“You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. True power is sitting back and observing things with logic. True power is restraint. If words can control you, that means everyone else can control you. Breathe and allow things to pass.” Warren Buffett, American Billionaire

The more I live the more I find that we all say things we don’t really mean – to offend or hurt other’s feelings. Minsan nabibigla lang tayo or minsan naman talaga ay gusto nating iparating ang ating damdamin.

But how to handle objections, rejections and even humiliations? Let’s learn from these giants of faith.

David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him talking with the soldiers. Eliab was angry with him and said, “What are you doing here, anyway? Who’s taking care of your little flock of sheep out in the desert? You spoiled brat! You came here just to watch the fighting, didn’t you?” 1 Samuel 17:28

This was the time when David was just asked by his father to bring food to his brothers. Pero galit na galit ang kuya ni David na si Eliab at minaliit pa nya si David na tagapag alaga lamang daw ng mga tupa. He was trying to say offending words but did what was David’s reaction? Did he retaliate?

No!

He did not mind Eliab at all. But rather he asked an objective question what will be winning prize. In 1 Samuel 17

David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine…? The response was: “To the man who kills Goliath, the king will give great riches. And he will give him his daughter in marriage and exempt his father’s house from taxation in Israel.”

Even the King Saul told David how young he is and why it would be impossible for him to win the fight.

…But Saul replied, “You cannot go out against this Philistine to fight him. You are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

I remember what St Matthew said that sometimes our family members will hold us back.

A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Matthew 10:36

Do you see how good people who may have ‘good’ intentions for you will try to stop you from becoming God wants you to be? Sad to say there are times that those people who are very close to us will be overly protective that we miss our chances to achieve great things in life.

David replied, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it down, and delivered the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God. David added, “The LORD who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17

We all know that he cut-off Goliath’s head and the Philistines ran away in fear! Should David become reactive of the words he heard from Eliab and King Saul he could have missed his chance to become one of the greatest kings of Israel.

Warren Buffett is one of my favorite businessmen and he may even had many failures. It is the reason perhaps he said not to have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. If words can control you, that means everyone else can control you. Breathe and allow things to pass.

We must sometimes ignore or forgive negativity being said to us. Even Jesus in the midst of his dying moment but being taunted and mocked by people said: “Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing.”

A success cannot be considered a success if it is not harnessed through constant criticisms and setbacks.

Fire tests the purity of silver and gold…Proverbs 27:21

Those hurting or mean words can hurt but you must allow it to pass or ignore it completely. Pag binato ka daw ng bato, gumawa ka ng hagdan upang matungtungan sa pag-abot ng iyong mga pangarap. It’s ok you heard them talking about and spreading fake news about you. Sometimes being silent is an answer to a fool. Let them see how God will lift you higher and better – the more they put you down, the more God picks you up.

Keep walking when dogs bark. Just like David, keep your eyes on the goal: the winning prize!

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.”  Mark 6:4

Marami sa atin ang parang laging naghihintay ng approval ng ibang tao. Kaya maraming Pinoy hindi nagtatagumpay dahil palaging hinihintay ang papuri at pag sangayon ng iba. I have read some inspiring news about famous Bruno Mars, Melissa Reece of Guns and Roses, who were born out of wedlock but went to prove their worth in the international arena of music. Meron last week na nabasa ako, Romnick Blanco, anak ng magsasaka na naging scholar ng Harvard University sa Amerika. From a humble beginning, and maybe suffered from social prejudice and discrimination, but they did not bother about it. They understood the principle of ‘shaking off the dust’.

In the book of St. Matthew 6, Jesus was amazed of people’s unbelief. Imagine si Hesus na Diyos, mabuting Diyos yan ha pero hindi pa din naniwala ang mga tao. Basahin natin ang Matthew 6:1-6 AMP

Jesus left there and came to His hometown [Nazareth]; and His disciples followed Him. ² When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and many who listened to Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things [this knowledge and spiritual insight]? What is this wisdom [this confident understanding of the Scripture] that has been given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? ³ Is this not the carpenter, ^[a]the son of Mary, and the brother of ^[b]James and Joses and ^[c]Judas and Simon? Are His sisters not here with us?” And they were [deeply] offended by Him [and their disapproval blinded them to the fact that He was anointed by God as the Messiah]. ⁴ Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor (respect) except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” ⁵ And He could not do a miracle there at all [because of their unbelief] except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ He wondered at their unbelief.

