Gospel Music artist, JIFAN has an educative message to share with you, which is headed as; Show People They are Loved, Before it is Too Late!
“To follow God, to love him, will cause us to look very different in the world we live in. It will cause us to stand out from the crowd. As 1 John 4:20 states ‘Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.’ Friends, this is no small statement. If you hate a brother or sister, you cannot love God. He commands forgiveness, kindness and mercy from his people. He commands us to love before all else and he has given us his Holy Spirit and his word to help us. Loving God=Loving his people.
The love that God has worked into our hearts means that we will encourage those around us, building them up with words of life (as the Lord commands us in Ephesians 4:29). You must see my friends and family, that to serve God is to love and build up those around you. It is through this love that people might be lead to God as they see they are blessed by your willingness to serve and be used by him. It is through this love that people might achieve more in this life by your support and encouragement. It is through this love the world will become a better place.
As Christians we are called to be ‘Christ-like’. Over Easter we have been remembering what Jesus did for us, the sacrifices he made. Now when was the last time you made sacrifices in your time and resources for others? Jesus’ life was one of sacrifice for others! Every day we live should be defined by sacrifice, serving God and therefore others in all their needs both physical and spiritual (Romans 12:1).
Now I would like to address a problem that is obvious in our culture. People in positions of power and influence in our lives are verbally attacked and abused in our conversation, newspapers and media. Why? When they move on or pass away we then remember them with fondness recalling all the good they have done. Why!? When they are here and need our support we pull them down, and when it no longer matters we finally remember our calling! You are the salt of the Earth! (Matthews 5:13). People need you now, they will no longer care when they are dead.
Constantly we hear phrases such as, “You should appreciate people while they’re here because they are not promised tomorrow,” “Never go to bed angry,” and “Don’t take people for granted.” But you never fully pay attention to the truth behind those statements until you’re forced into that kind of situation. Why do people wait until loved ones are on their death beds or after someone has walked away from a relationship for them to wake up and realize how important and special that person was to them. It is true for these people that “You never miss what you had until it’s gone?” an age old saying that still rings true today. We have to stop waiting until the final hour to tell the people in our lives how much they mean to us.
Why not, celebrate and appreciate them today! Doing this we are not only encouraging them and inspiring them to do more good in their lives, but we are also thanking God for them and being obedient to him. Which do you think will bring God more glory? Make the most of the time you have with the people while they are alive and truly cherish every laugh, every frown, every hug, every cry, every conversation and every other opportunity that you have with the ones you love. Show them how much you care and support them so that they might flourish.
In conclusion I would like to thank you all for giving me support, encouragement, inspiration, laughter and simply for allowing me to be me. To anyone that I may have offended in any kind of way, please know that it was not my intention and that love supersedes all in my heart. To anyone that has touched my life in any way, I say thank you because all of you have made me the man that I am today. God bless you all.
Lazarous Chongo “JIFAN”