Sayings of Samuel Godfrey George - August 2016

Self-help is the way to help others. This is what I find to be a working truth in my life. In order to treat others, I treat myself first. In learning to bandage my own wounds, I am able to take care of others, when they come to me wounded. So, I am thankful to God today for the many wounds I have received in life.

 

I only convey the inspiration that I have received from others. And often when I try to inspire others, I am also trying to inspire myself to do the very thing that I am urging others to do.

 

God is indeed great. He uses someone as weak and as flawed as I am, to convey his great strength. And that strength is found not in his judgement but in his unmerited love and forgiveness.

 

Your faith in God will be rewarded. Your faith will heal you. So don't despair. Go on in the hope that the one who waits for God will not be disappointed. Wait in joy. Wait in expectation. And your Lord will come and rescue you.

 

If you are in need ask God. He will supply your needs according to his riches in glory. When you ask, believe that you will receive, and you will receive. Put your trust in God and in no human being. If you are in trouble, go to God, and not to any human being. Ask only God, and he will honour your request when you do so.

 

Either we are incompetent worshippers or we have an incompetent God. The choice is left with each and every individual. The most devoted believers would have no hesitation to swear by their own incompetence as worshippers than lay the the slightest blame at God's door. But some, like Job, will ask the unmentionable questions, and will receive no answer. Perhaps the truth is that neither God nor his worshippers are incompetent. They may both play their parts well, yet there is another player in the game, who also plays his part well. God is not obliged to answer anyone, I read a few days ago. Perhaps God cannot explain, for the truth is too complex for the human mind. Still, when troubles come unceasingly and hope is snuffed out repeatedly, a terribly uncomfortable realization settles in the mind.

 

Beware, all you God-seekers! Your God will hide for a while. He will be absent when he is most needed. He will arrive late, after a death has taken place. But don't lose hope ever. Keep hanging on to your faith in the God who never fails the one who trusts in him. Heaven and earth will pass away, but his promises to you will never pass away. Nothing on earth, or in heaven or in hell can separate you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, your Lord. So stay near Christ. Better, stay in Christ, and in him you will overcome your worst despair.

 

Be ready for humiliation, as you walk toward your God-given destiny. Your God will not permit you to be humiliated in the end. But you will feel humiliated for a while. You will feel forsaken and betrayed by a friend, in whom you had invested all your hope. You will feel utterly lost and cheated. But don't let this temporary state become a permanent reality. Be determined to believe in God, despite his absence and apparent betrayal of your trust. Remember that you cannot see everything right now. You will not know fully until later, when you see God face to face. Then you will understand why you needed to walk through your terrible road. Then the injuries you suffered will not matter. For great will be your joy, when you meet God. It will be a perfect joy that erases all your pain, and gives precious meaning to all your endless struggle. Believe in that day. Believe in your God who will not fail to meet you on that day. No matter how it looks now, go on. For what is seen is temporary, but what is not seen is permanent.

 

As you are lying helplessly in a hopeless situation, you will wonder about your missing God. You will wonder why your God is missing and uncaring. All his promises will seem hollow and false. Unbelieving people may laugh at you and scorn you for your foolish faith. "Where is your God?", they will ask again and again. But don't hang your head low. Just say, "Even now I believe. I may be in a desperate position. Yet I believe and hope in my Lord, for he is my saviour and my God!"

 

Beware. There are twists and turns in the road to your destiny. Some are so unexpected and dark, that they would endanger your stability. Be warned. The road is full of pitfalls, and you will most likely fall and injure yourself. And the injury may seem beyond hope. But you need to believe, even as you are lying helplessly in your pit. Believe that help will come somehow. And trust in God, who promised never to leave you or forsake you.

 

Enjoy your failures. That is how you are happy. The reason for much unhappiness is the failures that people experience often in their lives. If you view failure as an attempt at learning to do something, and that every failure reveals your ever-increasing desire to succeed, then failure will turn into something sweet. The next time you fail, don’t be bogged down. Rejoice in your steely will to go on and get it right, no matter how many times you fail.

 

Not everyone gets everything in life. The wealthiest man among us does not have something he badly needs. Want is the distinguishing characteristic of the over-reaching heart. Learn to be content with what is given to you. And not everything you want will be given to you. To be content with what you receive, and to not want what you cannot have is the essence of happiness.

 

You will fail many times in life. So don't worry about failures. Just rejoice in the fact that you are still trying. As long as you are trying to be thankful, you are trying to be happy. And every trier meets with some success. And failure too is success. For every time you fail you succeed in trying even harder.

 

You need to be a habitual thanksgiver to be happy. And your thankfulness should not be fake. It should be a genuine appreciation of your gifts. Learn to see all that you have as gifts. Learn to see even your problems as gifts. Learn to see every painful experience as an opportunity to learn from. If you do, it will be the beginning of much happiness in your life.

 

Count your blessings. Name them one by one. And not only will you be surprised by what God has done, but you will also realize that there is much in your life you should be thankful for. So start being thankful today. It is never too late to start. And it is always difficult when you begin. But don't stop your thanksgiving, even if it feels forced and unnatural.

 

You should endeavour to enjoy what you have. If you cannot, you should seek help. The best helper out there is God. Ask God to show you the value of what you have. Ask God to give you a heart of gratitude for all you have received from him.

 

Happiness is enjoying what you have. When you cannot enjoy what you have because you are thinking about what you do not have, you are unhappy.

 

Whatever you do today, don't fail to worship God. You worship God by honouring what he created. Be good to one another. Help others as much as you can. Give love to someone who needs love. Be good to animals and plants, and do whatever you can for them. Help in keeping the world safe, by doing all that you can to preserve this world.

 

Don't seek love. But give love. Let your aim today be to give love to someone. When you give love, you will receive it inevitably. There is nothing better than loving someone. Turn to God for the ability to love others. Ask him to help you love people. And as God teaches you, you will be able to love even those who are not loveable at all.

 

Observe the world, and notice what is all around you. Don't be glued to your smartphones, believing that there is a better world inside them. All that technology can do is to reflect inadequately the glory of God. To see that glory, we need to lay aside technology, and look at the world all around us and make note of what God has done, as he has done it, without embellishment and exaggeration. Learn to appreciate things as they are, and not as what they ought to be.

 

Let your mobile devices not be your best friends. Let people be your best friends. Learn to communicate with people without technology. There are times when communication is impossible without technology. But if you wish to communicate at your very best, you should do it face to face, person to person, as people have always done it since time began.

 

To love God is to love others. Don't focus on just loving yourself. Focus on loving others as you love yourself. This is the commandment of God. And it is not something we can afford to ignore.

 

It is good to appreciate who you are. It is good to know what God has made you to be. But don't be lost in yourself. Appreciate others. Take the time to notice how special other people are. And acknowledge their specialness.

 

Believe that you will do the impossible today. That is the first step to doing it. And take from what God has placed in you. Use the supernatural strength that only he can provide. And then do what you never even thought you can do.

 

And let us not stop rejoicing in the glorious victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death. Let us not stop celebrating how he delivered us from the power of sin. Let us never cease to praise God for his ultimate, once-and-for-all sacrifice for all the sins human beings have committed in this world. Let us never cease to receive hope from God's promises. Let us never stop boldly approaching the throne of grace every time we are in need. When we are in want, let us always seek our Shepherd, for we will not be in want, as long as he is with us. When we are sick, let us always touch the stripes of Jesus Christ, for it is by them we are healed. When we are afraid, let us always hide under the shelter of his wings, for he will protect us from every harm, as long as we stay there. Let us not fail to rejoice in such a mighty God, who has made all his power available to us. We need to believe this, and then declare it joyfully. As we do so, we will experience the power we can only dream about now.

