Let Your Light Shine Before Men

Job Mothiba

Let your light shine before men

First published by Tektime 2020

Copyright © 2020 by Job Mothiba

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

First edition

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This book is dedicated to my family, friends and brethren in the body of Christ.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

(Matthew 5:16)

Foreword

The Lord has called you like *Lazarus to come out, why are you then still wearing your grave clothes when the Lord has unbound you? Come out of the grave and tombs, for this is the time for you to be released to minister. “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, he has send me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” (Isaiah 61; 10)

Preface

Not everyone knows God is real until you tell them about your testimony. It’s when people hear your real story that they get to know you, like you and trust you. And want to do business with you, realising that everything that looks nice comes with a price. The one who is willing to pay whatever price it takes to do the will of God is worth more to God than the one who always looking for a cheaper way.

Acknowledgement

This book is dedicated to my family, friends and all my spiritual leaders in the body of Christ.

Special appreciation and thanks to Cornerstone Christian Family Church and all the social media communities especially those on (facebook, twitter and Whatsapp).

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www.cornerstonefamily.co.za

1

INTRODUCTION

Not everyone knows God is real until you tell them about your testimony. It’s when people hear your real story that they get to know you, like you and trust you. And want to do business with you, realising that everything that looks nice comes with a price. The one who is willing to pay whatever price it takes to do the will of God is worth more to God than the one who always looking for a cheaper way.

Be careful of desiring a lifestyle you are not prepared to pay for. You cannot get a return on an investment you never made. When people say they’d like to be in your shoes, it’s usually after the difficult journey is finished. They tend to believe in you when you are succeeding but, you need to believe in yourself when you are not.

And, often times the people who criticise your life are the same people who don’t understand the price you paid to get to where you are. They tend to connect with our perfection and performance. All that is slick and shiny about us attract them. But our tears? They are liquid that repel others, scares them or make them shrink back.

The hardest thing I am still trying to learn to accept is that you can’t just force people to care. Trust me. You would not want to be associated with people who does not really care. For a moment they are, because they need you. But as soon as the tables turn and you are the one who needs them now… they would be gone in the blink of the eye.

You can’t force people to care about you. You can’t force people to believe in what you believe in. You can’t force people to fight for you or fight for something you hold dear to your heart but, the people who care will fight without being asked. Sometimes it’s easy to forget how amazing and lovable you are to your Father. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

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The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, he has send me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. (Isaiah 61; 10)

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The Lord has called you like *Lazarus to come out, why are you then still wearing your grave clothes when the Lord has unbound you? Come out of the grave and tombs, for this is the time for you to be released to minister.

Why are you trying to hide in shadows? Why do you find it easier to lie, than to come out in the light? Do not be afraid to be judged by man and come out. Who are we to judge and question God for putting greater grace on the most broken and battered vessels?

If it was up to man the woman at the well would have remained a statistic and an outcast. Even the woman who was caught up in prostitution would have been stoned to death. But, if it had not been the Lord’s mercy… (Psalms 124:2)

So, do not spend your life bound by your mistakes. If you acknowledge, repent from it, you will recover from it, and be better because of it.

Since grace was extended to you. You did not earn it and you did not work for it. It is a free gift, may you extend the grace to others. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8)

Again, stop getting so frustrated about when you are going to reach your destiny that you do not enjoy the journey. The difference between where you are and where you want to be is not based on what kind of a job you have or do not. It is not about how much God has given to you, it is about how you handle what God gives to you. The more you are truly thankful for what you have now, the faster what you want will start to show up.

I believe that everyone is gifted, but some of us never open our package. Believe with all of your heart that you will do what you were made to do. For what we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us. At times we might think we are not good enough, but you will surprise yourself if you keep trying. You are capable of achieving more than you realize.

So, your past does not determine who you are. Your past mistakes prepares you for who you are capable of becoming. What ultimately defines you is how well you rise after falling. Do not ever be afraid to give yourself a chance to be everything you are capable of being. Forget the haters. Never under-value who you are and what you are capable of. For you are not called to just think about the prize and claim the prize. You are called to hold the prize. Just as the Lord said “…I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you, even to your old age” (Isaiah 46:4b NIV)

So, God has given you a gift, it is called today. What are you going to do with it? Well, there is no better time than today to change the way you view yourself and the world around you. Be mindful of how you start this day. Your first conversation, and your first thought can set the entire tone of your day. One small positive thought this morning can change your whole day. So, start your day with a smile, a good attitude and a prayer. For a simple smile and a hello could lead to a thousand different things.

Thus, a smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring and a sharing person inside. “Be careful with the way you are thinking because your thoughts run your life.” (Proverbs 4:23).

Yes, you cannot solve every problem in the world, but at least you can attempt to solve one. Do something with the gift God has deposited in you. You gain confidence and grow stronger by every experience in which you really push yourself to do something you did not think you could do. Nobody who ever gave their best regretted it. When God has selected you, it does not matter who has rejected you. Keep on being original. You will be amazed what comes to you when you stop trying to be someone else.

