The Bigger Picture (2)

Jesus Christ irrespective of the burden of anguish he went through, looked beyond the smaller picture and focused on the bigger picture by saying "…nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). 

He did this because he realized that whatever decisions he was would take will affect the following: 

-  Himself (his relationship with his father)

-  His followers (disciples – their future fate)

-  Humanity (in its entirety)

-  Change how divinity relates with humanity

For him taking a decision that will not only affect him alone but also add credence to others was more important than the smaller picture. And herein lies the message of His death and resurrection – the message the will edify or add value to your relationships.

To be able to imbibe this message, you may have to make up your mind to always reflect on how the decisions you regularly make affects and impacts others in your relationships. The first step in the ladder of accomplishing this is to first and foremost allow GOD to rule over your heart. This is important because the battles of life are fought, lost or won in the mind (whether you see the smaller or the bigger picture).

In addition to this, you will need to:

Make Forgiveness A Lifestyle: I will attempt to explain this by elaborating on the opposite of it - unforgiveness.  Unforgiveness according to Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai is compared to ‘driving a vehicle at a speed of 200km/hr and suddenly holding down (fully) your brake pedal’.  This action will certainly crash the vehicle irrespective how skilled the person piloting the vehicle is.

Unforgiveness crashes our spiritual life (our relationship with God). It also short circuits our trust and believes in God’s ability to do what he says he will do. Forgiveness on the other hand opens you to the dynamic capabilities of the Holy Spirit therefore allows God pilot you to safety (establish his purpose in your relationships) no matter what happens. Do you now see why Jesus focused on the bigger picture forgave those who hurt badly him while under the weight of their actions?

Learn To Trust God Not Minding The Odds: Trusting God when the going is good is not the issue; but the trouble is in trusting God in the face of crisis. Jesus the bible teaches learnt ‘active obedience’ by the things he suffered (Hebrews 5:8).  Focusing on the bigger picture helps a person to see God in dimensions you never knew were possible.

It is important that we learn through our experiences.  When troubles come in life, realize that God is giving you an opportunity to learn how to put Him first before every other thing in your life.

Be Willing To Make Sacrifices: Notice that sacrifice is the spring board of greatness in life. For Jesus’ singular decision to die on the cross, God exalted him above every name in creation (Phil. 2:8 – 10). Sacrifice will not only enrich your relationship, it will enrich others.

Be Willing Shift Grounds (Compromise): By compromise, I am only re-emphasizing what Apostle Paul meant in 1 Corinth. 9:20 (GNT).  This means developing the habit of respecting and accommodating the views of others. Your motivation for this must be driven by the desire to change and positively impact on them and not cheat them.

Realize That Love Is The Key: This is the foundation on which every other issued earlier discussed grows and flourishes. Therefore you must make love your driving force – that is God’s unconditional love. The characteristics of this unconditional lifestyle can’t be better elaborated than it is in 1 Corinthians 13.

The secret message of Easter is an eternal lesson to all of us. Aimed to help us watch the quality of the decisions we make on a daily basis in our relationships. And help us always ask ourselves this simple question: ‘Will these decisions have eternal value?’