Mathew 6:25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will
wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the
birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much valuable than they?” (NIV)
Being a slave, for
Africans, was a hard adjustment when they came to North America. They were in a
strange place where everyone and everything looked foreign to them. The
language was different, the food was different, and they were required to act
and believe different from their normal way of life. Being trained, as if they
were mere animals was hard, and the slave masters showed no mercy in ensuring
that they would be acclimated to their new demands.
To speak in their native tongue would bring punishment along with countless
other things that slave owners would deem fit. The slaves were not give any
options, but had to conform. They were not able to have a voice. They had to
live in total servitude to their masters with no hope, or at least outwardly
spoken. Their lives were not their own and they were considered to be no more
than the cattle they helped to oversee.
Despite their situation, they tried to make the best of it until a change finally came. Many negro spirituals
were made and song during the hours they were either in the field and/or during the limited time that
they may have had to themselves. Other entertainment included playing musical
instruments, dancing, and chatting with one another. The times they were in
were definitely not the best and could be often classified as the worst of times. However,
they tried to not let their situation break their spirits. The slave masters
may have taken their physical bodies, but they couldn’t take their minds.
It is sometimes hard to be happy when you are bound. There are many things in
life that can keep you hostage if you allow it. Rejection, abuse, financial
crisis, and family dysfunction are just a few of the things that have a ball
and chain on many people’s emotions. Many did not ask for or wanted it, but it
was the hand that was dealt to them.
So how can a person be happy despite their current situation? The best thing a
person can do is to take it to Jesus. James 1:2-4 Consider it pure
joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds Because
you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance
finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
I know that it may not be easy and you will sometimes shed tears. However, God
doesn’t desire for us to remain in a downcast state. He loves us and He wants
us to truly be happy despite our situation. One thing that is good to do when
facing adversity is to see what lesson can you learn from it.
If you go through things in life and never take any lessons from it, you are
more than likely to face that challenge again and again until you learn from
it. Life is a test in many ways. It poses questions and you have to
decide how to answer. You will either flunk or pass, but there is no in
between. The good thing about God however, is that He grades us on a curve. He
allows us to mess up, but He gives us enough grace where we don’t flunk the
exam. For many of us, He gave us a make-up test. We may not have passed the
first time, but we definitely will pass the second, and if not the second the
third. His grace is unlimited. Therefore, we never want to abuse it in any way.
Like Kirk Franklin said in his song, “SMILE.” Even though it hurts, just smile.
God will make it alright. All you have to do is just smile because He is
smiling right back at you.
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