The Sunday Mail
Pastor Tinashe Zinyemba
It’s surprising how time flies, I hope you started the month of June well. Take time to review where you are and where you would want to be and re-adjust accordingly.
Your academic pursuits, your carrier goals, relationships, etc, do everything in your power to achieve. Today l am continuing with the relationship series. However, I would want to revisit what l touched on over the past two weeks as I feel more still needs to be said.
The issues have to do with how we relate to our parents and to our enemies. If you remember, I defined a parent as one who raises, rears, brings up, nurtures, fathers or mothers someone.
The list includes physical parents, guardians, people in authority, teachers, those in Government, leaders (spiritual or otherwise), it also includes those who lead us in the work places and elders in the community.
In Romans 13vs1 the Bible says, “Let every soul be subject unto higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the power that be are ordained of God.”
Our parents (in whatever form they manifest), are supposed to be a representation of God, all things being equal they help us to realise our destiny and goals in life. They act as shields and protectors, they provide for our needs to the best of their ability.
They are God’s conduit through which He is able to reveal His nature. That is the reason why we must do all we can to honour and respect them. When you do this there is a commended blessing that is guaranteed.
Long life! Be it in your academic life, carrier, relationships and so forth. Do all you can to honour and respect them. Having said this, I know that they (parents) are only human and there are some situations when they neglect their duties or abuse their children which makes it very difficult to relate to them. Scripture says in Psalms 27vs10, “When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.”
Ultimately God is our parent and everyone else is just a custodian, honour God through your parents. If your parents have neglected or abused you, then do all you can to stay true in the eyes of God. He will vindicate you.
Moving on to enemies, how you relate to your enemy is very critical because it can have a significant impact on your future (negative or positive).
Some people seem to be in our lives just to cause havoc and they hurt us so terribly. Enemies cause physical and emotional scars that are sometimes permanent. In 1 Samuel 1, we hear of Hannah who could not give birth and Peninnah (her husbands’ second wife) who used to taunt her at every opportunity. In Genesis 37, Joseph’s brothers almost killed him when they sold him to slavery simply because they were jealous of him.
In both instances, Hannah and Joseph did not retaliate in a similar manner, rather they grew stronger in adversity and asked God to intervene. God blessed Hannah with six children and Joseph became the prime minister of Egypt and saved his entire family from starvation many years later. In Proverbs 16vs7, the Scriptures say, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
God can see all that is being done against you, the moment you reduce yourself to the level of your enemy, you become worse than them and God will actually fight for them. I encourage you to be wise and not to destroy your future because of some petty issues in your life. If you are the one causing harm in peoples lives, be warned because God will defend whoever you are deliberately harming. Next week we continue with our discussion on relationships. Till then, God bless.
The writer is a pastor with New Life Covenant Church. Email feedback at [email protected]