You see, people are mocking Jesus Christ na kesyo anak lang daw sya ni Mang Jose, panday lang at ni Aling Maria. Basahin natin ang verse 5: “He could not do a miracle there at all…”

Let’s pause for a moment here. Ibig sabihin the only time when we disempower God is when people do not believe! Yan ang kahinaan ng Diyos pag hindi na tayo naniniwala sa Kanya, He may not have the time to prove it to you who He is.

One time, nagtanong si Moses sa Diyos: “Lord, anong pangalan Mo ang sasabihin ko sa kanila. Paano kita ipapakilala.?” God replied: “I am who I am”. It is implied that God was saying: “I am the Most High God. I don’t have to prove anything.”

You see when you are the best, you don’t need to prove it. Your track records will speak for yourself – the reputation. Remember when the Israelite were entering the Promised Land in the book of Joshua 2:9

“I know that the LORD has given you this land [the Promised Land] and that the fear of you has fallen on us,so that all the inhabitants of the land are melting in fear of you.For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites across the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.…

You are who you are. You don’t have to always prove your worth dahil sa mga tao na naniniwala at nagmamahal sa iyo, wala kang dapat patunayan. You don’t have a duty to prove anything because they know you and they like you. But to those who do not like you, whatever you do, is useless and does not matter.

One time at the cross, Jesus was being mocked by people.

“Kung ikaw talaga ang tagapagligtas ng buong mundo, patunayan mo nga na kaya mong iligtas ang iyong sarili”?

Do you recognise how people put you to the test to the level of your expertise?

In book of St Matthew 27: 12

And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer. Then Pilate asked Him, “Do You not hear how many charges they are bringing against You?” But Jesus gave no answer, not even to a single charge, much to the governor’s amazement.

Sometimes. being silent is an answer on its own. Silence is also an answer to a fool.  And sometimes silence is really a good answer.

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

—Galatians 1:10

Many of us would try to please others but compromise his own identity and compromise the will of God. Nakikisama na lang kahit hindi naman dapat at kahit labag na utos ng Diyos.

Palagi nating hinahanap ang approval ng iba. Tingnan mo sa selfie tinitingnan mo palagi ilan na naglike sa post mo.

“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” —Matthew 16:26

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men Colossians 3:23

Hanapin natin kung paano magustuhan ng Diyos hindi palagi maging mabango sa iba. Dahil pag sa tao ka tumingin tama ang kasabihan:

You can do 99 good thing for someone and all they remember is that one bad thing you did.

Sa tao palaging may kulang. Pero pag Diyos ang ginawan natin ng mabuti, He always remember it.

Matthew 6:1-34 ESV 

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. …

Colossians 3:24 ESV  

Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

In Mark 6 again, after being rejected in Nazareth, Jesus gathered His disciples to preach the Gospel:

⁷ And He called the twelve [disciples] and began to send them out [as His special messengers] two by two, and gave them authority and power over the unclean spirits. ⁸ He told them to take nothing for the journey except a mere walking stick—no bread, no [traveler’s] bag, no money in their belts— ⁹ but to wear sandals; and [He told them] not to wear ^[d]two tunics. ¹⁰ And He told them, “Wherever you go into a house, stay there until you leave that town. ¹¹ Any place that does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, ^[e]shake the dust off…

Learn to shake off the dust. Do not bother when people try to put you down and challenge your being good. Remember who you are. You are good, whether they believe you or not. You are good in the eyes of God and their bad impression about you does not make you a lesser person. You’ve got nothing to prove.

When the Wise Men visited we all know from the Biblical story that they have gifts. All three gifts are ordinary offerings and gifts only given to a king. The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death. 

The first symbol of Christmas is giving. God’s gift to mankind is Jesus. Men offered gift to God. John 3:16 is very clear that God gave His only begotten Son. Ganoon din ang mga hari noon, si Maria, si Jose, nagbigya din sila sa Diyos ng may kusang loob. Yung mga Hari sila ang dumating, sila ang may regalo. Uso kase sa atin yung, “sa maybahay ang aming bati…” perwisyo sa daratingan at very stressful sa may bahay. Sina Maria at Jose, walang handa. Silang mga dumating na hari sila ang may dalang aginaldo.