 

How does one rejoice in the Lord? Particularly, how does one rejoice, when the situation in life does not warrant rejoicing? In what about the Lord does one rejoice in a time of ever increasing suffering? What are the benefits of such rejoicing? Why should we rejoice in the Lord, when this life is so full of troubles? What has the Lord done, which gives us any hope that our lives will improve? Jesus Christ, our Lord, warned us clearly that the life we live on earth is full of troubles. Particularly troubled is the life we live for God. The Bible warns us that many are the afflictions of the righteous and also assures us that God will deliver us from them all. The Lord, who warned about the many troubles, also said that his people should be encouraged by the fact that he had conquered the world and its evil. We need to believe that Jesus Christ, has conquered the world, and its evil, by laying down his life for all of us, and by rising from the dead three days later. Knowing that he has done this should encourage us to go on, despite the troubles in our lives. And even though we may find ourselves surrounded by problems in life, we should be encouraged that we can always stand firm in Jesus Christ, as he has overcome all the challenges in this earthly life, and in him, we are already more than conquerors. This is not only a matter of belief, but it is also a matter of vocal declaration. Let us not merely declare this victorious truth, but let us affirm it with joy. Yes, let us find that unearthly joy in uttering this truth, of a victory, which we have not seen with our eyes, but have believed, for our Lord himself affirms it. Let us ask God to fill us with this joy. Let us first believe in what he says about us. We are more than conquerors, without having conquered anything. This is what we should rejoice about.

 

What we have may not be much. What we have may feel like a curse. But let God reveal what we have in his time. Let us submit to his mysterious working, and believe that he will give us beauty for our ashes, and will turn our mourning into dancing. Let us thank God today for what we have, though it may be the last thing we want to do.

 

Will we gain everything we have lost? Will God restore everything that has been lost? I don't think so. Not in this life, anyway. But there are victories that are secured only in pain. There is wisdom gained only in disappointment. There is a grace that emerges only from despair. So don't stop hoping today, if you have lost much. You have certainly gained what you could not have obtained had you not lost so much.

 

Say, "Thank you God" even in pain. Thank God for life, even if that life is filled with disappointments and pain. Recognize what you still have, and try to feel happy about it. That will be the beginning of your road to recovery.

 

Expect much. Receive whatever is given. And be grateful for what you have received, even if it failed to meet your expectations.

 

Be grateful when you receive less than what you did before. Be glad now for all that you have received, even if what you have received today has fallen below expectations.

 

Our fathers do not always rise to our expectations. That is why we need a heavenly Father. On him, we can safely rely, or so we think.

 

And my faith survived a major crisis in 2004, when my father died, after I had prayed so desperately for his life to go on. God denied the most urgent prayer request, and inspired in me a fear that he would do that again and again. And I had to live with a terrible mystery. Why did God deny my request? Why did my father have to die, soon after I was reconciled with him, after many years of mental separation? Why did I not get more time to spend with my father? Why could I not tell him more about God, and convince him that Jehovah is God? Why did God deny the miracle, and the victorious testimony that would have followed? I wanted to testify to the great miraculous healing power of God, along with my father, and I could never do that. Did my father accept God, before his death? Did he accept the Lord Jesus Christ, as his Saviour, before his death? I do not know the answers to these questions, and at times, I dread what the answers could be. But I go on despite this slaying, for God did slay me, when he denied me my father's life. I go on believing in a good God, though I have seen a goodness, which is nothing like my understanding of goodness. How I go on defies understanding. How I persist in my belief in God is beyond rationalising. But the truth is this. Even after twelve years, I am not ready to abandon my belief in God and his essential goodness.

 

The answers to some of our most persistent questions will not come from God in this lifetime. There is much unfairness and injustice in life. And even God appears unfair and unjust, at times, in life. Some would say, that this is usually the way life is. The good appear to suffer more than the bad. The godly are often deprived, and the godless are often thriving. The people who pray the most appear to suffer the most as well. The people who never pray appear blissful. Belief in God seems like a hopeless waste of time, at the least, and terribly unfortunate and misguided, at the most, for it apparently ushers in a guaranteed life of misery. But the great believers in God go on believing in God, despite these terrible appearances masquerading as realities screaming at them that God does not exist, and if he does, is nothing like they thought he was. They are like Job who held firmly to his belief in God, though God seemed to be slaying him mercilessly. Despite what appears to be God's heartless denials of prayers, they go on holding on to their beliefs, for there is much mystery in all of God's workings. They go on probably because they have also seen and experienced God's goodness in their lives. They have received favourable answers from God as well. So the happy memories in faith, keep the people of faith going, even in a time of terrible crisis. And strong faith will have to survive these crises.

 

On this day, twelve years ago, my father, B Ganesan, passed away, leaving me wondering whether God cares enough to answer prayers. After all these years, I know this and hold on to this: God answers prayers, but his answers are not always what we want. Some answers are actually denials, and when these answers come, we don't receive them well. We often deny the denials, and move on, believing and hoping for a favourable answer. But I was led to face this truth head on. God will sometimes, maybe even more often, deny the very thing we ask. And we often deny the denial, believing that God will always grant what we want. God will not grant all that we want. In fact, the life we live for God is full of surprises, some of them, very unpleasant. But we go on, in the faith, that God is ultimately good, and even the bad that he appears to do, will ultimately benefit us. This seems like madness even to me sometimes, but I hold on to it nevertheless, and I'm in no hurry to give it up any time soon.

 

I welcome all people, even unbelievers in God. Some of my best friends are unbelievers. But what I will not welcome is an insensitive approach to people and their beliefs. If someone does not show the required sensitivity to different beliefs and ideas, then such a person will find himself or herself unwelcome. I endeavour to appreciate different ideas as long as they are expressed constructively and sensitively. But when they violate such requirements, I do not welcome them at all.

 

It is good to express your mind. But it is not good to hurt others, and their beliefs and ideas. Don't ever make the mistake of correcting someone insensitively. For you are not without mistakes yourself, and if someone should point out your mistakes in a thoughtless manner, you would not like that as well. And bear this in mind, what you think is a mistake made by someone, may not be a mistake at all. In fact, you may be mistaken in thinking that it is a mistake.

 

When you have decided not to expect anything from people, you will not be disappointed often in life. You will, in fact, be often pleasantly surprised.

 

Silence speaks louder than words. I am grateful for the many silences I have received in life.

 

None of us is equipped to love like God. None of us can love like Jesus Christ. Our love is at best selfish and restricted to our near and dear. And even in such a close-knit circle, our love is seldom selfless. But to love selflessly, we must get rid of self. And God alone can do that. And he does that when we welcome him into our lives. When we have more of him, we will have less of us. And as we let him invade our lives, our selves will be thrown out eventually.

 

If you tread cautiously, you cannot love. If you want to love, you should be prepared to go where you feet can get seriously damaged and even destroyed. Your entire body and self will be at risk, when you love like that. Such self-sacrificing love is the greatest love, and that is the kind of love that Jesus Christ told us to give. Do you dare to love like that? Do you dare to die in the process of loving someone? Do you dare to be destroyed by your love? If you are, then you have the love of God in you.

 

Don't be paranoid about extending your friendship today. Walk boldly if you are confident in your love. But if you are not confident, don't express your love. For such love is not love. True love dares to give with absolutely no expectation of a favourable return. Aim to love like that. Or do not love at all. All friendship is love. Anything less than that is not friendship.

 

May all friends be happy today and every day. There is something very special about a friend, that we cannot derive from anywhere else. Family is very special, but so is friendship. It is said that there is a friend, who sticks closer than a brother. I have had very special friends. Without them, my life would have been quite unbearable. So I am thankful for all my friends. May the blessings of heaven always be with them. It is indeed a wonderful designer who placed in us the desire for a friend. Friendship, in its most beneficial, unselfish state, is a blessing that no one should ever miss in this life. This is my wish for all people.

 

It's good to have a friend in this world. I'm glad that I'm not friendless, though there was a time when I avoided people. Today, I'm breaking free from this long-standing tendency, and I'm paying attention to those around me. On the Internet, I've made many meaningful connections with people. On Facebook especially, I've made several of these. Of late, I've received many friend requests, and have accepted nearly all of them. I'm not sure that a Facebook friend is similar to a non-Internet friend, whom I've known and interacted with face-to-face in life. In the non-Internet life I have a few friends. But on Facebook, the word "friend" conveys to me anyone in the world, who is willing to walk along with me towards similar goals. Though I don't meet a majority of my friends on Facebook, I seem to have, at times, a more meaningful and a richer experience of oneness with these friends than I do with those whom I call my non-Internet friends. So I am thankful for all my Facebook friends today. And I say to all of them, "Thank you for extending your friendship to me. Thank you for knocking on my door. Thank you for coming in and enriching my life. May heavenly blessings be showered on you every day."

