Samuel Rumar - English

About Living in the Past, the Present, and the Future

2011-11-20T13:39:00.001+01:00

What time do you live in? Do you tend to live in the past, in the present, or in the future? It might sound like a very simple question, but it does actually come with some depth in it.

All of us are different. We have different personalities and we have different upbringings and histories that have trained us to focus upon time perspectives in slightly different ways. Some people prefer to focus on the past; to remember how things were, what happened, and they tend to care less about focusing on the now or the future. Others live mainly in the present, in the "now"; they think the past is boring and the future unnecessary to worry about. Still others focus on the future; both the good and the bad, tend to forget about the past and might be a bit absent in the present. This is of course a very rough picture, it is never this one-dimensional and simple, but I still believe that you, in some way, can identify a bit more with one of these way of relating to time.

Another picture that is useful, yet also very simplified, is the dressing room before a soccer game. In every team there will be someone who study the statistics, who analyze the previous games, who focuses on how the team performed during the season, and probably try to learn from past mistakes. Then there will be someone else who already before entering the field will have begun thinking about what the standings will be after the game and might even be thinking about future games. And lastly there will be someone who thinks that the two preceding guys are way out and completely irrelevant, seriously questioning the use of bothering about how things were or how things will be. They say, "We can't change how the season has been, we can't change how it will be, but we can give all we've got in this game and we can change how it is now." All these personalities have their strengths and weaknesses, something you can probably sense even if I will not go deeper into them at this moment.

Personally I believe that a good attitude is to learn from the past, live in the present, and let the future give direction. To learn from our own and other's experiences can save us much pain and worry. If somebody else already invented the wheel we should at least try to benefit from it instead of making the same mistake over and over again. At the same time I believe that it is important to look towards the future, to have some idea about where the road is headed, so that we can make choices that lead us in the direction we desire and reach the goal we dream of. But the greatest joy is attained in the present, when we enjoy what is around at the moment, when we make the best of every situation, and when we are present in every personal meeting and task, instead of grieve the past or worry about the future. Also the awareness of the future in the present moment might help us to see and take the opportunities that arise, which will lead us in the right direction.

Another illustration is the ballasting of a ship, which is done before departure from the harbor in order to ensure that the ship is in good balance during its trip. In the hull there are water proof bulkheads that can be filled. To start with a plan on how the weight is to be distributed is made. Then the filling begins. When half-way is reached there is no use going back to try to change anything and, besides sticking to the plan, there is not much use worrying about what will happen, even though it might be good to be aware of possible problems that might arise in order to avoid being surprised by them. But the most important is to be present in the moment, to do the work diligently, to be awake and observant on what is happening, to be alert to solve problems quickly, to be meticulous and precise so that the task is executed well.

Finally, I would like to add an encouraging exhortation, but first a little heads-up to those who love to focus on living in the now. Do not live so much in the now and focus so much on having a maximum of fun that you forget about Jesus or push him aside. But, at last, let us follow the word of the Bible; let us not worry or be anxious about life (Matt 6:24-34; Phil 4:6), but let us cast all care upon God because he cares for us (1 Petr 5:7), and he lets everything work together for good for those who love him (Rom 8:28).

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Dependent on God

2011-11-12T23:48:00.001+01:00

The Miraculous Draught of Fishes by Raffaello Sanzio (1483–1520)

To rely and bedependent upon God is not, as some people say, a sign of weakness. Rather it isactually a sign of strength. This strength is, however, of another characterthan the human notion of what strength is.

To realize one's owninsufficiency is a grace, which carries good fruit if trust is instead put inGod. The human is limited, but God is unlimited. To walk in the strength andability of one self might reach a certain distance, for some it reaches longerand for others it reaches shorter. But walking in the strength of God opens upfor the supernatural, and makes what extends beyond what is humanly possible.

This is not aboutwill-power, or positive thinking, and about achieving greatness. This is not atall about human accomplishments. It is about abandoning pride, the "I cando it myself attitude," and let God work. The ego must be crucified and die,everything becomes possible, people get helped and saved, and God, not we,receives all glory, praise, and appreciation.

It might be a toughchallenge to abandon the own abilities and the trust in what one know ispossible to achieve. It requires a step out from the known, into the unknown.This is called faith, to rely on God instead of the ego, on the supernaturalinstead of the natural. It is when this step is taken, that the impossiblebecomes possible and Christ's strength is made our strength.

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God Is, Therefore I Believe

2011-10-15T21:35:00.003+02:00

"Calling of the Apostles" by Domenico Ghirlandaio

I believe in God, not because of what he has done for me. I believe in God, not because he has saved me. I believe in God, not because of what he has promised me. In fact, my faith in God has nothing to do with any such things whatsoever. It might sound extreme, and perhaps it is, but it is true.

I believe in God because he is. God is God, and that is in itself enough reason for me to believe in and worship him. He is the Creator, the beginning and end, the source of everything that is, he is the Supreme Ruler, he is above everyone and everything. He is the Lord. That alone makes him worthy of worship.

The Apostle John writes,

Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water" (Rev 14:6-7).

God is to be worship as God, because he is God. The notion of what he has done or can do for us is of secondary importance. If we start in that end we put ourselves at risk of ending up in a position where we consider it our right to evaluate God and judge him; if he does not fulfill our requirements or expectations we are disappointed, and, in worst case, we reject him.

Some people might say, "I cannot believe in a god who allows so much evil in the world." Well, that objections is understandable, but irrelevant. He is, and it is nobody's choice whether to believe in him. A person's disbelieve in him does not make him less real. However, it is everybody's choice whether to follow him or not.

