The Courage to encourage

The courage to encourage

 Encouragement: Who does not want it? Who does not thrive under it? This thing called encouragement is very powerful. It can lift up the lowly; make the failure to fly into the realms of success, the heartbroken to hope again, the weak to do things beyond themselves. We have all received encouragement at some point in our lives and have been the better for it. We can remember the people that gave us encouragement very distinctly. Those memories are etched in our minds and hearts forever. Many of us are doing the things we are today, only because somebody had the courage and cared enough to encourage that gift, that ability and see the diamond in the rough.

 The question I ask myself is will I be that somebody for someone else?  It takes courage to do that. Because encouragement it not flattery, it’s not glib talk, it’s not irresponsible words spoken. People cling to those words as it promises hope and a new future. So when we encourage we bring hope and kindle faith in a flagging heart.

There are many challenges that ones who encourages may face and those are challenges of the heart.  We live in a world where criticism is rife; putting others down is the way up, envy and jealous rule the day and secrecy is the way to secure success. To spare a kind thought, word or deed is not a common practise these days.  Often the outlook is “what’s in it for me?”

Here are some things I have been pondering on and some questions I would like to challenge myself with. Maybe you would like to reflect with me?

• ·        Am I willing to put myself out to encourage someone else and make them feel good about themselves? Can I look beyond my own nose? In order to encourage, I should practice being able to think of others better than myself. Sometimes my own pride gets in the way of encouraging someone else. It feels like giving ground to someone else. I need to practice humility and honouring others. (Rom 3:12, Phil 2:3) It’s not good enough to think the good thoughts in my head; it needs to be vocalized to the person who deserves the praise. Am I deliberately holding back praise from someone because of envy, jealousy or selfishness?  Don’t we all remember being in situations where a lot of effort was put into something and no one even says a word of thanks? Let’s not do the same to others.
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• ·        Am I willing to play the part of Barnabas (Acts 9:26)who brought Paul to the other Apostles. Paul went on to be one of the greatest Apostles who wrote so much of the New Testament. If Barnabas had not played his part I wonder how history would have panned out. He did a selfless thing. He did not promote himself. He had the courage to stick his neck out for the “the new kid on the block”. And you know what? Paul gets to be part of the Inner circle and Barnabas is left out in the cold – or that is how history gets recorded. We don’t hear of Barny anymore. (But you know, there is another perspective to all this. If I get caught up with recognition and affirmation from people alone, I will be left sorely disappointed and despondent. DON’T. People can be self absorbed and fickle. But there is one who sticks closer than a brother and who is faithful to the end. His encouragement is forever and with it comes rewards that are eternal. He is Jesus our Lord).
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• ·        Am I ready for the person I lift up to go ahead of me? (Phil2:3) If my motives are clean it will not bother me, it will only make me glad. I remind myself of that final day of reckoning when the books will be opened and everything we have done will be tested by fire, I do not want to be found wanting .
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• ·        For those of us who have received encouragement – go back to those who gave you a help up and thank them for the role they played in your life. Lack of gratitude is a bad thing.
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• ·        Does envy and jealousy catche my throat and cause me to withhold the praise that is due? I need to repent and the only way to overcome it is to do the very opposite.  I need to be profuse in my encouragement to the one I am envious or jealous off. It will take the sting away. Thank God for the talent/gift/ abilities God has blessed them with.
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• ·         I should expect nothing in return – this helps clean up the motives. I will get my reward in heaven.
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• ·        Am I afraid of encouraging someone else because they might then get noticed and get ahead of me? Do I believe in a sovereign God? Then I should be careful of manipulating circumstances. God can bring a man crashing down on his face in a day and exalt a man in a second. We have plenty an example in the Bible and the starkest one is that of Joseph – one of my own personal heroes. His brothers thought they could manipulate his destiny and keep him away from the lime light. But God worked things out where he got exalted way beyond anyone’s expectations of wildest dreams ( I don’t think Joseph knew his this was how his dreams would pan out)

I want to be the one who will be remembered for moving people forward and up and not manipulating people into the shadows and down.

