Posted by: Tara Rana | February 21, 2011

Sucking Life out of Poor

Injustice, we often relate the subject to higher levels like government policies, government officials and government schemes. Or we consider the subject of justice to be spoken where extremists and mafia world is disrupting the smooth functioning of our society. The social activists and NGOs will talk of justice where bigger issues like human trafficking, hundreds and thousands of homeless in our streets and communal violence and division etc. exist. I see injustice in my everyday life. Injustice exists right in our homes. Our maids, the garbage man, the paper wala: how do we treat them? We make them sit on the floor and sip from a chipped china cup. We try our best to get the maid work in lowest possible salary. We twist our nose at the person who clears our garbage everyday. (He should be the one twisting his nose looking at our sense of cleanliness – average Indian family has no idea of throwing rubbish – we throw our baby’s diapers, broken glasses and the waste food all in the same bin. We have no qualms about spending 600 rupees for a pepperoni pizza but it hurts us to give 10 rupees extra to the humble rikshawala who has pulled our bulging weight for half an hour. That’s injustice – grave injustice.

It has always fascinated me to see how my friends bargain and bargain with rikshawalas till their voices crack. The thin man with grim- looking eyes and lips parched is only trying to earn enough to pay for his rentals of the riksha (it usually belongs to someone else) and save some for his family. The same friends I have seen travel in high-class taxi service in the city without any problem or complain. The rikshawala is contributing to the saving of carbon credit of the nation – he actually deserves to be paid extra.

I have seen well to do families saving imported snacks and canned food for special guests and occasions. More than serving the guests it’s usually about making a statement about their own taste and style. Such affluent people always have so much that they forget all that they have stored in greed. It rots away in their cupboards but the one person who works in that house as a maid for mere survival no greater ambition in life than to eat better food each day and provide better food for her children doesn’t get to even smell it. I have seen all that canned and imported stuff go right into garbage bin. I feel that’s injustice.

Injustice is present in our attitude towards people who are vulnerable, weaker and unfortunate in life. In a society we are supposed to bring a balance by helping the poor and weaker to cross over. But each day I have come across such a mentality in us that we are willing to lavish over who doesn’t even need (for whatever reasons we do that) but we refuse the one who desperately needs our help. For instance – the worst negotiators of the salary are people who are in desperate positions – if not this job they have got nothing else. And they end up getting underpaid. The office attendant, the cleaner, the chaiwala, the field assistants, sometimes even drivers are poor in negotiating – they are literally at the mercy of their employers. Just because they have given their employers the right to determine their value – the employers put them up on a jumble sale price.

On the other hand people who come dressed well, with a long list of achievements, (they have many options – if not here they can go else where) with their sense of security and confidence make the best in negotiating payments. The employers feel shy to quote anything less that may offend or question the value of the person sitting. They are careful and usually give in and hire people on high salary – sometimes beyond what the candidate truly deserves. It’s injustice.

It’s more painful to see this sort of injustice plaguing Christian churches and organizations. I see it with my own eyes. We change the concepts and strategies of our programs to reach out people with the gospel of Jesus Christ but we forge to change our own mindsets. We work to promote Bible but do not function ourselves based on the biblical principles. Instead we function based on the value that works in this world.

If we are taking advantage of poor and weaker people, if we are considering them nothing but mere walking talking tools, if we treat them inferior than ourselves then we are carrying the worst kind of injustice within us.

Posted by: Tara Rana | February 21, 2011

In God’s Journey

 

The journey with God means for me to live in a tent. To keep moving on – and nothing around me will be permanent.  I will be a light traveler. I will not carry heavy baggage in this journey. It means I don’t attach values to things and experiences here. The only thing that’s precious to me is – the Kingdom of God. So the worries of future, busyness of a job, pressures of a program or ministry – none of it will have power to distract me from this journey. Everyday I will wake up to his voice, my spirit will feed on fresh manna and with the creator I will be in the business of creating – something that’s beautiful, peaceful and full of love – in me and in others.

With a sense of being on this journey with God, now my walk will be different. I will no longer live like a civilian exposed and vulnerable to attacks of the enemy. But as a soldier of the kingdom I will be very sure of my salvation, sure of my identity as a son of most high and will shield my heart with total faith in Christ. Fear and doubt will have no hold over me. I will trust the voice I hear. I will willingly meet the demands made on me. I will volunteer for challenges that refine me. I will trust in God’s love and love him back.

God redeemed Israelites from Egypt – to offer sacrifice and worship Him. He set them on a journey to bring them to a place – a place where they can forget the work, the slavery and all the bad things that were present in their life and just focus on God and worship him. See his wonderful work and glorify Him. Likewise I was redeemed and released in this journey of God to worship and offer my sacrifices to him. My devotion and loyalty is reserved only for God. My time, my thoughts, my passion, my admiration – He alone is worthy of it all.