God did not place people on Earth to be pawns or puppets of an identity he did not give them. For He has created you in His image. The clay does not tell the Potter how to form it. It yields to the process. Stay mould in the hands of God and receive the Grace to move in your gift and endowments. “For a gift opens doors for a man and brings him before the great” (Proverbs 18:16)

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Let us pray:

Father, we acknowledge that each day of life is a gift, and we do not know when we will see our last. Help us to live with eternity always in view. As, we admit our sinful and selfish ways. We look to you for forgiveness and healing. Thank you for your mercies today.

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2

DISCIPLE, SERVE, HELP, ENCOURAGE AND CARE FOR OTHERS

Have you been in a situation where you tell a friend about something that weights you down, eating you out, and s/he says, “You are being too sensitive”. Then, when you tell another friend, s/he gives you a hug and say, “God will see you through.”

Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of God. Around you there are people who are hurting, people who need more love and people who like some encouragement, let God use you to help build up others and just see what happens.

God uses people like you and me to answer prayers of others. We should always be a tool in God’s hand. Take five minutes today and write a note of encouragement, appreciation, praise or gratitude to someone. Easy to do, means a lot. When someone asks for your counsel or feedback, ask them first if they want “counsel” or “encouragement.”

The former may not feel like the latter. If you are trying to lead someone, embody these four qualities: be warm, be like them in some way, be competent, and share your imperfections. The way to find your calling is to look at the way you were created. Your gifts have not emerged by accident. You are chosen to bring God glory, He will show Himself strong through you. You were specifically designed for this moment in history.

The wisdom of God for this age is about to be revealed through you. From now on and forever you will be a vessel unto honour in God’s hand, you will be a channel of blessings. For you are chosen people…, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Some people are violent about everything except “taking the Kingdom by force” then suddenly, they are silent. Well, it may be easier to say nothing in a situation where conflict could arise, but is it not always wiser. Somebody is following you somewhere. They will take your lead and learn from your example. Remember, behaviour is interpretation of the environment. We are either taught directly or learn by experience. So, act in such a way that others will admire and honour the way you carry yourself.

If due to lack of confidence you do not rise to the occasion when someone challenges what you say, you will teach others it is not worth speaking up when you know you are correct and accurate in sizing up a situation. Speak the truth you embody, and your example will powerfully influence and persuade others to take your lead. “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)

Hence, life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?” I bet you remember every single person that opened a career door for you. Be a door opener and be remembered forever. Lifting someone up is one of the best ways to prevent yourself from getting down. As you push somebody else up, God will make sure that you get to where you desire to be. I believe we were created to help each other. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”(Matthew 20:28)

For your greatest contribution in life might not be something you do but someone you raise. Believe with all your heart that your life is playing out exactly as it was meant to. Do not force things to happen, just allow them to happen. All the mistakes you could possibly make in your walk have already been made, learn from those who have gone before.

Everyone you will ever meet experienced or know something you do not. Do not underestimate help advice or encouragement from somebody insignificant and poor. The impact is often so much greater than you could imagine.

People’s value is not determined by the condition of their finances; it is determined by the condition of their heart. Sometimes someone comes into your life and helps you to breathe for the first time, and see things in a different light. “So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise are despised if they are poor…” (Ecclesiastes 9:16)

One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others. Do all the good you can, to as many people as you can, as often as you can. We all need each other in order to achieve the fullness God has for us. We cannot do it by our self. You were never intended to carry the difficulties of life alone. As there are those who have gone before you (mentors) and those who are walking the same path you are walking (friends)

You need them both in order to become your best and enjoy the journey. Your prosperity will be determined by how much you care for others, not by just using people for your own personal gain. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Luke 6:31)

Do not only “care” for and “help” others because you are obligated to, but because you actually mean it to help others. “Do not say to your neighbour,” Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it by you.” (Proverbs 3:28)

If you cannot help them, at least do not hurt them.

Even when you feel like criticising and rejecting anyone, just remember that all people in this world have not had the same advantages that you have had. Accepting all the good and bad about them it is a great thing to aspire to. The hard part is actually doing it. So, pick up courage to become someone’s miracle, especially at this age.

Everything is changing, day by day we do not notice but, just look back over the past year and you will realise that everything has. People you thought were there forever they are not, and people you never imagined you would be speaking to are now some of your friends. Life makes a little sense, and the more we grow the less sense it will make.

So, make the most of it now, before it changes once again, because in the near all of this will be memory. Learn to stay for others, because you may need them tomorrow when you will be left alone at your weakest. When you take time to invest in others, it will always come back to you. Find a way to help, love and care for the disadvantaged. “If you mistreat the poor, you insult your Creator; if you are kind to them, you show him respect” (Proverbs 14:31)

When your life is in service to God and advancing His kingdom, nothing you do is wasted. He sees and keeps record. When you understand that God sees every time you sow, pray, cultivate, give etc., you do it with all of your heart. Just as some people think they should reap every day, but reaping requires sowing.