When I do this my father in heaven is pleased, God is glorified, blessings come down and there is enough to go around for us all.  So I want to  encourage and thank those who have been sources of encouragement in my life.

Navaz D cruz

Rats !!!

Running like rats on a treadmill is what some days feel like. Then a restless begins to descend deep into ones soul and begins to express itself in a sharp tongue, ill temper and anxiety for no reason at all.

Have you been there and done that? I plead guilty many times over. I then I want chide myself and say "how foolish"!! Don't you know the source of Peace and stillness? Don't you know better than to be anxious? How often I forget, and do the very things I ought not to.

Then my heart and spirit lead me to the Rock that is higher than I, to Jesus throne and I am stilled like a child. Did He not say His yoke is easy and burden light? Did He not say "Be still and know that I am God?” Did He not say that He will renew my strength? Did He not say he will give me living water that will quench my thirst? Did he not promise to leave his peace with me? How foolish have I been!!! I turn in repentance to giver of LIFE and PEACE - Jesus.

I realize that the practice of being still takes a lifetime and is often ruffled by life's busyness. I have to make sure I do not wander away from this. Here is where my soul finds it’s anchoring - in His presence alone. So this is my prayer:

 To know you more take - me deeper Lord

To seek your face takes - me to your throne

To love you more - pour out your spirit Lord

And make me yours alone.

To live in your presence - that’s where I want to be

To draw closer and linger is my heart’s desire

To wait on you for renewed strength

To draw on your grace that flows without end

To hope in you and have faith rekindled

This is my desire, this is my desire.

Navaz D Cruz

Cure for the Common life.

https://kindle.amazon.com/post/Z5T0R6GU1JFV

This book makes for great reading and provokes us to live life to the fullest.

Navaz

THE CANCER CALLED CORRUPTION

It looks like this has been a season of reckoning for governments, autocrats, dictators, corrupt politicians and the like. We are all fed up with reading of a new scam in the newspaper each day. It makes one wonder how many more are out there that are un accounted for and that goes on, on a tiny scale below the income tax radar and the big ones, big enough to fly above the income tax radar.

We can all look out there and say that’s where the problem is. It’s those corrupt politicians that are the ruin of the nation. Crucify them!!!!

I have been brooding over the world events of the last 3 months. It has made me to stop and think and pray and reflect. I like to reflect against the mirror of the Word of God , the Bible. When a nation is going through turmoil, hardship, famine etc what does the bible have to say? Some of explain it away with “O the end times are here” and that may well be true. But I see something else being mentioned as well.

I am reminded of  2 Chronicle 7:14 which says “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

This seems to be the solution God is offering. Where does the responsibility of the well being of a nation lie? I think the passage is clear: with the people of God and not Anna Hazare going on a fast (though it might be effective for a short while) .

We the people of God have a responsibility toward our nation.  I, as a child of God am first of all called to humble myself – acknowledge the problem is too big for me to handle at a human level.

I am to seek God’s face – ie To make him no.1, to covet his presence more than anything, to find out what is on his heart, to spend time with him.

Turn from my wicked ways – Wow!!! God does not mince words. We would like to sugar coat the pill. He calls my wandering ways “wicked”. Can I call it anything else? Its only when God’s people get distracted with others things, other than focusing and worshiping Him, does He called their ways wicked. I would be wise to take this seriously. What ways in my life does God see as wicked? I only need to read His word to find that out and the list is shocking.

When I do this - the country will prosper, the land will be healed and our sins forgiven. WOW , !!  So the future well being of my country is dependent on how I as a Christian live my life? Are you serious? Well, read the passage again- I don’t see any room for discrepancy.

  Does this means I can’t really fault the government, the judiciary, the army, the police, the politician etc etc. ? I believe everyone has to give an account for what they do and do not do. But God has given His people a clear mandate and a responsibility: To walk humbly, live righteously, to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, to repent or our wicked ways. This is the key that will unlock might blessings in our nation.

 So let’s hit the floor.

