Development is an important condition in the life of every person, country and living thing. Development is seen in comparison; it is an indisputable fact. Each parent notices physical growth of their child by the child’s clothes, and their mental growth by changes in the child’s toys, preferences and behavior.
There are different scales of comparison. For strange reasons, many do not want to use any of them. They live a monotonous life, unaware that their life is stagnant. They live in a swamp, but they think it is the best place on the planet.
There are others who have the ability of self-estimation and comparison, but, unfortunately, they compare their situation with the worse. For example, someone’s neighbor lives in very dire conditions; he is renting, he doesn’t have a regular job and picks up food from garbage cans. But this person, although he lives in a half-ruined house, where water from rain and snow penetrates through the damaged roof and drips to the bed of his child, says that it is not a big thing; praise God that this half-ruined house is his own property, that he has a child, and his child has a bed.
Amen, praise God for that! However, how much is God glorified, when the child of this person basically goes hungry for days and is cold in his own bed? If this person is reluctant to look at other people who live in normal conditions – in renovated, furnished houses or apartments, whose children do not know what hunger is and have never heard from their parents, “We cannot buy this toy now, because we do not have money for it,” let him look into the Bible, which says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9).
By the power of His Cross, death and resurrection, Jesus set free the person who receives Him as the Lord and Savior from all diseases and curses, all witchcraft and poverty. He gave authority, so that in the name of Jesus Christ, the believer could destroy demonic plans and actions in his own life. A believer must think soberly and realize what God’s will in his life is, and God’s will is “good, acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).
We can study the ways of economic and social development of Japan, China, Singapore, and United Arab Emirates, paying special attention to the role of character development. First of all, study of the Bible, and then studies of the history of developed countries can be a key in the lives of each country or individual. This study will help you choose the best path to change through comparison.
It is necessary to understand that the best is not created in a day, but is a result of a well-formed character and right steps. It’s not about cheap comparisons of people who hang out in the social media every day trying to find photos and facts about those whom they know or do not know, about their branded clothes and bags, tables full of specialties or time spent in fancy restaurants.
These photos and facts become another problem of their already problematic life – an occasion of comparison with others and envy. All that is very deceptive, because no one knows how those people are going to pay their creditors for their luxurious life. And even if all that is not deceptive, then anyway, instead of being interested in the lives of others, it is necessary to assign time to solve one’s own problems. Time is gold. Who will throw even a little piece of gold into a garbage can? No one, I think. Meanwhile, how many lose their precious time in the social media or conversations around a cup of coffee, living the lives of other people?
The God Who made the universe, created trees with a height of 90 to 140 meters, a trunk diameter of 9 to 14 meters, and a life span of 400 to 1700 years. The Chinese have created a demonic art of growing any tree, even these huge trees, as dwarf ones. It is called bonsai – the art of growing dwarf trees, which was later brought to Japan.
Bonsai artists explain with admiration how they can grow even sequoia – the largest tree on the planet, as a dwarf tree. First of all, they cut the roots and work them to make it impossible for the seedling to deepen them and grow. Then they put it in a shallow vessel filled with earth. They cut the upward branches and force the remaining branches downwards. They limit the tree and branches with metal wires, until “the dwarf submits and resigns itself.”
The tree, which God created to be huge, deprived of the opportunity of its natural root growth, dense foliage and long branches, over the years resigns itself to its new state.
The devil carries out a similar plan in the lives of people. He acts so skillfully – slowly and patiently, by convincing, deceiving, intimidating and threatening… and in the end, he achieves his goal. Perhaps many were supposed to be like huge trees, but under demonic pressure, they became dwarfed or their lives turned out in such a way that they did not manage to develop and grow, and they never realized that the Lord had a completely different vision for them.
I have courses with women whom the devil tried to deceive and dwarf, while God has a great vision for each of them: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11).
Some of these women were forsaken by their husbands; others had loving husbands, who died prematurely. Bent under the weight of family cares and problems, they forgot the way they had been before losing their husbands. They stopped thinking about the good times. They simply accepted what they had, not realizing that this mindset rejects the victory of Jesus the Savior on the Cross and the life according to the divine standards granted to them by the power of His death and resurrection. Aren’t there other women who lost their husbands, but have wonderful families? One just needs to look at them and be inspired…
There are yet other women, whose husbands are drunkards, lazy and ill-willed. Together with them, we have grown a tree of solving problems in their personal lives. Each one tries to present their problems, identify the causes and the roots of these causes. Then, having discovered God’s will, having uncovered the plans of the devil and having understood their own characters, they build a new life by the leading of the Holy Spirit. The dwarf tree dies, and a huge tree birthed from the dreams of the Lord rises up.
One day, many years ago, I had a dinner with my sister and friends. Suddenly, my sister told me, “If only you knew what things you should have already achieved…” At first, I was embarrassed, but then I was angry and countered, “Who among those here has achieved all the things that I have?” I listed my accomplishments in both spiritual and physical spheres. I had received my vision from the Lord and served Him; I had outstanding fruit in my ministry. I lived in a renovated and furnished three-room apartment, and I had a brand-new Japanese car. I spent my last vacation in Paris… I thought that my life’s development was obvious, and was offended because of my sister’s words.
The next day I went to my prayer closet and complained to God about my sister’s words. I was totally taken aback when the Holy Spirit said, “Your sister is right.” Then He revealed to me what things I should have achieved by that time. The Lord’s plans and expectations for my life were much more than I thought. I only had to humble myself before Him, ask for forgiveness and not stop at knowing His will, but also fulfill His desire, which was beneficial both for me and for hundreds and thousands of people whom I had to serve. And most importantly, it would give me the opportunity to glorify my Lord – the Holy, Perfect, All-Merciful One Who holds eternity in His hands, in a new way.
I have a course that will be available from the beginning of April this year. This course is about solving personal problems, proper assessment of one’s situation, self-estimation, comparison and development, as well as having victory in Jesus Christ. It will be available through gayaneblog.org website, Gayane Hakobyan YouTube channel and Gayane Hakobyan@gayaneblog Facebook page. Anyone who wants to take this course can subscribe to these pages.
Many parents, ignoring the talents and preferences of their children, try to guide them to a path that seems acceptable to them. There are other parents who, having no opportunities, do not even think about the future of their child, but only try to somehow make for their everyday needs. I recommend them to take this course as well.
I am pleased to invite others as well who found their calling and are successful, but have never compared themselves to those who are more successful. As a rule, they compare their present to their past and seeing significant growth, think that everything is wonderful, while God has more. In order to know one’s calling from God and be fruitful, build the right relationships with people and develop in social and other spheres, first of all it is necessary to have spiritual growth – to know God’s will and to do it. “For though by this time you ought to be teachers… you have come to need milk and not solid food… But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb. 5:12-14).