Germany Kent, an American print and broadcast journalist, television personality and author once remarked: “Positive thinking is powerful thinking. If you want happiness, fulfillment, success and inner peace, start thinking you have the power to achieve those things. Focus on the bright side of life and expect positive results.” Proverbs 13:12 reminds us: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Fulfillment is defined as the achievement of something desired, promised or predicted. It may often result in a feeling of contentment. For those who possess wealth, an element of complacency may prevail in life. However, although some might disagree, it has been said that: “People don’t need riches, they need fulfillment.” Money can’t buy happiness or health. The sufferings endured in life don’t cease to exist purely on the factors of wealth or prosperity. People who believe otherwise, are unfortunately misguided.
The Tree of Life, amongst other things, is considered to represent the wisdom and love of God. For some, it is viewed as the positive link and unification between all forms of creation. It not only contains the forbidden fruit as represented in the story of Adam and Eve, but is also considered the fountain of all knowledge. Consistent learning and the cognition gleaned from it provide part of the necessary attributes to obtain fulfillment. It includes self-identification to establish who we really are and what we hope to achieve in life. Believing in the future and in ourselves. Understanding the needs of God and others, and showing concern and empathy when required. Probably, the most important of all, is following the word of God. Hebrews 4:12 confirms: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Scripture is of significant importance on any road to fulfillment, it may answer pertinent questions on doubt or uncertainty, guide or direct toward the path of righteousness and ultimately reassure us of God’s love and continued presence in our personal lives. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Promises, which form part of fulfillment, lay the initial foundation stone for faith, trust and respect not only between people, but also with God. They are often considered as a declaration or assurance of intent in a proposed plan for achievement. Numbers 30:2 confirms: “If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”
God’s promises of fulfillment are many and feature prominently throughout the books of the old testament. They were made to several individuals, notably Abraham and Moses, to name just two, who are now considered as prophets. They were often based on forthcoming events that were included in God’s individualistic proposals. God is not slow in His endeavors to fulfill, they are carefully timed and planned. However, He is patient with us. He allows time for adjustment for a new course in life. Sometimes, His wishes may include an element of testing and patience from the selected person for the final accomplishment to be achieved. Matthew 5:17 confirms: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
A short story is told of a promising 10-year-old schoolboy, who had recently become unruly and lost his avid interest in learning. He consistently arrived late to school, disrupted many lessons and failed to progress in any way in class. He was eventually considered by others as a complete failure in life. The teachers had given up any hope for him. One day, a new female teacher of religious studies arrived, who was prewarned of this boy’s attitude and decided to adopt a different approach in handling him. On a particular day, during the lunch hour, she sat the boy down for a long chat.
They ate lunch together. During the conversation, it emerged that the boy’s mother had recently passed away and he had been requested by his father to help raise his three younger siblings. His father was suffering from depression as a result of his loss and couldn’t cope any longer with a young family. He was charged with all the household shopping tasks, raising his siblings in the morning, washing, dressing and feeding them before and after school. He felt that he didn’t have a life left to enjoy and from the added responsibility, encountered a temporary mental instability as a result. He did not know which way to turn for help.
His teacher listened intently to his words and eventually advised him that this was only a temporary setback that would not last forever. She began to read Bible verses to him for encouragement and comfort, including John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Every day they would read a different scripture passage. He began to respond and take an interest. She also gave him extra coaching in certain other subjects during the breaks at school. As a result, things began to improve and he made such significant headway during the following academic year, that he won the school progress prize. His father recovered from his state of depression and relaxed his demands for help.
The boy ended up passing all of his examinations and eventually earned a place at university to study theology. The tree of life had exceptionally allowed him to feed from it. Revelation 2:1-7 reminds us: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
Amen.
