Every person on this earth has to deal with circumstances and situations in life, which may be pleasant or not so pleasant. Since many Christians remain carnal and led by their flesh, their mood, Te mau mana'o, and emotions depend upon the circumstances and situations in their lives. One moment they are up and the next moment they are down. When everything goes well and according to their will, they are happy and joyful and they can take on the world. But as soon as they experience setbacks and things don’t go the way they planned or as expected, they panic and become pressed down, anxious, worried, angry, and start to murmur and complain to others and invite them to their pity party. They yield to their circumstances and allow their circumstances to dictate their lives and take control of their lives. Sometimes the circumstances can take such a big place in the life of a person, that the person becomes a victim and a prisoner of circumstances.
The circumstances control the entire life of the person, while the beautiful things of life pass by. The person doesn’t experience joy, happiness, and peace, but the circumstances have a negative destructive influence in the life of the person and cause agitation, discontentment, dissatisfaction, angriness, mata'u, worry, and sometimes even depression.
The more the person is focused on the circumstances and the more the person is busy with their circumstances, the bigger place the circumstances get in the life of the person, and the bigger the chaos and destruction in the life of the person become. How do you prevent to become a prisoner of circumstances?
The destructive power of a hurricane
It is just like a hurricane, typhoon, or cyclone, that causes destruction. Due to the ‘power supply’ the strength of a hurricane increases or decreases. If the hurricane gets the right power supply, then the power will increase strength and the effect of the increase of strength will become visible in the destruction, that is caused by the hurricane. Because a hurricane ruins everything, that comes in its way. You might say, that a hurricane shows us in the natural realm, what the devil causes in the spiritual realm in the lives of people.
The devil is not a friend of people. Although the devil wants you to believe he is. It may seem, that the devil has the best intentions for your life, while in reality the devil has a hidden agenda and has the worst intentions for your life.
The devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy, because that’s his character (John 10:10). Therefore the devil shall steal your joy, hau, and happiness, and fill your mind with his lies, which go against the Word of God and causes destruction in your life.
He shall mislead you and tempt you to sin, so that he can keep you in his power, bound you to sin, and lead you to death. No te mea te na ô ra te Parau, that sin leads to death (Roma 6:16). And that’s exactly what the devil wants.
The devil wants to destroy and kill people and lead them to death, so that he will not be the only one, who will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15).
He uses every (spiritual) weapon and method at his disposal to achieve his goal. And that’s why, the devil not only uses thoughts and people, but he also uses situations and circumstances to achieve his goal and make them a prisoner of circumstances so he can destroy the lives of people. But God always has a way out.
Just like the hurricane, there is one place, where a person will be save and that’s in the eye of the hurricane. In the eye of a hurricane, there are no destructive powers, but there are calm breezes of winds and peace.
The eye of the hurricane
When you are a born-again believer and are seated in Christ; the Word and you stay in Him and be led by Him and your mind and life are focused upon Him, then you shall experience His peace and joy despite the circumstances and situations. You shall withstand the storms that come your way because you know that you are save in Christ. You know that the hand of God is upon your life and that you will not have to fear.
Finally, te mau taea'e, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you (Philippians 4:8-9)
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee (Isaiah 26:3)
Therefore you shall not be focused upon the storms; the circumstances and situations and feed them and let them take control of your life. But you shall stay focused upon the Word and do what the Word tells you to do and let the Word control your life. You shall stay in Him, and keep standing on the Word and speak to the situations and circumstances.
Why is there so much agitation, turmoil, and no peace among believers?
Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea (Isaiah 48:17-18)
Since there are not many believers, who believe in the Word and therefore don’t do what the Word tells them to do, but instead believe in the world and listen to the world and do what the world tells them to do, there is a lot of sorrow, agitation, mata'u, Te mau nota, bitterness, angriness, turmoil and no peace among believers.
Many believers are not happy but murmur and complain all the time. They allow situations and circumstances to control their whole lives.
The situations and circumstances become the center of their lives, instead of Jesus Christ; the Word being the Center of their lives, and so they become a prisoner of circumstances.
They apply all kinds of carnal methods and techniques, that derives from the wisdom and knowledge of this world, in order to keep their head above the water and learn how to cope with their situation and circumstances.
But all this carnal wisdom and worldly methods will not help or will only help them temporarily. Because as soon as another problem or the next situation arises, they are back to square one and they become a prisoner of circumstances again. This happens all because they are not rooted in the Word, but in the world.
How to prevent becoming a prisoner of circumstances?
Jesus Christ is the solution and the only answer to every problem, situation, and circumstance in life. As long as you stay in the eye of the hurricane, which means that as long as you stay in Christ and do what the Word tells you to do, you will experience the joy and the peace of God, which passes all understanding.
No te mea te na ô ra te Parau: My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee (Proverbs 3:1-2)
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them (Psalms 119:165)
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7)
When you walk after the Spirit and listen to Jesus Christ; the Word and do His will, your mood shall not depend upon the circumstances and situations in your life. You shall not allow circumstances to take control of your life so that you become a victim of the devil and a prisoner of circumstances. You shall not allow the circumstances to cause destruction in your life, but you shall rise above the circumstances.
As long as you are rooted and grounded in the Word and do what the Word tells you to do, you will stay in Christ and therefore you shall not panic, worry, mata'u, and act after the flesh, but you shall experience and keep the joy and peace of God in your life and act after the Spirit. You shall live above the circumstances and situations, whereby you shall experience God’s rest and His peace.
Jesus is the only One, Who gives peace and life. As long as you feed and faaapî i to outou feruriraa with the Word and stay loyal to the Word and abide in the Word so that the Word abides in you, you shall find rest and have peace in your mind and your life.
Because Jesus says: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27)
'Ia riro ei miti no te fenua’
