Beyond the Blackboard is a movie about a 24-year-old first-time teacher who overcame her fears and prejudices and makes a difference in the lives of the homeless children she teaches in a shelter’s makeshift classroom. Life was so bad that these kids were abandoned by the society because of the mistakes and lives their parents lived. No teacher agreed to take up teaching them, especially when one is in need of money and the area is situated in a dangerous neighbourhood. But this young lady who is a mother of two took up the courage to carry out this great challenge. She found out that the children were great kids just that their parents were facing challenges of drugs, alcohol, depression, unemployment, etc. and because the children were lacking in love they seem to look as if they a bit rebellious of which they were not.

Some of us may be struggling with the same issue now, seeing your parents go through tough times not because they chose to but fate. Your mom or dad may be a single parent, and he tries as much as he/she can see that food is on the table and along the line gets mixed with the wrong crowd. Instead of the condition becoming better it became worse and it turns out you and your siblings are neglected because your parent comes back late forgetting to get some food to eat. The whole burden falls on you to see that your younger ones are protected and cared for. You lie to your younger ones when they see your mom/dad getting high on drugs or lying drunk on the floor. I must say it breaks a child’s heart. This was the case of Jephthah whose mother was a prostitute and when the time came to share their father’s property his half-brothers chased him away. He ran away and became a leader of a worthless rebel yet his eyes were focused on God because he knew that it was the Lord who has kept him alive and who gives victory to His people (Judges 11: 9 & 11). May I ask you, who are you relying on, man or God? The situation may be tough but that you are alive now means God has a future for you. Our Lord Jesus came to give us life in abundance….. Oh yes! You just don’t want to hear that I believe. Where is He all the while and you are suffering and your parent is on the verge of killing him or herself and am hear telling you that He will surely give you a bright future? I might not be a product of a bad parent or know the pain you are going through but I assure you that God has been watching and following you closely using the situation to draw your attention (Judges 6:13) but because you are so busy focusing on the issue at hand you have not yet lifted your eyes up like David did in Psalm 121:1 – 2. Our help comes from the Lord, for He knows whom to send to you to help you at the point of your need.

Beloved, it’s healthy to get angry with God but dangerous to become bitter towards Him. It’s good to voice out your hurt to Him but dangerous to keep complaining each time. Do you know it hurts God more than you can imagine? God is waiting for you to rise up with the strength He has given you (Judges 15: 14 – 15), stand up against the affliction that has befallen your family. You can only conquer by your faith in Christ Jesus and positive attitude towards your situation. You can use your situation to heal your parent and other younger people who are facing the same situation now or in the future by the positive changes you make today. Your situation has no final say neither does the mistakes or fate that has befallen your parent has the final say. Jesus has the final say and has the answer to all solution as far as I know and guess what He will surely restore the wasted years.

When Gordon Ramsay came to Hot Potato Café in Philadelphia USA, he found out that the owners running the restaurant have lost their passion for what they are doing rather they are there just to see if they can keep up the water level. A local newspaper wrote about the restaurant how bad their food taste and this brought about the halt of traffic that comes there to eat. They were almost about to shut down until they decided to “invite” Gordon Ramsay to save the business. This is the same situation with many Christians today who have lost their first love. Just as the Book of Revelation 2: 2 – 4 says, “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars:  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” 

Many of us are now dragging our bodies to the church, work and social event just to keep up appearance. This was what Hot Potato Café was doing, but inside of them, they are dying. What of your first love? Yes, you hate evil and love what is right but your fire is dying or already out? Do you still yearn for souls to be saved or are you only after what God will do for you? When you see what is happening in the social media concerning the church do you keep rebroadcasting or do you go down on your knees to pray for God’s people all over the world? When last did you cry unto God for more of His life in you, the grace to forgive those who offend you no matter the emotional wounds? When last did you pray for grace to love more and live out the life of Christ so that your life will become a reference point? When last where you in church? You want to put the blame on the pastors I believe……Oh! Did I tell you that I wanted to do the same years ago but a question so simple yet very deep dropped in my heart, “If I should face Jesus today what would be my excuse?” This changed my whole perspective. I was frustrated at what I see going on in the church, and in the society that I became demoralised and my desire for going to the church began to wane. I came to the point that I was opting for hell can you imagine…..that was bad. God had to assure me and kept reassuring me that all will be well with me if I can look up to Him again. Lo and behold the question of what excuse will I give dropped in my heart and that was when things turned around. No matter what don’t give up on “hope”, for it is the only thing that promises us a better tomorrow. Beloved, gather the little strength that remains (Revelation 3:2) and cry out to the Lord to come save your soul and for Him to rekindle the fire upon your life. He is at the door of your heart knocking, and asking for you to give Him the chance to come in and make things right again (Revelation 3:20). Just as the Lord did it for me, He shall restore and revive your first love in Jesus name….Amen!!!

A CEO of a big clothes retail-company scattered all over the USA goes underground in his own company intending to solve any problems he finds as quickly as possible. It happened he found out that there is this staff of his that despite her challenges she defies all odds to come to work, put up a smile and be of help to others while being a good rep for the company. While doing the undercover, the boss found out that the lady has kids and they have no place they call home (they are squatting). Yet in all, she has enthusiasm, comes on time and does her duties well. She is also patient when teaching new employees. At the end of the show, the man gave her a promotion with a pay raise, gave her a whopping sum of 250 thousand dollars, and a house that has a playground so her children can play outside.

Jesus said, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” If men and women in this world can give just like the undercover boss, don’t you think that our heavenly Father can give us much more when we represent Him well and please Him as we continue to live in this sinful world? The problem with many is that they give up easily and never allow what they read in the Bible have their way in their lives. As long as you are a child of God, the Bible must your guide here both in speech and action. The moment you accept our Lord Jesus, you’ve drawn a battle line of war. There is no rest till Jesus comes to rapture us. No lowering of our guard because the enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The challenges at the place of work, the ones in the family, and our personal challenges that tug at us daily should never be the reason to lose our focus on where we are going in life or to remove our eyes on Jesus. No matter the situation, our eyes should be set on the Master. If your eyes is always on your challenges, you are bound to drown no matter the smile and effort you make. If your eyes are the place you are going (goals and dream), you may make it but will never have true satisfaction in life because you will end up competing with others and try to fill in the gap where our Lord is supposed to be with other things in life. But if your eyes are on Jesus and your desire is to represent Him and to help others reach their goals by the gifts and talents He has given you, just like the lady in the above story, definitely you are bound to succeed and have true satisfaction and at last be rewarded by our Lord Jesus Himself (Matthew 25: 20 – 23). There is no crown without a cross. It’s a pity that many Christians today want to take this eternal voyage without any storm. Beloved wake! (Isaiah 52:1) The Christian journey is not for the faint-hearted. Don’t expect your pastor or leader to be running after you like a baby that needs to be fed every one hour. If they check on you or not still perform your duties like never before. What guarantee do you have that the next church you are going won’t be the same issue that’s going to happen? Have you ever bothered asking yourself this question…….Is this the discipline of the Holy Spirit in a particular area in my life? Oh Yes! Please don’t be a ticking time bomb (complainant) moving from one job to the other or from church to church, or from one business to another. The Lord is dealing with your negative attitude and until then you may not qualify for that “particular” blessing.