In newness and freshness I should begin my day. God, what’s for today, I should ask him everyday. God loves speaking to us. God spoke to Moses and Aron when he was scheming the redemption of His people from Egypt. He works the same today. Moses had a tiny small part to play in the big and wondrous work of God. What’s that small part that I need to play today? (If what Moses did was tiny mine would be tinier as my pastor’s wife commented).  Is it to forgive or to love? Is it to receive and embrace? Is it to bless or to heal? If I am available and waiting on God – He will surely speak to me.

I have got nothing to lose – nothing to risk. God is the one risking everything to have me on his journey. He is in risk of my rejection, my mis-interpretation, and my limitation. Sometimes I could get it totally wrong. Yet, he has set me on his journey as a partaker, as a daughter. And I know it’s not about me – but about God. What my God my King likes, wants and does – that’s all that matters in God’s journey.

Posted by: Tara Rana | July 29, 2010

The Kingdom of God

I have been hearing teachings on the Kingdom of God and also taking some time to reflect about it. A kingdom is where the King reigns. There is authority, submission, order and protection. A kingdom also has its warriors and battles. God’s kingdom is the same. God’s kingdom has roles, positions, authority, submission, mission and battles. As a citizen of God’s Kingdom, whether I like it or not I am part of all that goes on in the Kingdom. And I need to be interested and concerned about it. That’s why it is so important to be in tune with God and in sync with things happening in the Kingdom of God. It is important to know how the spirit of God is moving in a certain time, among certain group of people in certain ways.

I could choose to stay ignorant n aloof but then it means I am choosing to become an inactive and ineffective citizen of the Kingdom. And who knows when my passport date expires and then I will no longer be of the Kingdom. So the renewal of my identity in the Kingdom needs to be worked on daily basis. I need to open my inner eyes to the spiritual reality of God’s Kingdom and my roles and responsibility in it. And realise how my personal choices puts the Kingdom either in the losing battle or in the winning battle.

People who have the Kingdom of God in them are those who seek righteousness, peace and joy. Am I seeking holiness of God? Am I at peace with my self, with others and with God? Is there joy bubbling from my heart? These are indications of having the Kingdom of God inside us. To have the Kingdom of God in me means I am living an abundant life. Like Jesus said, spring of water will flow out of your heart. The energy, excitement, motivation, inspiration, strength, joy and peace will spring forth from our hearts.

It is possible that we are moving in and out of the Kingdom of God. It is also possible that there are certain areas in our lives that’s surrendered and part of the Kingdom of God and certain areas of our lives not yet surrendered. So the challenge before me is to know who I am in God, what’s my role in the Kingdom, and what position/authority do I have in the Kingdom and move forward believing in that truth not alone but along with other Kingdom People.

The practicality of this truth is to be always aware of the Kingdom of God surrounding me. To honor, respect and seek the heart of the King everyday through personal relationship. To keep the kingdom central to my decisions in life. And to be willing to do anything to co operate in the Kingdom concerns – especially in restoring the system and people back to the King himself.

Posted by: Tara Rana | July 25, 2010

God and Me

Sometimes I feel hurt by God. I feel God is so partial towards me, he is so hard on me, and he is teaching me a lesson, he is the one making it hard for me. So I keep resisting his love. At times I come to him with a humble heart but again I reason in my mind and go back to being angry with God. I don’t think I can resist his love. I couldn’t live without his love. My pride over my capabilities to control my life is so superficial. If God wants he could take it all away in seconds.

I forget that the life itself is a gift from God. The very breath I breathe is allowed by God. And every person in my life is ordained by God to be there to bless me in some way or the other. And every situation is allowed by God to shape me up. I forget that God has a plan for me – plans to bless me. I am so full of my self and my own desires that I fail to understand what God desires is for me.

I live my life as if I am here for ever and ever. I don’t understand the sense of urgency that God feels. I spend my days doing things that please me and so seldom I seek what pleases my God who I claim to be my King. I call him my King but I bow down before something else.

I forget that a multitude is waiting on me – for me to take that one step of obedience to Christ. I make my choices as if it concerns only me and no one else. I am busy decorating my self with things that God gave me to bless others. I forget that weapons if not used will lose their sharpness and thus lose their very purpose.

I must remember I was created for Him. I must remember his love and care. With him I will live and without him I will wither.

Posted by: Tara Rana | June 30, 2010

Be Inspired

Living life without inspiration is really being dead inside. Sometimes the view before us is dull and drab. It’s hard to feel inspired at all. On the contrary it’s easy to feel low in energy and flow.

That’s when we need to quickly shift our focus. It’s so important to know what we feed ourselves with. The things we look at, the things we absorb in our hearts and minds, the things we hold and keep.

Beauty, creativity, gratefulness, and word of God are instant push to feeling inspired. Watching inspiring videos, reading inspiring quotes, going for a walk in a beautiful park, going for an art exhibition, or ready for a game with kids/peers just shifts our focus from dullness to great excitement. Allowing these excitements to really sink in and asking God to help – that’s the ultimate remedy to reinvigorating our interest in life and in what we do.

I draw inspiration from books, neatly produced videos and the Bible. ( In that order ha ha ha) I keep digging…browsing…watching…until something really lifts up my spirit. Without inspiration  life would feel like a classroom with a maths teacher. [I really hate maths :D ]

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