“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) Life is frightening. So many choices to make, so much so that the uncertainties of the future often overwhelm us as we contemplate which way to go. Frightening or not, the truth is that life is a series of choices, and the dilemmas we face in this life are not simple. We all struggle with decisions regarding what directions to take as we journey through life. The decisions are not easy.…
Author: Charles Anyiam-Osigwe
Marriage is the formal union of a man and a woman, which is meant to last, as long as both partners are alive. Marriage is not just a social contract, the result of society’s pressure to conform. Marriage is a long-standing institution and has existed in every culture, every era, and every religion. Thus, it can be said that marriage has existed from the very beginning of human existence. Anthropologically, it can be shown that marriage is original, universal, and natural. The Biblical account of the institution of marriage is the story of Adam and Eve. When God created Adam,…
We live in a troubled world. The challenges we face as we journey through life sometimes tend to overwhelm us. Our mind is not at peace. We are sourly troubled. Many years ago when I was a teenager and in Secondary School, we were studying St. John’s gospel in one of our religion classes. The section of the gospel under discussion that day was the verse where Jesus Christ said to his disciples – “Peace I leave you, my peace I give you.” – John 14: 27. It made me think – “Of everything there is in this world, wealth,…
One of the important stories that illustrate the need to wait for God’s appointed time is the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. Elizabeth and Zechariah had no children. They had been praying for a child for many years, but nothing happened. Years rolled by, and Zechariah and Elizabeth were now an elderly couple. One day as Zachariah performed his priestly duties, Angel Gabriel appeared to him with some amazing news—Elizabeth was going to bear a son. Zechariah was beside himself and could not bring himself to believe the message. As a result of his…
Why did Christianity in the Western World collapse so quickly in the twentieth century? The reasons that are usually given: the effects of enlightenment due to education, advances in technology, urbanisation, and the two world wars. These may all be part of it. However, it may also be argued that it is also due to the collapse of the traditional Christian family. This collapse is a critical element in examining the decline of Christianity in the Western World in the twentieth century. The Christian story starts with a family – the Holy Family: father, mother and child. And through the…
“We know that for those who love God all things work together for good.” – Romans 8:28 No matter what our situations may be, or how complicated our life circumstances get; we have the assurance that all things will work out for our good. When we are faced with life’s crises, seemingly intractable problems and we cannot figure out a way out of our dilemma, it is at these times that we need to caution ourselves that we should not give in to worry and doubt but to turn to God in faith and believe that our problems will be…
My Son, An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Nigerian village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large fish. The American complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The fisherman replied that it only took a little while. The American then asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish. The fisherman said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, “But what do you do with the rest…
We are aware that God works through humans to provide our needs. It is for this reason that we feel hurt and let down when someone we depend on does not meet our expectations. • Parents oftentimes feel that their children let them down, and vice versa children also feel their parents let them down. • One feels confused and let down when a spouse whom they love and depended upon leaves them. • We can feel desperate when an employer lets go of staff in difficult economic times. • A close friend or associate who has promised financial assistance…
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” -Matthew 6:34. One of the biggest challenges we have as humans is worrying. We are prone to anxiety, fretting, being generally uneasy – we worry. When faced with challenges, instinctively we seek to solve the problem, which causes us to worry. As we like to be in control of our lives, when it seems we cannot control the outcome of our situations, we tend to worry about it. We spend so much time worrying about tomorrow, being anxious…
What is the definition of beauty? Can beauty be defined by age, gender, colour, body shape or size? Who gets to decide? Is there an ideal of beauty, and who represents what beautiful is? Is it a “chocolate” coloured lady with full lips and curvy body? Is it the Western standard? Some women who have been hailed as beauties: Dorothy Dandridge, Sade, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Lena Horne, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, Halle Berry. Iman, Phylicia Rashad, Jennifer Aniston, and Lupita Nyong’o are all quite different in their beauty. Before you begin to fret that…