 

Sing a song of praise, even as you want to weep with pain. Even as your body is racked with unbearable pain, sing a song of praise to the One who can relieve your pain. Sing to him. Acknowledge his greatness and his ability to save you. Sing for relief. Sing for strength. And keep singing until he moves in you and calms your fear, and dulls your pain. Sing to him all through the dreary night, until rejoicing comes in the morning. Don't fail to sing to him today.

 

Don't scream out meaningless sounds in your pain. But scream out the name of the One who removes your pain. Scream out the name of the One by whose stripes you are healed. Scream out his name all night if you want to. And as you scream, plead with him, and ask him to relieve your pain. He is merciful and just, and he will not let you suffer beyond your ability to endure. Believe that, and continue your entreaties, until you receive your answer.

 

When you suffer with pain, remember the one who suffered more than any other human will ever suffer. And remember that he suffered for you and me, and every other person in this world. When your own suffering becomes unbearable, think of the one who suffered for us. And though he didn't have to, he suffered for us. And let us look at the tree on which he was hung. Let us see his pierced hands and feet. Let us imagine the unbearable agony of the one who suffered for us. And let us be happy to share in his sufferings to a small degree in this world. For it is blessed to suffer for him who suffered for us.

 

Don't focus on your pain. But focus on the reliever of pain. Call to him, cry to him if you need to. But know that he will pay attention to what you say. Also know that he will respond to your request. But try not to doubt his goodness and faithfulness. When you call out to him, believe that he will respond favourably, and expect that favourable response. Let your pain not be bigger than your pain reliever today.

 

What does a person care about? Does he care about life as it ought to be lived? Or does he care only about how he wants to live his life? Does he have any preference for external direction, or does he choose to direct himself? If he prefers external direction, where does that preference lead him? Does it lead him to others or to God? And then the question arises, "What people and which god?" Or if he depend on his own ideas of life, we need to ask: "are his ideas of life valid enough for him to live well?" And finally we should ask, "What is a life that is lived well?" The answers to all these questions will vary from person to person. But there are some agreements, and even these agreements are variable among groups of individuals who are supposed to believe in the same thing.

 

Life is a matter of choices. A good life is the sum of many good choices. There is the possibility of accident determining the course of life. But barring that, the choices that human beings make determine the quality of their lives. And when we speak of a person's choices, we can also ask, "What does this person care about?" His life will answer this question.

 

Glib statements won't do. Life is a very complex and frustrating thing. The mind is the ultimate centre of decisions. It is in the mind that God works. And he works only if permitted. So will the human permit God to do what he wants him to do? This is the problem-ridden question in faith. We want something, yet we are not willing to change. This is the tragedy of human inaction. It is a tragedy because desire does not lead to action.

 

Don't make friends casually. Be serious about the people you extend your love to. Don't quickly withdraw what you give. For such behaviour is not love, and simply not wisdom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sayings Of Samuel Godfrey George - July 2016

The road to God is not smooth. It is in fact unpredictable. Yet God himself walks with us. Let us not forget that, especially when darkness overwhelms us.

Wish everyone well. Especially those who have not lifted a finger to help you or even communicated with you, wish them well.

Today give before you take. Love before you hate. Smile before you weep.

For those of you who are wondering, I throw open my doors to all. I aspire to be like the carpenter of Nazareth, who welcomed all, especially the ones whom others were less inclined to welcome. So come to me. Let us walk together. This life is short, perhaps even shorter than we imagine. Let us love and share today, for tomorrow is not guaranteed.

There are some things that we will never know. Yet there are other things that we will know.

With God, we will always know less than we wish to know.

We can never be totally convinced of anything concerning God. He is a mystery and all that we say about him, and believe about him, is a mystery.

It is God who created all of us. We just become what he wants us to be, when we speak into existence our divine destinies. The creative power of our words is derived from God, who is the ultimate voice, which speaks ultimate words.

We are all made in the image of God. What we are is a reflection of God. What we say should also reflect God. But many times, what we think and say are not reflective of God. For we are fallen, and we cannot rise without God. And when we rise, we are enabled by God to be what he wants us to be. It is then we can think his thoughts and speak his words. And what we speak will come into existence.

One day, when I was a little boy, I had a dream. I saw a raging, train of fire speed across the sky. And I seemed to be in the air. I shouted at the fire, as it raced past me. I cried out, ‘I will serve you!’ I believe the fire was God, and my shout was a pledge of service.

There is a real distinction in this world between the extraordinary and the ordinary. And the truly extraordinary ones are the ones who will spare some time for the ordinary person. They cannot attend to all such people. But they should do the best that they can. If they fail to do that, they fail to be transcend the ordinary.

Those who spare their time for the humble person knocking on their door are the truly extraordinary. For they truly transcend the limits of those who are called extraordinary, and are yet very ordinary.

There are some in the world who believe they are extraordinary. And they think they are too important to spare any time for a humble one who knocks on their door.

He who has no time for his neighbour is the least extraordinary person in the world.

In this world the extraordinary live such busy lives that they may not have the time for an ordinary man or woman, who wants to speak with them.

If an extraordinary man has the time to speak to an ordinary one, he is truly extraordinary.

Finally, don't ever reply to a fool. An angry fool should be positively avoided.

Respect is primary in the maintenance of relationships.

There’s nothing objectionable about being moral in speech. We need to be moral always.

You shouldn’t stand out from the crowd by being rude. You should do it by being polite. We live in a rude world, so we need to show our difference by being polite.

A well-spoken person is not only someone who speaks correctly and honestly, but he is also someone who speaks in a manner that conveys his awareness of the other person.

Learn to see differences. You should honour those who are above you. You should honour those who are older and wiser.

You must consider the feelings of the person you are speaking to. You must respect those who are in authority. And your voice and tone must convey that respect.

"Smile, though your heart is breaking" they sing. It may be possible to smile even with a heartbreak. But let it not be an outward gesture, which does not correlate with what is going on inside. But let it be a smile of acknowledgement that life is not all pain and disappointment. There are moments in life, which one can be genuinely thankful for, at any given moment, despite any heartbreak. It is in the grateful acknowledgement of such moments that a genuine smile is born.

If you are constantly thinking about what you do not have, when are you going to consider what you have? When are you going to be thankful for it? When are you going to be happy about it?

Don't become more conscious of trouble. But become more conscious of the one who can solve your trouble. He is God. Believe in him today. Just believe.

I speak to people about Jesus and the great love of God. But I don't try to mould anyone. I leave the moulding to God. I try to live a life that others might find inspiring and revealing.

The highest love is the one that continues to give freely despite being rejected again and again.

Love is not to be bartered. Love is to be given freely in the hope that it will be received. I will give. You will hopefully receive. There’s nothing more to be desired.

Trust in God, and submit to his will. Surrender everything to him, even your heartbreak. Let God handle it. He alone can.

May God be your first love. Everything else will then fall into place. God knows your heart, and he will guard it, if you trust in him. Let God's best be yours.

Positivity is now my only hope. And hope is a good thing, perhaps the best thing. And a good thing never dies.

To be able to love everyone, that is the greatest blessing.

God will do his best for you. Just trust in him, and wait for him.

A small thing may go a long way. Don't fail to offer a small thing to someone today. Don't fail to give whatever you can. Remember it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Don't fail to be thankful today for anything you've received. For everything we receive is a gift. And even a small gift merits our thankfulness.

Say. "I trust in God to supply my needs. God is great and he is perfectly capable of doing what I want him to do. He will satisfy all my desires and grant everything that I need. I will not doubt him today, even if I do not receive what I was expecting."

Believe in the silent God, no matter how loudly the devil speaks.

The devil always fights. But God is the ultimate winner. And if you are with God, you win too.

Dreams are sometimes important. But reality is even more important. That's what I try to look at most of the time.

Worry is not from God. Panic is not divine.

Where there is panic there is no God.

Say, "God is with me. And he is guiding me. And I will not fail."

Take time to smile at someone today. And try to smile at a person from whom you can derive no apparent benefit. Give to someone today. Give to a person from whom you cannot expect to receive anything.

To love only those who are like you takes no effort at all. But to love those who are unlike you, that takes effort. And to love those whom you would normally dislike and hate, that takes superhuman effort, the kind that God alone can initiate.

If you love people welcome them. Do not avoid them like the plague. To love people means to receive them no matter who they are. To receive them means to accept them no matter what they are. This is the way of love and those who love.