With this in mind, I am all the more grateful for who he is. He could have been a horrifying and evil God, and I would still have had to believe in him and give him worship. But he is good, and he loves me and all of mankind. He wants the best for all people. He came to the earth, in order to redeem mankind to himself so that we could come close and have fellowship with him. He has given an eternal hope, that of living eternity in his presence. He has given life, joy, and peace. Therefore I joyfully follow him.

Realizing that I cannot demand anything from him, makes me all the more grateful that he has given even more love and goodness than I would ever deserve from him. He has chosen to pour his blessings upon me, not because he is required to do so, but because it is according to his will and deepest desire. He has given grace, and all I can do is to humbly receive it from him.

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A Key to Personal Growth

2011-07-21T10:45:00.002+02:00

Self awareness may sound introvert, yet, in fact, it is a vital key for us in developing relationships to people around us. Unfortunately we easily and many times confuse self awareness with knowledge about self. It is not overly difficult to understand ones likes and dislikes, how one view things, or how one react in a given situation. We learn such things as time passes without having to reflect much over it.

Far more difficult is it to understand why we think or react they way we do, and that is where self awareness makes its entrance. Self awareness is getting to know one self in depth, to understand the things which lie beneath the surface and pull us in different directions.

There are things in our personality, in our environment, and in our upbringing, which has and continues to affect us. Things which we are not always conscious about, but affect us in a very tangible way. Things which might lead us into the same situation as Paul when he writes, "for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice" (Rom 7:18b-19).

Self awareness helps us to understand ourselves, accept who we are, forgive us for who are not, and form us and our lives in the direction we deep down desire to follow. Self awareness does not always spell a positive feeling, we might discover sides of ourselves which we wish we would rather not have to deal with or make us disappointed. In the end, however, self awareness is always positive in the sense that it allows and enables us to grow as human beings, both in dealing with our own lives and our relationships to people around us.

Not Through the Strenght of Any Man, but Through the Faithfulness of God

2011-07-20T21:06:00.000+02:00

Abijah (2 Chron 13:1-21) and Jehoshaphat (2 Chron 20:1-24), both kings in Judah, were faced with what seemed to be impossible challenges. As their enemies marched their armies against them they had every opportunity in the world to surrender to the circumstances and admit their defeat, even before they had actually suffered it. But instead they chose to call upon the covenant God had made with the kingdom of Judah, and God heard their prayers, responded to them, and kept faithful to his promises.

It is not our strong faith which works miracles, it is God who does. Our task is to put or faith and trust in God; if we keep our part of the deal it is up to God to keep his part. As we trust in God's faithfulness to us we may rejoice, and as we do it becomes a sign showing that we have cast our worries on the Lord och put our trust in him. Then our joy becomes our strength, because it is of the Lord.

God can do all things, he is the creator of the universe, he has made all things which are visible and invisible, and neither no one nor nothing can stand up against him and remain. Before him every knew will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Every promise has, in Christ, already received its yes and amen, and that includes every single promise stated in both the Old and the New Testament. To be faithful to his word, and ultimately also himself and his very nature, is one of God's most basic characteristics. As true as it is that God is Love, just as true is it that he is Faithful; he never breaks his covenant.

Now, when we know that God has the power to keep his promises and that he, with forcing necessity, will keep his word, it is time to realize that faith has nothing to do with how "good" we are at believing. The question comes down to whether we believe or not; either we do believe or do not believe. In most cases the answer of a question is a compromise between several opinions, and is a good thing, but in this case there is no compromise. That is why Jesus might say that it takes faith only as great as a mustard seed to move a mountain. More is not necessary, because it is not your faith which moves the mountain, but it is God, who as a response to your faith in him and his faithfulness, moves the mountain.

This is an important motivation to why we should be carehful to keep reading the Bible. In the Bible we see God's faithfulness displayed throughout the course of the entire history; he is constantly faithful to his promises and his people. In the Bible we see God's promises, and it is a prerequisite that we know what God has promised in order for us to have faith in him that he will keep that promise.

When we have this faith, just as Abijah and Jehoshaphat had, we might rejoice in every situation and be glad over God, the rock of our salvation. Because then we know that neither need nor want, neither fear nor worry, neither ignorance nor confusion, neither loneliness nor contempt, neither depression nor financial hardships, neither weakness or lack of ability, neither shame nor condemnation, nor anything else we face in and around us is able to defeat us and keep us down; because in every situation there is a corresponding God-given promise which we may refer back to. Then we find that it is through the Spirit of the Lord and in the power of the blood of the Lamb, not through the strength of any man, we have victory.

The Road Toward the Treasure of Friendship

2011-07-20T01:59:00.000+02:00

The most beautiful gift you can give another man is yourself and the most beautiful gift you may receive is another person. There is nothing more precious than two people who open up there senses to each other as they share experiences, thoughts, lessons learned, emotions, dreams, fears, and everything there might be to it. Every single individual person has lived a unique life and, therefore, brings unique experiences, pieces of knowledge, and insights to share to whomever is willing to stop and listen.

And it is exactly this, the thing about listening, which so often turns out to be so difficult. Our present day culture allows us to adhere to the inherent tendency of seeking short-cuts. Just take a quick glance at your laptop desktop or menus and note the amount of more or less practical short-cuts. Some short-cuts are good, they help us to become more efficient. Yet, there are certain areas in life where there are no real short-cuts; the roads seeming to be short-cuts eventually turns out to be false, leading to a similar, yet completely different place.

The road upon which two people who aspire to get to know each other must walk is always unique, because each person and thus also each relationship is unique. There is no road option which is easier or shorter. The only way to build a deep and fruitful relationship is to walk all the way, in complete out-giving and self-sacrificing love for the other person. However, as is important to realize, following that road is more than worth the price. There are few things which value can be compared to the treasure potentially attainable in the building of a relationship with another of God's wonderful and beautiful creations, your fellow human being.