 Wakasan na natin ang kaugalian na sa panahon ng Pasko ay wala tayong ginawa kundi magbigay ng stress sa iba na kahit walang pera ay kelangan magbigay dahil lang Pasko! OMG.
– Tama na ang pamamasko sa mga bahay-bahay dahil nasisira ang spirit of Christmas.
– Magpunta lamang sa mga ninong at ninang hindi yung kahit sino na lang kahit hindi naman kilala maghihintay ng P20 or P50. Nagmumukha tuloy limos ang pasko sa mga bata or abuloy sa mga matatanda.
– Mamasko lang kung imbitado. Hwag mang-ambush sa bahay ng may bahay. Kung di kayo expected, wag kayo pumunta.
– Kung mamasko wag ng magsama ng ibang tao na hindi naman kilala ng mga ninang at ninong. Nagiging hanapbuhay na kase ito ng marami kaya ang iba nagha holiday na lang sa ibang bayan para lang makaiwas sa mga ‘intruders’ or unexpected guests na nakikilala ka lang pag pasko. 😞
– Tapos yung mga credit card, ‘buy now, pay later’ kaya pag January ang dami nasa hospital na dahil sa heart attack dahil ubos na ang pera tapos buong taon na naman babayaran ito. OMG again!
– Kung walang pang regalo, wag pilitin kung wala kang pera talaga. Bakit kelangan i-pressure ang sarili dahil lang nakaugalian na?
– Focus ka na lang sa pagpapasalamat sa Diyos dahil Christmas is about Jesus coming into the world. Wise men brought gifts for the Baby as a sign of respect and tribute to the King Jesus. Let’s bring a gift to Jesus – maybe our repentance for wrongdoings we have committed. Magbago tayo at magsisi. That’s a good gift to God.
– Do not seek or demand gifts. Wag tayong mang-stress at hwag tayong magpa stress.
– Gift-giving should be voluntary and not to be obligatory.
– Kung matanda ka na, alisin mo na yung ‘papasko ko…’ dahil hindi na ito dapat.
– Sobrang naging money-centered or ‘commercialized’ na ang christmas. Now, let’s put Christ back into Christmas.

But why are these Wise Men became wise indeed. It may be attributed to their social status quo, IQ and educational achievement. But let me say why they are wise in another light. We shall refer to Matthew 2.

1. They Sought The Lord

“Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Verse 2). Wise men still seek Him. Especially with the time clock of humanity running out. Wise men will seek Him now. There will be time when He won’t be able to be found Thus, the prophet Isaiah said, SEEK YE THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND, call ye upon Him while He is near.” (Isa. 55:6)

Have you sought the Lord? Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? God’s gift is eternal life. What a gift to receive this Christmas. Ask Jesus to be your Savior today!

2. They Worshiped Christ  

“… for we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him.” (Verse 2). “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, AND WORSHIPED HIM.” (Verse 11)

Again, Isaiah the prophet told us that Jesus Christ is God. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: … and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, the Prince of Peace,” Isaiah 9:6. Only God is to be worshiped. That’s why the wise men worshiped the Lord Jesus (See Luke 20:41-44.) The wise still worship the Lord.

3. They Were Directed By The Bible  

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” Psalms 119:105. The Bible is for direction in life. In this story, the wise men followed the direction of the prophet Micah, who told them that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. It’s amazing to think that Micah would write about the little town of Bethlehem as the birth place of Christ 500 years before Christ. He didn’t know, but God knew and told him what to write. The Bible is the Word of God, and not the word of man. You can trust your life with it. Be sure to read it and study it.

4. They Gave What They Had To Give  

“… and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (Verse 11) in a day of selfishness and greed, it is still “More blessed to give than to receive,” Acts 20:35. The Christian will be wise to be a giver, for “God loveth a cheerful giver,” 2 Corinthians 9:7. A wise lady once said to me, “The first thing to put in the offering plate at church is yourself: God wants us. When He has us, everything we have will be His also.”

5. They Followed Gods Leadership!  

“And being warned of God … they departed into their own country another way.” (Verse 12) God has something to say about everything. It is always best for the individual and the human race. Men’s troubles today stem from his NOT following God’s Word. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord …” Psalms 37:23.