Enjoy your work. It is good to do something useful in the world. Let us help others today, as we find meaning in our own lives.

The best thing you can do for people today is not to find fault with them. Even if they have faults, choose to see what is good in them. And encourage them with a kind word and a warm smile.

When I see parents walking along with their children, I see a great blessing that I do not have. And then I imagine how wonderful it would feel when I have a child of my own. How precious the child would be, and how I would guard him with all my might, and love him with all my heart! And then, I would realize the enormity of the responsibility that belongs to a parent. Parenting is not something that human beings can do without the help of God. As a parent, I would always seek God's guidance, in all matters concerning my child. I hope and pray that all parents would seek the help of God, and consult divine wisdom in their everyday lives, as they relate to their greatest blessings.

The greatest act of love a parent can show his child is to let him live his life, without the burden of expectations. Let the child be whoever he wants to be. For this is how God loves all of us. He lets us make our choices and live our lives, and even if we disappoint him by the way we live, we cannot be separated from his love, which is always waiting for us in Jesus Christ, his Son.

Children are the greatest blessings God can give us. So let us treasure our children as such, and love them with all our might. Let parents rejoice in their greatest gifts. May they ask God to show them how to love and care for their children. May they love their children enough to tell them about God, and his great love for humanity. May they also love them enough to let them decide what is best for themselves. May parents not clash with their children, and inflict wounds that are hard to heal. But let them love like God, who lets us live our lives, and make our choices, and not let his love be adversely affected or diminished by any disappointments that we may cause him.

Having a child would be the best thing in my life, I think. Yet I see people around me, who have beautiful children, and yet, are not happy with them. I hear a woman screaming from a nearby house. And I hear her son screaming back at her. At least, this is what I assume is happening. Their rage is beyond my imagination. They seem terribly unhappy. I heard from a friend of mine that there are parents who send their children out to beg on the streets. I also heard that some parents abuse and neglect their children. At times, I wonder why some parents are totally undeserving of the blessing of parenthood. In extreme moments I think that the ones who truly deserve to be parents are without children and those who don't deserve to be parents are given the blessing of children. I don't know what the truth is. But there is much unfairness, imbalance and injustice in this world. Life is a bag of riddles, and terribly inexplicable facts. But in all this mess, there are also wonderful, examples of goodness and love. And indeed, this world does have excellent parents and wonderful children, who experience the joy and wholeness that God intended for them. And this keeps me hoping, even as I nurse the hope of having my own children.

Think about what you can give to someone today. Don't always think about what you can take from someone.

God is great. He is faithful. He won't let you down, if you wait on him. I waited, and today God didn't let me down.

Enjoy today what God has given you. That's how you rejoice in the Lord.

Say, "Thank you Lord" always. Say "Thank you Lord for what you have given." Celebrate what God has given. And dare to expect more. May God grant you a heart that desires what he alone can give you. And never stop desiring to receive more of what God alone can give you. Dare to hope. Dare to receive. And when you receive, say, "Thank you Lord."

Dare to go the extra mile. Dare to do what seems terribly difficult. Dare to go further, if God is with you. Don't be content to be where you are. Don't be content with safety. Dare to go with God into what appears to be like danger. Dare to go as far as you can, for this is the race that you must run. It is not for those who are content to be where they are. Go where God tells you to go. Do what God tells you to do. And God does not tell you to do what is easy. God tells you to do what you will not normally do. So dare to do what God tells you to do.

You try to do it yourself. You go a certain distance. And then you cannot go any further. That is when you need to be still. That is when you need to dare. You should dare to believe in a god who is God. And then you should let him be God in your life. Will you dare to allow God to take over what you cannot do on your own?

Do you dare to be blessed today? Can you forget the terrible past, and dare to receive a blessing today? Do you dare to receive more than what you can even imagine? Do you dare to believe in a God who will bless you like that? I dare. May you dare as well.

What is the use of trouble if you cannot console another person in trouble? Let the troubled people of the world be beacons of light to one another. Let our troubles unite us in the hope that God is with us, and cares for us, and will ultimately deliver us from all our afflictions. For this is his promise, and he is faithful. We cannot ever doubt the goodness or faithfulness of God.

Trust God. He will take care of you. Whatever your trouble, do not despair. Refuse to give up hope.
Hold on to your faith. Say, "God is in control of my life. And I will not be destroyed. He will save me from my troubles. And I will smile in the end. Yes, I will rejoice, and be happy. For God himself will wipe my tears and console me. And he will let me live with him forever."

Don't underestimate the need for faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. And we need to please God. God should be pleased with us, for him to act favourably towards us. Jesus reminded us that it will be done to us according to our faith. This is a significant reminder. Let us then show faith in God today. But faith cannot come from us. Faith comes by hearing, and we need to hear what God is saying to us. Let us read our Bible. Let us hear each other's testimonies of faith. Let our faith enlarge, as a result. And may God be pleased with us.

So the gift has not arrived yet. But it will arrive. God will not forget the one who asks of him. God will not forget you. For he has carved you on the palm of his hand. He knows yours pain. He has seen your tears. And he cares. And he will not let you slip away. He will not let your dreams die. So stir up your faith in God today. Rejoice in what you have. And hope to receive what you want. For God is able, and he is capable of giving you what you do not even dare to want. So let your faith stand up today. For it is impossible to please God without faith. And you need to please him today.

Say this to your mountain today, "No mountain is higher than my God. No mountain is mightier than my God. My God is with me. I rest in his shadow. So be removed from my sight, for you cannot hinder me anymore!"

Don't despair. God is with you. And he will solve your problem.

Sincerity is the most profound language. It may contain few words. But it carries much weight.

You should do the right thing in every situation. And the right thing is doing something not because of what someone might think or even what God might think. It's doing it for the pure pleasure of doing something right, without the expectation of anything beyond it.

If I do an act of love today, let it not arise from fear. If I send you a note of thanks for something that you did, let it not be out of fear of what you might think of me if I didn't express my thanks. Let me do something good because it is good to do good. It ennobles the doer as well as the receiver. And if I live a good life for God let it not arise from fear of what God might do if I live rebelliously. Let it be for the pleasure of living a good life. For doing good is the greatest pleasure, if you know how to do it. And that is the pleasing kind of life God desires for us, but never imposes on us.

"How do I get saved?" the jailer asked Paul the Apostle. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!" Paul answered. Anyone who reads this text alone, can be misled by the great apostle's answer. I wish he had elaborated on what exactly is implied by the phrase "believe on". Could it mean lean on, rely on, depend on, and could it also mean, lean on nothing else, rely on nothing else, depend on nothing else but Jesus Christ? He alone is the way to God. There is no other way of salvation. Or could it mean even more? Believe in the incredible, self-sacrificing, love of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Trust in that sacrifice, and believe that all your sins are washed away in the shedding of the blood of Jesus. And believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and see it as your own victory over death. For if Christ died, and rose again, and you are in Christ, you too will rise again after death. The cryptic statement of Paul could mean these and even more. But some uninformed person reading it, may not see the depth of what is implied in Paul's statement. It is analysis that will make the biblical text come alive.

If you want to tell people about Jesus Christ, you need to do only one thing. Love them despite who they are.

God is critical about sin. But he is favourable to the sinner, who is willing to repent. And the latter is the remarkable fact.

Charity is not in my nature. Even love is not in my nature. But charity and love come from another person living in me. And I call him my God.

Be thankful even when things don't go your way. Remember the time when you were pleasantly surprised and even delighted about what happened in your life. Hold on to these memories, and derive your thankfulness from them.

There is no one as charming as a person who is willing to admit his or her mistake.

Love is the motivation behind all my actions. I was given love once. Now I share it with whoever is willing to receive from me.

I would like all people to know God and worship him. Still I know that it will not happen, not in this age, at least.

Guilt is not good. Be repentant, but do not be guilty. There is no condemnation to those who are in Jesus Christ. And if you are in Christ, stop letting yourself be condemned. Jesus has paid for all your sins. So don't try to pay for them. You just cannot. And you are wasting your God-given time by feeling guilty.

It is good to confess your sins. But also remember that God cares for you, and that he will forgive you. But you should also be willing to let God work in you and transform you into the image of his Son. Will you allow him to do this?

