Author: Victor Obeng-Mensah

John 15:1-2 reads “…Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” There are times in life when the fruit or things we have achieved through hard work and time are suddenly taken away from us. It could be a business you have built, a relationship you treasure, a church you may have built or a position you acquired. Just when you were ready to enjoy the fruit of your labour, you see everything taken away. You become confused and ask God, “Why?” You could pray and ask God for restoration, but the God you are praying to may be the one who purged or cut off that fruit, and not the devil. Why? Simple! God wants you to bear more fruit. Sometimes, our very success can be a stumbling block because it can put you in a comfort zone. When your fruit is cut, new doors, opportunities and grace will be opened. Stop crying and go through them because you will explode to a higher level! Kakra Baiden...

One thing that creates stress in our lives is “emulation.” This means to seek to equal or excel someone else. Unconsciously, you can fall into this trap by seeking to be like a colleague in the office or sending a child to a school you cannot afford because your friends kids are there. There are people who have risen to the heights of their career at the expense of their family and health, and if you follow them blindly, you may end up with the negative results and still not achieve it. Romans 9:15-16 reads, “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” God told Moses, that the achievements of certain people are as a result of His grace and mercy. It does not matter how we “will” or try to be like them, and it does not matter how we “run” or work endlessly to be like them, we can never be them. To be stress-free, just be the best at what God made you to be, and you will all meet at the top in your respective fields Kakra...