The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” – Matt. 26:24 NIV
Manage Destiny Influencers Wisely 28092020
Click the link above to download the full text of this Ministration
Following his directives on where he intends to have the Passover as part of the celebration of the Festival of the Unleavened Bread, the disciples of Jesus Christ had arranged his desired location and he was reclining on a seat surrounded by the twelve disciples when he suddenly informed them that one of them was going to betray him. Naturally, they became sad about this comment of his, but being equally troubled, they sought further clarification from him on which one of them it was going to be – Matt. 26:17-22. Without being specific, he responded with the scripture today with two points standing out;
1. It was time for him to fulfil destiny which he had earlier told them will involve his not been seen by them for a period.
2. The route to achieving that destiny will be through an act of betrayal by one of them, warning them of the consequence of such an act to such a person.
Christians need to understand always that knowing and accepting destiny is as important as realising that the manner of its implementation will vary and so need to rely on God for its manifestation. Jesus Christ knew that he was destined to die as that was the only reason for his coming to the world. He probably did not know that it will come through an act of betrayal and that Judas Iscariot will be the tool for that betrayal especially when he was picking him as a disciple.
In the course of their association, he did become aware that Judas Iscariot was a thief and that he was stealing from the common purse, but still left him in the position of disciple and the group treasurer – Jn. 12:6. It is obvious that, he eventually became aware of the ignoble role that Judas was going to play in his journey to destiny as revealed in the scripture today, and he could have done any of the following:
1. He could immediately kept a distance from him by removing him from his position as the group treasurer and a member of the group in general but he instead retained him in both positions.
2. He could leave him to his conscience after letting him know what the repercussion of such action will be for those who do same.
Jesus Christ chose the latter option as that again could just be the destiny of Judas Iscariot. The manifestation of the destiny of Jesus Christ was dependent on what Judas Iscariot did, just as the manifestation of the destiny of Judas Iscariot was dependent on the activity or reaction of Jesus Christ to the information he had about him.
Christians need to know that all the people around them are destiny influencers. These people may positively or negatively influence them but they have to be treated wisely to fulfil their role. The expectation that only positive destiny influencers should be around them is the reason why a lot of disappointment is expressed when someone very close puts up an act that is deemed negative. This will always be a very wrong expectation as the scripture reveals that there will be an interplay of both positive and negative events for a good thing to happen to those who worship the Lord and are called according to His purpose – Rom. 8:23
Knowing that someone can hurt you may be enough reason to show caution but may not be sufficient reason to move the person far away from you as you may never know what the negative act of that person will translate to in the future. The negative act of Judas Iscariot not only let Jesus fulfil destiny but also became the initiator for the hope that mankind enjoys today. Let God, with guidance from the Holy Spirit, be the decider of who comes close and who you keep far from you. Being aware of the danger that someone can constitute may not mean that such a person will not have a future positive role to play along the path of life. No one is good 100% or bad 100%, neither is there no proof that a good person today cannot be bad tomorrow and vice-versa, although not everyone is useful for your journey in life. Let God decide those that come close and those that stay far away and plead for wisdom to manage those that are brought close, whether they are positive or negative destiny influencers as both groups have a purpose for their presence in your life. You need both to achieve that promise of God for your life and that desire that you have been craving for.
The sudden loss of that opportunity could be due to absence of that terrible person that you chased out of your life. If this is your situation, you are better off pleading with God to bring them back as those may have been the helpers that you have been asking for in prayers.
May God grant us all the wisdom to manage our relationships in a positive manner in Jesus name. Amen.