Romantic love is beautiful when it is reciprocated. But when it is not returned it is a strain on the person who gives it. She will be ultimately without reward and joy. In that case it is best to turn away from it, and love someone who is willing to respond.

The best thing I can say to you today is: "Don't lose hope in what you were made to be. Be utterly determined to be what you were designed to be. Say to yourself, "I will be what I am destined to be.

Nothing is going to stop me from being that. This world needs my life. And I will be a blessing to everyone in this world."

You won't get saved by a dip in the water, or by reading the Bible. You get saved only when you give up your hatred and littleness and accept the love and the bigness of God.

Contentment is godly. Discontentment is satanic.

The knowledge of your littleness is your greatness. Know that you are nothing, and you are something only with God. In fact, you can do everything with God.

Can you love someone who is utterly unconnected with you, and from whom you have nothing to profit? Can you devote your time and energy to that person? For this is the test of your godliness.

Rejoice in pain, for you can still feel it.

Romantic love is a popular love. It is a love that consumes much time and energy. But there is a higher love. It is the love that we show to others, celebrating who they are, without expecting anything from them in return. Such love is rare and unpopular, and unnatural and difficult for human beings.

Love more, hate less. Thank more, complain less. This is my prescription for those who want to be godly.

Let God increase in you. Let Satan decrease in you. This is what the spiritual journey is all about.

A complaining spirit is more akin to Satan than to God. If you want to be more like God, be thankful for who you are.

Be satisfied with who you are. That is how you defeat Satan, whose great contribution to you is a perennial sense of unsatisfaction.

How did Satan become sinful, a friend asked. How did sin originate? I thought about this for a while. It is not easy to answer a question, which God himself has not made clear. But this is my guess. Sin began when Satan's unsatisfaction began. When Lucifer was not happy with who he was, sin began in him. And he transmitted his disease to all of us.

Love the one you are with. Don't pine for the one who will not come.

Love without expectation. Dare to have your love rejected. Then you won't be disappointed.

Don't fail to love someone today. For if you fail to do so, you will fail to love God.

Every day I am more aware of my limitedness and littleness. This is God's graciousness to me.

Tread softly where you want to run.

Innocence is ignorance of a childish kind. Corruption is wisdom of a devilish kind.

A grateful heart is what will carry your through to the end of the day, as God has willed it for you.

The wages of trouble is wisdom.

Be grateful for what you have, even if what you have is different from what you want to have.

There is a thin line between desire and greed. Let desire not turn into greed. This is my prayer today.

It takes a certain mad kind of belief to go where God wants you to go.

May God guide you through this terrible storm. Remember, he has promised never to leave you or forsake you. Take strength from that today. And believe that he is near, and that he will not let you go. You will certainly celebrate your victory.

Celebrate your little victories if big victories will not come. Celebrate anything. But don't remain quiet and sad.

We should never stop praying. We should always keep hoping. We should always want more of life. For life is a gift from God, and let it keep coming till God puts an end to it. Therefore, let God alone decide when earthly life must end. Let us not pray for death. But let us pray for life. And not just any life, but an abundant life with God, receiving from his bounty and sharing it with all his people.

Let me learn to say, "May God's will be done" in all situations. For that is more important than any pressing desire that may distract me.

God will provide. Believe that. Say that. And tell somebody about it.

God will show mercy to the one who will ask him for it. Ask him now, and don't doubt his heart. Now rest.

Lord, please let me be aware of myself, and what I am in you. Let me know what I am capable of through you. Let me know my strengths today, and let me not be bothered by my weaknesses. When I am weak, then I am strong, for you are with me, to strengthen me in my weakest moments. O Lord, let me not forget this today.

Try to see the good in others, even when it is overwhelmed by so much that is bad.

You may not have all that you want in your life. But if you could only see the value of what you have now, you will not long so much for what is not here.

Knee-jerk reactions are not for me. Immediate replies are not my cup of tea. I think about everything. And sometimes I never speak out my thoughts.

Don't think about it. Pray about it. Pray about it again and again.

Never do anything for the sake of doing it. Do it because you are inspired. Do it only when you cannot resist doing it.

 

Nine years I have tended a plant for God. Let me not forget this plant, which has now grown into a young tree. The tree is now a shelter for God's children. Let me not walk away from this tree to plant another seed somewhere else. Let me take care of what God has entrusted to me. And let me believe that God will give me the resources to sustain and protect what he has graciously given me.

 

If I work for Jesus Christ, what do you think my religion is?

 

The time is now. You are a child of God now. You are more than a conqueror now. You are able to do all things now. You can live the godly life now. Don't think all this will happen only later. They can happen now. Just believe.

 

Growing up is slow business. So be patient, and enjoy the stillness of the moment. For you will not be here tomorrow, if you are indeed growing up.

 

The book that I don't want to part with is the Bible. That's the book which you will find with me often.

 

Believe and you shall receive. God does not withhold what is good from his children.

 

There is no way I can do anything without God. My very breath is a gracious act of his love. Today I say to God, "I cannot move without you. And I will not even dream of moving without you. Guide my steps and lead me to the place where I have to go."

 

It is a privilege to say "God bless you" to the one who has been unkind and unfair to you. It is the privilege of the Jesus Christ follower.

 

Do something for someone today without being noticed and applauded.

 

It's blessed to be the last. It's blessed to be the least.

 

A most important lesson to learn is to say to thank you sincerely.

 

Let us be prepared to face death today. The only way we can face death today is if we do what we know is right.

 

Why believe in the lie even if it excites you? Believe in the truth even though it numbs you.

 

If you keep replaying the old memories, rethinking the old thoughts and re-enacting the old rituals how will you change? To change you must discard the past and embrace the new, even if it is uncomfortable and painful.

 

You cannot change into a new person immediately. It takes time. It takes a process.

 

If you can appreciate people and ignore their littleness you have come close to loving them.

 

You must go on despite virtually nothing happening. And that's what going on is in the God kind of work.

 

Life is meant to be enjoyed. Let's enjoy it with others. And let's let others enjoy their lives as well.

 

Rejoice in the little that you have, and you will have more.

 

We are all rather paltry beneath our glorious skins. The moment we understand our littleness is the moment we grow.

 

Under pressure I appear to wilt. And then I recover. I know why I do. I feel no shame before God, for I know he knows everything about me.

 

If we are now Christ's, that's what we will always be. Do rest.

 

No matter how many disappointments you have gone through in life, learn to think of yourself as God thinks about you. You are his child, his precious one. And he will not leave you or forsake you. He loves you and cares for you. He will supply all your needs today and every day. Reflect on these truths. Absorb them deeply in your inner being. And then begin to say these truths loudly. Affirm them vocally, so that you may hear them first. And then God will hear you.

 

This is what I have learned in my walk of faith. God is unpredictable in His predictability. He does good but in His own way and in His own time. Any guesses regarding his modus operandi is an utter waste of time.

 

Most who egged me on and cited me as an inspiration are now either silent or have simply disappeared. But I still go on. And maybe this is so because I never actually relied on outside support to get myself going. All that I have done, I must have done despite external noise.

 

When we consider the contemporary approaches to God, and their insistence on living a full life, characterized by material prosperity, one needs to ask the question. Are we to live a full life, for our sakes or for the sake of others? Are we bought at a certain price, so that we cannot live for ourselves, as Saint Paul clearly said, or are we redeemed for living materially prosperous lives for our own sakes, and for the sakes of the immediate members of our family, whom we are always concerned about? Ultimately the life for God as projected by some of the present day leaders of faith, appears to be more of a life for oneself and than a life for others. And this draws a stark contrast with the self-sacrificing life that Christ and his early disciples followed.

 

The cross is not popular. I very rarely hear about the denial of the self, and the picking up and carrying of the cross in contemporary expositions of the faith life. Declare and get is the popular theme of modern approaches to God. Become prosperous for God wants you to live the full life is the current pep talk of certain leaders in faith. But no matter how many ways in which you look at this, the way Jesus Christ revealed discipleship diverges markedly from the way contemporary approaches to God project the godly life. Still, very little discomfort is visibly seen in the faith world regarding such divergent paths to God.

We must be thinking people of God, not just elegant parrots, declaring divine words that don't come from our innermost place. However, this is how faith is conducted these days. Declare and get. That is the name of faith today. I think God is at least a little deeper than that.