Pray for God’s Holy Spirit to lead and guide you, as we are not expected to live this life by ourselves. Think about what you want and begin sowing now. Reaping will come. Remember, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will reap generously. Always do your best. Not everyone can bake a good cake. But all should try, nonetheless.

What you plant now, you will harvest later. So, if you are at the top, do not be too proud. And those at the bottom do not be too ashamed. Everything can change. Anything can still happen in this life. Learn to give. We all need each other. There is no such thing as a self-sustaining person. The rich are rich because they have the poor who work to make them rich. Without those poor persons, no rich person can be self-sustaining. We should use what God has given us to aid those less fortunate. Let us look beyond our regular giving and think of ways to help the less fortune.

The Psychologists says when you give, the same pleasure centres are activated in the brain that activate when you enjoy good food. “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.” (Proverbs 19:17)

There are times when God wants to use you in someone else’s life; it may not be pretty or comfortable. If you look up to Him and say, “Yes, Lord, whatever it costs,” at that moment He will flood your life with His presence and power. So, today, be the reason someone feels loved. You do not have to have it all together or even know what to say in order to demonstrate His light to the world. You do not have to have money - a smile, prayer or even a simple hello will do.

There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up. People have a way of becoming what you encourage them to be. “Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.” (Jude 1:23)

If you want to do something great for God, then do little things for your neighbours. For the great things you can do for God are simply small things done for others with great love and compassion. This includes the sick, homeless, the immigrant, the poor etc. Besides, no man or woman of God ever walks into a higher realm with God, without first making a vow to God. So, you shall love your neighbour as yourself. When you are in a place of covenant, miracles become and everyday experience. May God distinguish you and show you favour because of His covenant of love. (Exodus 11:7)

Life becomes much more meaningful when you realize the simple fact that you will never get the same moment twice, and most important moments rarely come at a convenient time so, it is good to pay attention and make a difference in someone’s life. You often have no idea what is bubbling just beneath the surface in someone’s life, but you can open your ears and listen to their heart. As we all have something we find difficult to talk about but we just want someone to talk about it with.

So, the most precious gift you can give someone is the gift of your time and attention. For most people, it means more to them that you took the time to listen. They do not necessarily want you to solve their problems. They just want you to care enough to listen. When you really listen to another person from their point of view, and reflect back to them that understanding, it is like giving them emotional oxygen, therein lies the beauty of life support. And it should never have strings attached. You stand behind someone because you desire to see them prosper not for what you will gain.

Just as the author John Bunyan, 2017, wrote, you have never really lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. ”Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4)

Because people matter to God and you have been called unto His own purpose, take at least minutes out of your day to show someone they matter. Getting out of your own way is a decision that your pride would not understand. It should be your persuasion that If you work for men as unto God. It will be all well with you for the rest of your life. It is better to do the work without a title than to put on the title and cannot do the work. God wants not only you but everyone saved, everyone to get to know the truth. For “He does not favour the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.” (Job 34:19)

If you feel unhappy and bored without anything to do, go out and help someone. Because that is where you will be rekindled. Helping can be just about anything as long as it is done in sincerity. Even a simple smile, or compliment could lift someone’s spirit. You will eventually had something to wake up to, a place to go daily, your life will revive…it does not matter the income at the time. “Anyone who is not helping me opposes me, and anyone who is not working with me is actually working against me” (Matthew 12:30)

How you make others feel about themselves, says a lot about you. You receive people on the same level you perceive them. Most people will not reach their full potential without somebody else believing in them. People respond to praise a lot better than they do criticism. Instead of complaining about someone, praise them. When you see the good in someone, you should speak to it and believe in it.

If you encourage them in this way, they will become it. Do not look down on them when making mistakes, they are still growing….you might need them once they mature. Once the seed of faith takes root in their hearts, it cannot be blown away, even by the strongest wind. So, accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. (Romans 14:1)

People may not tell you how deep is their hurts, but they will always try to show you. However you may not be able to change them; heal their pain; or move their mountains but, what you can do, is love them. Everybody in your life just wants to be embraced for who they are, free of judgment. That is what you can provide. Surrender everything that is not the truth of you. Do not hold to anger, hurt or pain because they steal your energy and keep you from love.

And, with time healing will come. Do not rush it. Just allow other people’s opinions and judgments of you to fall away. When the time is right, it will happen. There is no need to rush. If it is meant to happen, it will happen. “…In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes 8:14)

So, never underestimate your ability to inspire someone and turn their day around for the better. Everyone needs some encouragement, and sometimes the people you think need it least, actually need it most. One perfect message sent at the right time can really uplift someone. So, take the time to reach out and encourage someone today. You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life. “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Tell them that their sad days are gone and their sins are pardoned. (Isaiah 40)

What God wants to do is bigger than us, but He needs all of us. No one can be left out or underestimated. His grace is sufficient. I always prefer to believe the best of everybody. Every single one of us has potential, even the smallest of birds are able to sing beautiful songs. No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another. Everyone has something to offer in the world. Therefore, you are on assignment today.