I have written this song as a prayer . Pray as you listen to it , for a spirit of supplication to fall upon you.

Navaz

Breathe on me - A story of God's faithfulness

 Have you ever had a dream , a dream close to your heart, a dream close to what you know is God's call on your life, a dream that feel is too big and just "like a dream"? I have been there. I lived in the shadow of a dream for over a decade. I had  prophetic confirmations I needed many times over to take that leap of faith . And yet, I lacked the confidence to take those steps of faith in spite of knowing I had a BIG God backing me and giving me His approval. I made feeble attempts at accomplishing that dream and felt I could not do it on my own. There were some friends who encouraged me to step into making the dream a reality.  So I sought the help of other people I thought could help and had a similar vision. But it did not materialize and I was left hanging, waiting for this dream to take shape.I landed up getting frustrated, disappointed and buried that dream in despair thinking I had got it all wrong.  The Bible says "Hope differed makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is like a tree of life " Prov 13:12. I was in this place with regards to this dream for many years and I did not know how to get out of it and then came a stage when I couldn't care.

But , the ever faithful God who does not give up on us or our dreams in his great love pursued me patiently. HE who is the author of that dream was not willing for it to die without bearing some fruit. 

Last year in February we attended a 3 day conference for Church Leaders. It was there that I had the most significant coffee conversation  yet. The lady whom I was chatting with, out of the blue asked me if I wrote songs. I thought the sky would fall on my head. I was shocked as the question was prying the nails I had banged hard and strong in that coffin. I could not run from what I knew was the Lord wanting to take off the grave clothes and bring back to life that which was deeply buried. I sheepishly answered in the affirmative and said I had tried everything , tried getting help in vain and that I had reached the end of myself and any inspiration. She felt I should not give up and try new doors. The Coffee break ended and we assembled for another session. 

The session was on taking responsibility for what happens in our lives and not giving into a hostage mentality or a victim mentality. The speaker gave us a moment to share with each other. This friend shot out of her chair and came straight to me and said "GOD IS SPEAKING , IS N"T HE?". Heaven was using a megaphone. I knew I was cornered by the Living God himself. I felt the Holy Spirit  work deeply in me. I felt deep conviction for giving in to satan's lie and giving into a victim mentality. I went through deep repentance. I was overwhelmed at how much God was interested in this dream, this gift seeing the light of day.

I resolved to make another attempt and push every door for help that I could possibly think of . 

I prayed  a desperate  prayer asking the Lord Jesus to breath a fresh on me, to anoint me for what He want me to do,not to give up till the end of my days, to be faithful with every gift He has given me so that when He comes again He will see that I have multiplied what He has given me.

That prayer  became my first song - the first of this dream , this gift coming out into the open. I titled it "Breathe on me". Since then , there has been an overwhelming flow of new songs, that has  even take me by surprise. My book is full of lyrics leaping out of the pages waiting to be sung.

I look back at the last year and am amazed at God's  faithfulness. As I took those steps of faith, the lyrics fell into place, fresh tunes flooded my mind, new doors of help opened up that only encouraged and guided me so well. 

I have walked with the Lord for nearly 4 decades and there are so many lessons to learn and so many life patterns to unlearn. I am grateful that He is the author of my life and He will finish what He has started in me. He will not give up. And all I can say is " To love and serve You is the greatest thing, To love and serve You, Jesus my King"

Here is the link to the song. Be blessed as you listen to it. Share it freely.

Navaz

Humbly You Came - Navaz D Cruz

Phillipians 2 has always been one of my favorite passages of scripture. It has given me a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and how I ought to live. I have been most provoked and challenged by our Servant King - being in the very nature God , chose to be born in a lowly state and serve the very ones who would betray, abandon and be ungrateful to Him - the Author of Life.
When life and different circumstances get me down,  I lift my eyes to Him and everything falls into place.
Be blessed as you listen to this. Share it with your friends.

Navaz

Some quiet thoughts : Reflections: Perspective

Some quiet thoughts : Reflections: Perspective: "'To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest criti..."