And there is a further truth to our vulnerability to the scheming of the devil. We possess at the very core of our being cravings that are similar to the devil's own cravings. The devil desires to overturn and distort every God-ordained purpose and design, and the appeal of such modifications and distortions is much greater than the appeal of the true purposes of God to our original sinful nature, which is identical to the fallen nature of the devil. In our unregenerated state we are much like the devil without his consummate power.

 

The life we live is a gift from God. So life is not something we created on our own. It was given to us by someone else. This is the first realization. Once we know this, we should also know that since our life comes from God, we cannot be in control of our lives. In fact, we cannot do anything apart from the source of life. And God is that source of life. We cannot live apart from him. We can achieve nothing of value apart from him. This is the second realization. Once we know this, we should also know that since we cannot control our own lives, we should submit to God, and his ultimate wisdom, concerning the way we should live. We should let him control us by our surrendering our will to him. We should trust in his wisdom and lay aside our own understanding. We should be willing to receive from him humbly. And when we receive, we should share what we have received with others in the same humble manner. This is the third realization.

 

Don't ever say, "I won't accept charity". Such an attitude belongs to pride and not to humility. Humility is to know that we are dependent on one another. We cannot live in this world without the help of others. We have accepted help from others right from the beginning of our lives, and we will continue to accept help from others till the very end of our lives. So it is good to be at peace with who we are. And we are dependent on one another.

 

Whatever unmasks a person, welcome it, even if it is terrible, abusive anger. We should not be disturbed by malicious behaviour. Let's be ready to peel off the tolerable veneer to see the intolerable hiding beneath.

 

She does her best. Her best may not be good enough. Her best may be your worst. But live with her best as long as she does her best.

 

If you are a sinner and may be the worst one at that, you are probably as fit a candidate for God as the Apostle Paul.

 

Those who wish to avoid sin are most likely to meet it.

 

Say, "God is good, though life is not good right now. God is doing something new in my life, and though I can't see it, I sense that something is happening inside me. My mind is being renewed everyday by the Holy Spirit, as I submit my thoughts and impulses to him. God won't let me down, though people will often disappoint me. Everyone may turn his back on me. But God won't ever turn his back on me. He knows who I am. And he will give me what I desire on the day he has appointed for me."

 

Don't be anxious no matter what happens. The Lord is with you. And he will make a way for you, even when your path is blocked, and you appear to suddenly come to a halt. When that happens, don't stop. Take a diversion. Do something different. But always work for the good of others. For helping others is helping God.

 

The road to God is not smooth. It is in fact unpredictable. Yet God himself walks with us. Let us not forget that, especially when darkness overwhelms us.

 

Wish everyone well. Especially those who have not lifted a finger to help you or even communicated with you, wish them well.

 

Today give before you take. Love before you hate. Smile before you weep.

 

For those of you who are wondering, I throw open my doors to all. I aspire to be like the carpenter of Nazareth, who welcomed all, especially the ones whom others were less inclined to welcome. So come to me. Let us walk together. This life is short, perhaps even shorter than we imagine. Let us love and share today, for tomorrow is not guaranteed.

 

God chose me first. But I chose him later. And that is important.

 

There are some things that we will never know. Yet there are other things that we will know.

 

With God, we will always know less than we wish to know.

 

We can never be totally convinced of anything concerning God. He is a mystery and all that we say about him, and believe about him, is a mystery.

 

It is God who created all of us. We just become what he wants us to be, when we speak into existence our divine destinies. The creative power of our words is derived from God, who is the ultimate voice, which speaks ultimate words.

 

We are all made in the image of God. What we are is a reflection of God. What we say should also reflect God. But many times, what we think and say are not reflective of God. For we are fallen, and we cannot rise without God. And when we rise, we are enabled by God to be what he wants us to be. It is then we can think his thoughts and speak his words. And what we speak will come into existence.

 

One day, when I was a little boy, I had a dream. I saw a raging, train of fire speed across the sky. And I seemed to be in the air. I shouted at the fire, as it raced past me. I cried out, ‘I will serve you!’ I believe the fire was God, and my shout was a pledge of service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sayings Of Samuel Godfrey George - June 2016

All of us have something to be thankful for. Some of us have a lot to be thankful for. And if we are not thanking God, then we are being ungrateful, plain and simple.

Love your family members whether they believe in God or not. Love everyone in the world regardless of their faith or lack of it. Love everyone in the same way you would want others to love you. And this is the way we should love. We should love others because they are our brothers and sisters in this world. This is so because we all have the same Father. And he is God.

Believe in the improbable dream. No matter how hopeless it looks, God can fulfil it. If your dream was put in your heart by God, then he will bring it to pass. Just hold on to it, and never let it slip away. For God who let you dream will also let you enjoy the fulfilment of your dream. He is your Father, waiting to give you the joy you have been waiting for. Don't forget this today.

You are a child of God. You have the favour of God in your life. Believe it and say it today. God loves you and cares for you. Don't forget that ever.

It is not too late for you. God has a good plan for you. There is a time for everything in your life. So if your time has not yet arrived, don't panic. Don't lose hope. Our God is a miracle worker. He knows how to do what you think is no longer possible in your life. Just hang in there with hope. God will not break the heart of the one who trusts in him.

Don't get anyone to believe in God. That's not your job. Tell them about God as you see him, as you have experienced him. And if they are drawn to God after that, may God be praised for even that.

Don't forget to bless all people today. Everyone is important, even the one you do not know, and may never know. Just bless everyone, especially the one you hate and despise. For if you were to bless such a person, it will be truly special. When you bless like that, you will move beyond your human limits into the realm of God.

Don't feel hopeless no matter how hopeless your situation seems. God is working on your case, and you will see what he has done in plain sight one day. If you have suffered a lot, don't be sad. For God has seen fit to let you go through this suffering. It is because you are his special warrior that you have been given this great trial. Think like that. Go on like that.

Are we behaving well is not as important as why are we behaving well.

I don't try to write what I cannot write. I don't try to speak what I cannot speak. Knowing my limits is as important as knowing my strengths.

Let us try to see a loving. accepting God today, not a critical, disapproving one. Only love compels sincere behaviour. A disapproving, overbearing nature may bring about obedience, but it will be a compliance without willingness and a service without love. Such things are best avoided.

Some prayers have been answered. But are you happy with those answers today? Are you giving thanks for what has been granted to you?

Today try to love what you have, and be grateful for it.

Do good always, as well as you can do it. If sin is in it, let it be so. For sin is never out of it till you get out of this world. Sin cannot be done away with in human strength. It is better to pursue God than to run away from sin.

The only justification for positive thinking is that there is a God in this world, who loves us all. and cares for us, and is waiting to reveal his goodness to us. But positive thinking alone is not enough. We must walk towards God, so that he may walk towards us.

The one who mourns today will be comforted later. I can only wonder what will happen to the one who rejoices today.

Life is a journey. It cannot be conducted again. It is travelled once. The decisions that one makes during this journey cannot be reversed. One should live with the consequences of such decisions, and move on, without crying over spilt milk. For much milk is spilt, and there is little time to cry over all of it, while we intend to move forward. For such is the goal of the journey. One needs to move forward, until one is halted abruptly, usually without much warning. We need to move on today. We cannot afford to sit and cry, at least not for too long.

Not all are healed. Some sit in wheelchairs all their lives. Some never recover their mobility, despite many trips to miracle crusades. Some people never change. Some never accept God no matter how much you pray for them. Some prodigal sons never return. Some believers turn into unbelievers later, for the contradictions are too much to bear. Some God lovers turn into world lovers for the world is too attractive to them. Some faith healers themselves die without healing. Some prayers are never answered. Sometimes one receives evil for good. These are the facts concerning the life of faith. You either face them or walk away from them, bearing your own sugar-coated version of what is reality for others.

How do you help people? You help people by telling the truth, as you see it, and you tell it as sensitively as possible.

Knowing where suffering is from is not as important as the realization that a life for God involves suffering. "In this life you will have many troubles", said Jesus. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous" says the Bible. One need not debate the place of suffering in the Christian life any further.

As much as there is needless suffering there is needed suffering. Jesus Christ told us to carry the cross and follow him. That is not a life without suffering.

Praising God is simply acknowledging the goodness of God. It is no insincere, exaggerated statement of God's doings in your life. It is stating the facts as they are.

