February or Feperueri is the ‘vula i sevu’ in the traditional Fijian calendar – the month of first fruits.
The i talai ni Kalou now commonly known as i talatala – one sent by God – sets the Sunday in February for the lotu ni sevu – service of first fruits – and we bring the first fruits from our gardens and plantations to the church. The village pastor – Vatawa or Shepard – blesses the offerings and distributes them among the widows, orphans and the elderly. This is one way our ancestors honour God; a fine tradition we’ve observed through our generations.
This month of first fruits in the traditional Fijian calendar is the perfect opportunity—if you haven’t done so already—to recommit yourself to a loving intimacy with God.
Honouring God with Your Firstfruits
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, distilled the Ten Commandments into the principle of loving the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, and minds.
You and I, fellow sojourners, are called to offer our very best to Almighty God. He should be the first and only One we think of when we wake up each day and the last One on our minds as we drift off to sleep each night.
To deepen your intimacy with God, consider these specific actions:
- Dedicate time for daily prayer and reflection.
- Read God’s Word. Pick a book from the Bible and read a chapter each morning before you even start preparing for work or school; this way you can think about what you’ve read throughout the day which means you’re engaging with Scripture which helps you understand His teachings better.
- If you can, go to church. Or take every opportunity to share with your co-workers, friends or family any new thing you’ve learned about God and the things of God.
- Thank the Lord God for your life, your breath and everything. Acknowledging His blessings in your life.
To prioritize your relationship with God in your daily routine:
- Start and end each day with prayer. Pray always. Watch and pray.
- Take opportunities to listen to praise and worship music, and read books on Christian disciplines and devotionals.
- Be patient with others and be courteous to believers and non-believers alike.
Offering your very best to Almighty God, in practical terms, means:
- Giving your time, talents, and resources to serve Him and others. This can be as simple as sharing the fruits and vegetables from your garden with your neighbours, posting a Bible verse on your social media account, writing a blog post to encourage other believers, or cooking a meal for someone. It’s those little seemingly mundane things we take for granted that can help someone get through their day and show them what the love of God looks like.
- Living with integrity and making choices that align with your faith. As single Christians, we choose to live a life of purity and we don’t even consider going to nightclubs, listening to sexually-themed songs, or watching films and television shows that promote fornication, homosexuality, and other sinful lifestyles.
- Maintaining a spirit of excellence in all you do as an act of worship. We dedicate our work, jobs and careers to God and ask the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us throughout the day. I sometimes
Conclusion
In this time of unrest in most parts of the world, let us take the time to rest in our God. Give Him all of you. He deserves nothing less.
