Knowledge VS Wisdom

Our present culture promotes the idea of how knowledge itself is power. The more knowledge you have, the more powerful you are because then, you can use it for your own purposes. For this reason, it becomes usual to equate knowledge with wisdom. But, there is actually a great difference in the two of them. We can be the smartest person alive; having all kinds of knowledge, yet be the most foolish person alive at the same time when we waste our knowledge on doing the wrong things.

The Bible encourages us to equip ourselves with knowledge, but, with the right kind of knowledge. True wisdom is more than just knowing God because it also involves the proper interpretation and application of knowledge in our everyday life. It is the principal thing; the basis and foundation from whence everything else springs, and therefore, we are to seek it above all things (Prov 4:7). Knowledge without wisdom is but a powerless tool in God’s eyes.

Thus, the highest form of learning in life is the learning of wisdom and in order to obtain it, one must have the desire to want it; to be willing to sacrifice all that he has- wealth, desires, time, energy, resources. It is expensive and costly, and it may perhaps take more pains and hard work in comparison to the worldly things being pursued in life right now, but hey, guess what, in return, God is giving us all that He has! He promises a long life to those who earnestly seek it, and health for their souls.

Perhaps being wise is better than being smart, for I have seen many smart people messing around with sin even though they know that it is wrong. It is silly, but it happens. Sometimes, I fall into that trap too. It shows how choosing wisdom is not just an once-in-a-lifetime decision, but a daily commitment to the Lord in choosing between two paths:- the righteous or the wicked.

And so, dear Lord, teach me Thy way; unite my heart to fear Thy name for to fear Thy name is to hate evil. Grant me wisdom & understanding; direction & guidance in all that I say and do in life. Amen.

When Words Kill

I sometimes wish that my speech could be perfect all the time, so then I would not have to watch the disappointment and sadness that some of my careless & hurtful words can bring to a friend. I know this pain for I’ve been there before, a receiver of painful words. And no matter how remorseful I may be after saying those words, I cannot undo the damage that I’ve done. That’s the nature of speech: Once said, and it can never be retrieved.

We all know that words leave a lasting impact, but sometimes, they just leap past our lips in an instant; occasionally, even faster than our brains can consider them. In that unguarded moment, we’ve allowed foolish words to slip out of our mouths. Thus, just thinking about changing our speech is not good enough. We need to go deeper than our brains, all the way to the source of our words- our heart.

Our speech is a reflection of what is in our heart, and one can only produce good things; good speech; life-giving words, if good things are stored up in the heart (Matt 12:35). Therefore, let us make every effort to fill our heart with the wonderful works and Word of God; to nurture it, so that good and loving words may flow out of our sparkling spring- our heart.

The tongue can be an instrument of either a great deal of good, or a great deal of evil; and it has the power to bring life or death, to both its giver and receiver of words. We are free to choose whichever way we want to use it, but let us bear in mind that we will one day reap what we sow. We will be reimbursed accordingly with either the advantages or disadvantages arising from it.

Why learn?

Don't we sometimes love to question the relevance of some of the subjects that are taught in schools? For example, History. I never liked studying world history and so, I remember that when I was back in high school, I always asked, "Why do I have to study this when I'm not even going to use it in my future?" Obviously, I wasn't interested to know the answer, but just asking for the sake of arguing, hoping I could get my way through it somehow.

Likewise, in many other situations, we may not understand why we have to learn certain things, especially when we do not see their connections with our future. There is certainly some truth in that because many of us will now have very little memory of what we have learnt back in our schooling days. For some, it could also well be that they have no recollection of what they have learnt at all! =P

But, maybe God wants us to see the significance that learning has in itself. Perhaps He wants us to learn, to study & experience the process of learning, so that we can come to know Him more with the knowledge we have gained about the process of learning. It is possible that He wants us to apply the knowledge we have about the learning process to study- to wonder, observe & reflect upon His Word since the Bible is the foundation of every true knowledge in life.

It is amazing to see how God can use every lesson & experience in life to teach us more about His work amongst men. I really do have a great and awesome God!

A Fresh Start

I miss home a lot. I really do. Though it's not my first time being away from home anymore, I still get homesick from time to time whenever I am away from home. I guess it is not just missing the comforts of home and loved ones, but also the sense of security in a familiar surrounding.

Being away from home is a great challenge for me because I am forced to learn different methods to meet my needs in a different way and with different people around me. Therefore, there is always this longing for things to return the way they were as I am forced to step out of my comfort zone.

Nonetheless, I believe there is a positive side to homesickness, too. At least I know that I have family, friends and loved ones worth missing and a place where I can always return to when my little adventure is over.