Welcome to all my new friends. And greetings to all my old friends in the love of Christ. I have prayed to God that my messages should reach all people in the world, especially the young. May God enable the young to come to me, and may they connect with the message of love, which God has placed in my heart. I encourage everyone to be my friend. Yet life is neither easy nor straightforward. Reaching out to people is often frustrating. But I go on with the hope that my work will overcome man-made barriers and reach the places that God has purposed for it. May his will be done in the world, and in my life and my work.

True strength emerges from how you perceive yourself. It shouldn't matter what anyone thinks or says about you. What people do is their business. And what you should do is to see yourself as God sees you. You are his child, uniquely gifted and with a purpose that only you can fulfil, and he is in control of your life, no matter how tortuous your road is. You should not only see this in your mind, but also see it repetitively, until it becomes a part of you. And then every thought, word and deed of yours will be filtered through that perception.

It is weakness that keeps me desiring strength.

No one possesses the whole truth. Truth emerges from many men and women, and from their collective experiences. And even then, truth may not emerge in its completeness. For man is incomplete in understanding and partial in his knowledge. Even Saint Paul who wrote decisively about the Christian faith said, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part". Let us not forget this assessment, as we grapple with truth, even biblical truth.

I should let people live their lives. This is my greatest act of love for them.

Sayings Of Samuel Godfrey George - May 2016, Part 2

God created everything. God created Lucifer. When Lucifer was created, he was perfect. But one day evil was found in him. And his evil spread to one-third of his fellow angels. And from Lucifer, evil was transmitted to the first man Adam, and through Adam, the entire world was affected with evil. So can it then be said that God is the author of evil? God is the creator of Lucifer, yet not the creator of Lucifer's evil. Lucifer alone authored his evil. His evil resulted from ambition and greed. The fruit of his evil is revolt. He revolted against God and his ways, and his revolt is ongoing. When God says that he authored both light and darkness in Isaiah 45:7, he is saying that both good and evil are under his control. Lucifer is under God's control. The devil cannot do anything without being allowed by God. Ultimately God controls everything, so he is the one from whom light and darkness proceed. This does not implicate God as the author of evil, but it certainly places him as the controller of everything, both good and evil. Yet God is not evil. John says categorically that God is light and is without darkness. And we are further told that God is love. So, for us to believe that God is the creator of evil or is evil himself is to negate the statements of John, the apostle of Jesus Christ. And if we do that we will cease to be believers in Christ.

It is he who restrains himself, who is most deserving of your attention. And it is he who is least willing to inconvenience you, who is the best reason for you to inconvenience yourself.

Bluntness may appear attractive. But if it does not serve the purpose of making another person correct his mistake, it is of no use. In addition, if it causes injury to another person, it is most unhelpful. It is best to speak sensitively, as gentleness is a fruit of God.

If only God had said, "Don't worry about sin. I have taken care of it. Only be mindful of its harmful effects", it would have been a great consolation to those who have nearly lost their sanity over their obsession with sin. Sin must be understood and avoided. It should not be feared, and certainly should not be the cause of terrible despair in life. The Bible is lamentably not clear about this, and it takes years for a person to work out the actual truth.

What shall I do with do with the half messengers of light? Should I entertain only the full messengers and discard the half messengers? Should I not feed from light wherever I find it? One is not given all the light. One is given only some of the light. Light is beyond complete understanding and retention. We may find light only here and there. And when we find it we should not reject it.

No surprise lurks under the cover. Peel away the cloth covering and the body underneath is unsurprising. What God made then he still makes. The human body is not unlimited in its appeal. Once you have seen it in its many shapes, sizes and colours, there is nothing more to see. Once you have experienced its many textures and smells there is nothing more to experience. Those who seek to unlock the delights of the human body should soon curtail their efforts. For there is nothing, truly nothing in a human body worthy of a life-long, all-consuming devotion.

The wealth one amasses weighs one down. Beyond a point wealth turns into a burden. With wealth comes the responsibility for its management. It is impossible to manage wealth, for wealth finds a way to manage its possessor. Money masters the money lover and makes him endlessly desire it. In this slavery there is no joy. For no amount of money is enough, so it is always less than enough. The desire intensifies to madness. The madness culminates in total darkness.

The love for power is an endless pain. Will a little control be enough? The one who has learned to control will not want to relinquish control. He who unleashes power will not want to relent. The power seeker is doomed never to find contentment. The more he acquires the more he finds lacking. What he lacks he will seek at any cost. He shall walk on hearts and snuff out lives. He shall pay the bloodiest price to climb the ladder of power.

Don't run away from what scares you. Don't turn away from what tempts you. Face your fear and go through your temptation, knowing that God is at your side, and even inside you. His strength shall see you through.

When Saint Paul told us to flee evil, he did not tell us to run away from evil in fear. We should not run away from evil. We should confront it in the strength of Jesus Christ and defeat it. When we run away from evil, we acknowledge that evil is more powerful than we are. The truth is that we, who are in Christ, are more powerful than the forces of evil. Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. We are more than conquerors in Christ. So let us act as conquerors and confront evil and defy it in the power of God. When Saint Paul told us to flee from evil, he told us to walk away from evil deeds in the power of Christ.

We should question and test everything. No knowledge is as satisfactory as that which is proven in experience.

"It is good to be positive", they say. For good things happen to positive people. Does that mean good things will not happen to negative people? Some negative people outlive the positive. Some negative people enjoy far more than positive people do. Some negative people have created philosophies from their negativity. Some negative people have made a ton of money with their negative prognostications. Is the negative then really undesirable?

Sometimes God seems distant from us, though He is really quite near. Our prayers don't seem to reach Him, though He actually hears them. Yet His apparent silence and inactivity send the wrong signals to us. So we must persevere in faith and expect Him to intervene and save, though there seems to be little hope of that happening.

To unlearn is to relearn without former mistakes.

Why do I continue to make videos that have little or no profit for me? This is a question that reveals much.

The human body is a beautiful creation of God. The naked body is nothing to be ashamed of. But shame comes from the knowledge of our inner corruption. In our minds, we have corrupted what is beautiful, and made it ugly in our eyes.

God does not prohibit pleasure when it is good. For that is the kind of joy that God designed this life for. But God is certainly against the pleasure that promises more than it delivers. Such pleasure will surely wreck the one who experiences it. It is against this pleasure that God is decidedly against.

An honest sinner is more in God's territory than a lying saint.

We cannot connect with God without honesty.

As long as we pray less and discuss more, we will continue to have our problems with us.

There is a price to be paid for every curse that we utter. Conversely there is a reward to be received for every blessing that we speak.

Why did Jesus tell us to bless those who curse us? When we bless those who curse us, we render powerless those curses that were uttered to us. When we bless the one who cursed us, we do something that ultimately benefits us.

Let’s savour the good things of God. Let’s say to God, “You have done well.” And we’re not lying when we say that because God has done well. He has done well with this world. He has done well with us. If we can sit here and acknowledge the goodness of God, surely God has accomplished his purpose. Yes.

You can speak volumes about Jesus love. Or you can serve someone, and be the best friend that you can to that person.

Sayings Of Samuel Godfrey George - May 2016, Part 1

May all mothers rejoice in their great ability to love. Their love is an expression of God's love for his children. May mothers continue to express love. May children be grateful for their mothers' love and celebrate their mothers every day.

I wish all mothers could be seen as friends by their children. But there are mothers who are not perceived like that. Many mothers are great care-givers and lovers without being intimately connected with their children. Many people are not comfortable with revealing their innermost thoughts and desires to their mothers and fathers. It is the rare parent who transcends the parental boundaries, and enters into the realm of friendship. It has been said that there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. I will dare to say that there is a friend who sticks closer than even a mother.

Thank you God for my mother. Thank you God for all mothers. Thank you God for loving us so much, and we see your love in the love of our mothers.

I remember all mothers today. Every mother has done a lot for her child. Every mother has done a lot for her children. Mothers are the great care-givers of the world. Mothers are the great lovers of the world. There is no love in the world as sweet as mother's love. And we, the people of this world, should not fail to give thanks to our mothers, not only today, on Mother's Day, but also every day of our lives. We should give thanks to God for our mothers every day of our lives.