You will realised that these gifts were given and intended to baby Jesus not to Mary and Joseph. The Wise men knelt and worship Jesus not Mary, not  Joseph but to Jesus.

The Gift of Mary

What did Mary give? She gave her womb despite of what people may say at pag-tsismisan sya na nagkaanak sa pagkadalaga, but she gave her body as a ‘container’ for the King to be born. God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! 

But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 

Sometimes God’s favour is not the same as if winning a lotto! God’s favour is different to ‘easyness’ of life. Magkaiba yon.

But Mary’s response to Gabriel is found in Luke 1:38: “I am the Lord’s servant, be it unto me according to your word.” She said impliedly that “I don’t understand and yet I trust the Lord, dahil ako ay isang alipin lamang ng Diyos. ” 

Mary offered her womb.

The Gift of Joseph

Joseph gave his home. He also does not understand, but he agreed to take Mary as his wife, even though Mary becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit. That’s Joseph’s offering, that’s his gift. 

Joseph offered his home.

Hotel has no gift

We all know that when Mary and Joseph was knocking as baby Jesus is going to be born. They don’t have a room. They didn’t let Jesus in. They don’t have a gift.

What about you? Do you have a gift?

Life is God’s gift to man; what we do with it is our gift to God. You have something precious. You‘re at a moment in your lives when you can take what you have and make something significant from it. You have two creators: first, our Father in Heaven, and then yourself.

Repentance is one – let’s change for the better.

Let your light shine and be the salt of the world.

Most of the things couple fight is about money. We all worry about being unable to provide for our needs and our family’s needs. People who don’t have money fight over money. But do you know that people who have lots of money also fight over money. 

Everybody is worried about things which we should not. Poor people worry about how to get money. Rich people worry about how to get more and more money. 

Being content is a virtue. Not everyone is truly content with with his or her life. Often times we are unsatisfied and seek more for what we don’t have and who we are. Worry is a thief. It steals your time, it steals your joy, your peace, and it steals your energy. Pero pwede naman na hindi magpatalo sa pag-aalala also known as ‘phobia”.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? – Matthew 6:25-26

Worry is disobedience.

Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. – Philippians 4:6 (AMP). The Bible is clear that we don’t have to worry. If we do still worry, then we are disobeying God! 

Worry is unbelief

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow. – Matthew 6:34. When we do worry still, we implied by saying: “God, I don’t believe you love me and care for me…” Worry and trust cannot live together in the same house. As long as trust abides, worry can never enter. When worry comes in, trust has already left! Worry starts where faith ends.

Worry is Foolishness

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” -Psalms 14:1. When you worry you’re saying: “There is no God who understands me.”

Worry can lead to illness and sickness

Stomach ulcers and other physical problems can often result from needless worry and anxiety. Not only is worry spiritually unhealthy, but it is also physically unhealthy. Worry can never help us, but it can harm us.

Worry does no good.

Worry has never been able to help anyone. Worry has never accomplished anything. Worry has never solved even one problem. Worry can look at problems but it can never solve problems. Worry is useless and unprofitable. Worry does absolutely no good. The Lord Jesus said it this way, “Which of you by being anxious, by worrying can add one cubit unto his stature?” (Matthew 6:27). What is the answer to this question? 

A woman killed herself and her children because of worry

Tell about the story of a wife in China, who killed herself by drowning upon knowing her husband died. She worried that nobody will be able to provide for her and her two children. She killed herself and her two children in the river. But her husband faked his death! Her husband was still alive.

What you can do?

Shake it off and give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. -1 Peter 5:7

If you’re tired, Jesus is inviting: “Come unto me those amongst you who are heavily laden and I will give you rest.”

You’re not designed to carry the weight of this world. It is not your job! It is God’s job. What he wanted is for you to trust Him.

My friend handed me a tall glass of water and told me to hold it. The longer I held it, the heavier it felt. Finally my hand grew tired, and I had to put the glass down. “I’ve learned that worry can be like holding that glass,” she said. “The longer I worry about something, the more my fears weigh me down.”

I encourage you today; make the decision to let go of worry. Instead of thinking about your problems, think about the Word of God! No weapon forms against me shall prosper. If God is for me, who can be against me.

This diagram has changed the way I see problems and I hope it does the same to you.