A Shift That Needs to Happen in Our Lives

Date: 13 August 2024

Preacher: Reverand Faith Ngwale

Editor: Digital Team

Principal Scripture Reading: Genesis 48:8-16, 1 Peter 3:5-6, Genesis 49:4-5

Introduction: Embracing Women's Month

As we embrace the month of Women in August, Reverend Mama Faith delivered an empowering sermon titled "A Shift That Needs to Happen in Our Lives," urging us to embrace transformation and growth. Drawing from a deep well of biblical wisdom, she invites us to reflect on our own lives through the lens of divine change.

Lessons from Holy Women of the Past

Reverend Mama Faith began her message by acknowledging the patterns laid out for us by the holy women of ancient times, as depicted in 1 Peter 3:5-6. These women, she noted, were distinguished by their sanctity and trust in God, traits she calls upon the congregation to emulate. Their lives exemplified submission and faith, not to societal leaders but to their own husbands, reflecting a divine order and purpose.

The Need for Divine Shifts

The core of her sermon emphasized the need for a pivotal shift in our lives. This shift, as she described, is like using the 'shift' key on a keyboard: subtle yet transformative, enabling us to change our lowercase existence into capital letters of divine purpose. She used the story of Jacob's blessing to Joseph's sons from Genesis 48:8-16 to illustrate her point. In this story, Jacob, despite his failing sight, knowingly crosses his hands to bless Joseph’s younger son Ephraim over the elder Manasseh, signifying that divine preference often upends human expectations and traditional norms.

Overcoming Traditional Boundaries

This action by Jacob was not merely a preferential choice but a deliberate divine shift meant to realign blessings according to God's deeper purposes. Reverend Mama Faith pointed out that such shifts are necessary for us to grow beyond our current limitations and circumstances. She encouraged us not to be bound by traditions or the limitations of our birth but to be open to the blessings God has planned for us, which can break through any societal or traditional barriers.

Active Faith and Obedience

She eloquently reminded us that these divine shifts require our active participation, our faith and obedience. Just as Sarah, Abraham's wife, actively chose to obey and trust in God’s plan, we too must choose to engage with our faith actively. Obedience in the Lord, she noted, is a pathway to realizing the shifts God intends for us.

Conclusion: A Call to Divine Action

Reverend Mama Faith's sermon was a call to action—a divine mandate to shift from passivity to active engagement with our faith, to trust in God's ultimate plan for our lives, and to step into the roles God has destined for us with courage and conviction. She closed her message by asserting that the shifts we undergo, no matter how challenging, are divinely orchestrated to position us better for God's promises in our lives.

As we reflect on this message, let us consider the areas in our lives where God calls for a shift. Whether it's our attitudes, relationships, or commitments, let's embrace the shift with faith, knowing that God is always guiding us toward our divine destiny.