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." The man who is believed to have written these words, himself departed from his father's teaching. Solomon was not half the man that David was. And David himself was half a man of God. Life is tough and treacherous. I would like to have had a child. I would have loved to hear my child call me "Dad". The privilege of hearing that alone is enough for me. Ultimately, the joy in parenting is about expectations. Expect nothing, and you may have everything. Expect everything, and you may have nothing. Be grateful for even the little things. Then nothing can upset you. But insist on everything being what you want it to be. Then everything can potentially disappoint you.

No joy is pure joy on earth. All joy is alloyed with sadness. All joy allows for heartbreak. So take care with joy. Enjoy with care.

A good day to all God's children. Whatever you are going through today, know this. God loves you. And he is with you always. So walk boldly and happily today.

Give thanks to God when you have to. In fact, give thanks to God always. Nothing is possible without him ever.

Don't focus on the offender. You show love. And love conquers all.

We should acknowledge our need of God every day. This is the meaning of weakness. And this is what Saint Paul was referring to when he said, "When I am weak, then I am strong." He meant that when he acknowledged his need of God, it prompted him to seek God, and God responded to him by granting him strength graciously. And since God's gracious help is always sufficient, Paul could triumph every time he was in trouble, because of his human weakness.

With God all good things are possible. Without God no good thing is possible.

We should be more concerned with our own faults than with those of others. For every fault we may find in another there may be two in us, which we must attend to.

Sometimes it takes just one prayer from one person, who does not believe so much. God particularly pays attention to the lost son's inarticulate pleading.

If you are living with an unbeliever, I think God wants you to stay with this person, so that you may learn to love him. You should love him despite his faults. You should accept him just as he is. You should be Christ to him. And maybe then he will believe.

God knows how to reach out to people. I hope the overzealous servants of God don't stand in the way of that. Even then, God will have his chosen ones.

The one you are worrying about may be closer to Christ than you think. Don't estimate the inner condition of a human. No person is equipped to do that. And one more thing. Don't believe that you are in a better place than someone. That kind of thinking will not please God.

You should not try to make anyone believe in Jesus Christ. You should show Christ in the way you live. And if people see Christ in you, and if they like what they see, they will go where you would like them to go.

Even Jesus Christ had to endure religious fools. There is little hope for the Jesus follower who wants to avoid that fate.

To say that a man does not belong to God because he denies God can be a misjudgement. Even I denied God once. Now I cannot deny him, even if I try. Some of us already belong to God without our knowing it.

There is a great danger of following Christ to the letter, without knowing his heart. And his heart is love. When you know his love, and receive it, in all your unworthiness, you will be transformed into a new person. That is a part of being born again.

The idea of being born again came from God. But the label "born-again Christian" came from Man. Spiritual birth is what takes us to God. Yet to classify ourselves as "spiritually born" could be an exercise in distinguishing ourselves from others. Such an attempt is both unnecessary and unhelpful. Everyone who belongs to God is born again.

Sometimes the best thing an ardent Christian can do for his unbelieving neighbour is to leave him alone.

Don't give up on anyone. For God will not give up on you.

Always aim to see the other person as God see him or her. Ask God to show you how. And learn to accept people just as they are. Learn to love the one you will normally hate. Learn to bless the person whom you will normally curse.

Don't try to change people to be like who you are. Accept them the way they are. And do your best for them. That is love.

True worship is to experience thankfulness and then express it simply without exaggeration and insincerity.

Every time I doubt the existence of God, I should think of how I was led to meet my father just before his death. A most disturbing dream impelled me to meet my father and do something uncharacteristic. I, who was at loggerheads with my father nearly all my life, was finally moved to apologize to him for my many faults. This humbling must have given him some relief. It surely gave me relief from my guilt, which had I not apologized would have been unbearable. He gave me his blessing before the end. So every time I wonder whether God is real, I should ask myself, "How did I meet my father just before his death? What made me say the words that freed both of us from the yoke of discord? This cannot be just a fortuitous event."

When you have God living in you, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Where the Lord dwells is indeed a holy place. And he dwells in you. So don't be ashamed of what you find in yourself. The Lord can accept it. Why can't you?

Knowing my own weakness is crucial to my knowing where my strength comes from. And my strength comes from God.

My goal is this: as long as I am alive and am able, I will do whatever I can to bring out the good in me, as a tribute to God who points me to the good and for the benefit of those in the world who may need my good.

When we worry, we waste time and energy. Instead of worrying we could do something good that would bring benefit to our lives or to another person's life.

Is God waiting to punish people in this world? The answer to the question lies in the story of the prodigal son, which Jesus told in the Bible. This is the story of a man who longs for the return of his rebellious son. And when that son returns to his father defeated and repentant, that father is already waiting and ready to receive him and restore him to his position in the family. The forgiving father, brimming with gracious love, is the representation of God, and the sinful, prodigal son, who disgraced himself thoroughly, is the representation of the sin-ridden humanity. If the human father in Jesus' story could forgive his son, so could the divine father forgive every human child, who returns to him with a heart laden with remorse.

It is perilous, this business of correcting others. We will do better correcting our own mistakes. More grace is required for that. Moreover, this is what pleases God. He wants us to inspire others simply by the way we care about ourselves.

We should be more concerned with our own faults than with those of others. For every fault we may find in another there may be two in us, which we must attend to.

Sometimes it takes just one prayer from one person, who does not believe so much. God particularly pays attention to the lost son's inarticulate pleading.

If you are living with an unbeliever, I think God wants you to stay with this person, so that you may learn to love him. You should love him despite his faults. You should accept him just as he is. You should be Christ to him. And maybe then he will believe.

God knows how to reach out to people. I hope the overzealous servants of God don't stand in the way of that. Even then, God will have his chosen ones.

The one you are worrying about may be closer to Christ than you think. Don't estimate the inner condition of a human. No person is equipped to do that. And one more thing. Don't believe that you are in a better place than someone. That kind of thinking will not please God.

You should not try to make anyone believe in Jesus Christ. You should show Christ in the way you live. And if people see Christ in you, and if they like what they see, they will go where you would like them to go.

Even Jesus Christ had to endure religious fools. There is little hope for the Jesus follower who wants to avoid that fate.

To say that a man does not belong to God because he denies God can be a misjudgement. Even I denied God once. Now I cannot deny him, even if I try. Some of us already belong to God without our knowing it.

There is a great danger of following Christ to the letter, without knowing his heart. And his heart is love. When you know his love, and receive it, in all your unworthiness, you will be transformed into a new person. That is a part of being born again.

The idea of being born again came from God. But the label "born-again Christian" came from Man. Spiritual birth is what takes us to God. Yet to classify ourselves as "spiritually born" could be an exercise in distinguishing ourselves from others. Such an attempt is both unnecessary and unhelpful. Everyone who belongs to God is born again.

Sometimes the best thing an ardent Christian can do for his unbelieving neighbour is to leave him alone.

Don't give up on anyone. For God will not give up on you.

Always aim to see the other person as God see him or her. Ask God to show you how. And learn to accept people just as they are. Learn to love the one you will normally hate. Learn to bless the person whom you will normally curse.

Don't try to change people to be like who you are. Accept them the way they are. And do your best for them. That is love.

True worship is to experience thankfulness and then express it simply without exaggeration and insincerity.

Celebrate your mother while she is still with you.

Every time I doubt the existence of God, I should think of how I was led to meet my father just before his death. A most disturbing dream impelled me to meet my father and do something uncharacteristic. I, who was at loggerheads with my father nearly all my life, was finally moved to apologize to him for my many faults. This humbling must have given him some relief. It surely gave me relief from my guilt, which had I not apologized would have been unbearable. He gave me his blessing before the end. So every time I wonder whether God is real, I should ask myself, "How did I meet my father just before his death? What made me say the words that freed both of us from the yoke of discord? This cannot be just a fortuitous event."

When you have God living in you, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Where the Lord dwells is indeed a holy place. And he dwells in you. So don't be ashamed of what you find in yourself. The Lord can accept it. Why can't you?

Knowing my own weakness is crucial to my knowing where my strength comes from. And my strength comes from God.

My goal is this: as long as I am alive and am able, I will do whatever I can to bring out the good in me, as a tribute to God who points me to the good and for the benefit of those in the world who may need my good.

When we worry, we waste time and energy. Instead of worrying we could do something good that would bring benefit to our lives or to another person's life.