Oh wells, many busy, busy days ahead. Yet, in the midst of all the busyness, I pray that God will continue to show me the lessons He want me to learn. No matter what the circumstance, I want to put in my very best to fulfill whatever responsibilities that have been and will be entrusted to me. I need to constantly remember that this is all part of my journey towards Christ, for Christ, and with Christ.

The Greatest Valentine

Love is certainly in the air. Valentine’s Day never fails to bring out a definite sweetness in the air with pink and red as its colour theme for the day; a day about love, when people would do romantic things to show their affectionate feeling. It sure is fun to be part of all the excitement, passing out valentines, giving/receiving roses, chocolates or fancy candy hearts from loved ones, but, there are also others who would feel lonely, unlovable, forgotten, and unloved.

Perhaps what these people are missing is the experience of the kind of love, where its magnitude is so strong, so incredibly strong, that it would go to the extent where one would willingly lay down his life for another. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends”. In other words, the greatest love any one can have for their friends is to lay down his/her life for them.

Our life is probably the most valuable thing we have. Therefore, when a man is willing to lay down his life for his friends, he is showing the utmost extent of love. There is no other way for any man to love farther than this, for when he gives up his life, he is giving up all that he has for the cause of friendship. And this love was demonstrated by Christ himself, when He freely and voluntarily worked his body not only to the point of exhaustion, but to death, that we may experience his love in its highest expression. He has not only equaled, but exceeded, the most illustrious love one can ever find on earth.

Today, Christ’s love continues to live in the hearts and souls of those He calls His friends- a people who love, believe & obey Him. It could be that Jesus is the greatest Valentine of all for His love is the deepest one can ever find, a love above every other love, the best. More so, the joy and happiness that He brings is of everlasting value.

A Father's Loving Kindness

It sometimes just boggles my mind when I think of the privileges that I have being part of God’s family. To be His children, is also to be His heirs. And of course, an heir will eventually inherit all of his father’s estate. In other words, all that the Father has will one day be mine! It seems unbelievable that I will one day possess all of God’s glorious inheritance. It’s harder to believe when I think of how God still wants the best for me even though I’ve disappoint Him over and over again.

One does not necessarily have to adopt a child before he can show love towards children. Likewise, God can also love us without adopting us, but still, He chooses to adopt us the moment we place our trust in Him, placing every newborn believe in a family of which He is the Father. It is a privilege that He gives to all believers- the privilege to be part of an eternal home; the privilege to call him “Abba, Father”; the privilege to address him with warm affection and endearing confidence.

This is the Spirit of adoption or sonship that allows us to have this Father-son relationship with God. It is a special relationship, which can only happen by God’s grace for it is out of His pure and sovereign love that we are now under the heavenly Father’s protection and care. By nature, we were strangers and had no claims on Him, yet, God chooses to embrace us as His sons & daughters; giving us the rights to possess His estate.

Nonetheless, it is not by natural birth that we become His child for through natural birth we are merely born as children of a human father. It is only through spiritual birth that we can be born as children of the Most High God, the true Father. And, it is only when we have received Him into our hearts and believe in Him that we can experience this new birth. No parent will ever acknowledge his child if the child despises and have no confidence or trust in the parent. Similarly, God cannot acknowledge us unless and until we have put our trust in Him.

Test of Simplicity

I sometimes wonder if it is true that the more we have, the harder it is to live a life of simplicity that is in Christ. Simplicity in Christ speaks of a simple and single-hearted devotedness to Him, but, since we now live in a lifestyle that is greatly defined by the material things we possess, perhaps the discipline of simplicity is really not that simple after all.

God warns us from being preoccupied with material things, yet we are surrounded by them. It is not wrong to have a life that is flowing with material blessings but it is wrong to be obsessed with them. When one starts to find satisfaction in material things rather than the spiritual, the simple and single-hearted devotedness to Him is lost because the heart is making room for other objects. How then can a heart still be called single when there is more than one aim, purpose and goal filling the heart?

I have to admit that I am very much materially blessed by God. I have so much more than I really need in life and sometimes, it does scare me because I wonder if I have lost the simplicity that Christ speaks of. I need to constantly remind myself that life is so much more than the abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15) because our true life is not made up of the material riches that we own, but the spiritual ones.

The man who stores up treasures for himself can never be rich towards God. Thus, I pray that the Lord will continually teach me how I can use all the blessings that I have to bless the lives of others; for the advancement of His kingdom.

One can only truly enjoy the material blessings of God when his/her heart has decided to surrender the material and embrace the eternal. What is your decision?