well-wishers that are out there. There is one in particular that I would like to make reference to because it is close to my heart. I heard of a good initiative on Star FM (one of our local radio stations) the other day, people are being encouraged to buy sanitary pads for young girls.
There are many who cannot afford to buy their own. Many are already suffering from a low self-esteem, they end up missing school during their menstrual periods. This can result in permanent psychological damage. The cascading effects are immeasurable.
I am not a woman but I have always been touched by many who are in those situations, surely you can afford to do something in that regard. This is just one of many examples.
I also know of a young man who went on a drive to get second hand shoes for school children at a particular rural school. He had seen many of the students walking long distances to school barefoot.
I encourage you to be someone’s miracle this season. In the same way that we can never be able to pay back God for giving us Jesus, although He honestly does not expect us to; you can also become someone’s miracle and become their answered prayer.
Till next week, God bless.
. Tinashe Zinyemba is a pastor with New Life Covenant Church. Email feedback at [email protected]
