Life after death

If Jesus did not rise up from the dead like He promised, there would be no triumph over death. There will be no life after death. No purpose for enduring sufferings and hardships in this life. No significance in what we work and labour for.

But because Christ’s did exactly as He promised, that is to rise again and then sit at His Father’s right hand in heaven; we can trust that everything He has said is 100% reliable. This means His assurance of eternal life to us is real and certain. We will indeed one day live forever with God in a place that is free from all pain and suffering. Thus, we need not allow the stings in this life discourage us for our faith is built on solid ground.

Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness to me. Thank you for loving me and rescuing me even when I deserve the worst. When at times I feel like just walking away, please remind me of the victory that I have in your cross and resurrection. Grant me your strength and power to swim against the tide in this world.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Sucessful in His eyes

Setbacks, like feelings of failure, are so common nowadays. It plagues even the ones who are serious about their faith. Many times, I struggle accepting mistakes and failures as a way of life. I fall into the Satan’s trap, thinking that I’m a total disappointment when I’ve done something wrong, or when things did not turn out the way I had expected it to be. At other times, I struggle finding satisfaction with myself when I’ve gain no recognition for something I’ve worked hard at.

I believe that it is true to say that the world’s view of success is a suffocating one. It measures success in terms of accomplishments- our wealth, grades, fame, and even beauty. The more you have of these things, the more successful you are. Thus, it becomes so natural for one to be overwhelmed with a sense of failure when these standards are not achieved.

But, I am really thankful God doesn’t define my successful-ness based on what I’ve accomplished or the things that I possess. Whether or not I achieve HD in my assignment; whether or not I am commended by my friends or colleagues; whether or not other people happen to view me as successful, as long as I do my best to follow where He leads me, I am successful. In His eyes, true success is about fulfilling His purposes for my life; the quality of my relationship with Him through Jesus.

Essentially, there is nothing wrong with being well-known or wealthy. Nor, is there anything wrong to have beauty or power. However, it is important to recognize that if anyone needs any of these things to feel significant and complete, then something is definitely off beam. For such things- material & external standards- are far too subjective & superficial. He who defines success based on these terms will only find himself living a life filled with discontentment.

I am still learning how to trust God in His sovereign will and power so that I need not worry about outcomes of future events. Although much effort is required to stand up against the world’s views of success, I thank God for giving me the Holy Spirit, who is always there to help me and remind me that I have a loving Father, who knows what is best for me and will teach me in the right way that I should go.

Balancing humility & self-confidence

For many, humility is often associated with weakness and incompetence. To this many, humility is pathetic because it will only make one look feeble & frail. Nonetheless, for some, humility is a forte. To this few, much importance is attached to the quality of humility. For they know that it is he, who humbles himself, stripped of pride; and becomes like a little child, simply trusting and dependent on the One, that is considered the greatest in the kingdom of heaven ~Matt 18:4.

But then again, amongst this few, some fail to see the presence of self-confidence in humility. As a result, feelings of inadequacy overwhelm them as soon as the going gets rough. Yes, confidence can lead to arrogance. However, without self-confidence, one can get trapped in Satan's deceptions; when he reminds us of our past failures and limitations, telling us we aren’t good enough or talented enough to do God’s work.

Perhaps true humility can only be generated when one holds a certain honest and realistic amount of self-respect about himself/herself. This means having a true knowledge of our identity according to the One who created us. It means truly believing that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10). It also means believing that He chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight (Eph 1:4). Without a sensible and practical view of oneself, one will by no means be able to distinguish and accept their faults as opportunities for improvements in a positive manner.

There is that act of balancing between humility and self-confidence that we are constantly engaged with in our lives. And because it is such a delicate balance, there is no way we can do it on our own. Thus, this act of balancing is also a choice which we have to decide on daily- a choice of making Jesus our source of strength and motivation- that can only be done as we consistently stay in communion with God through our prayer life and His word.

Human support

Not everyone is able to endure pain alone. Not everyone is strong enough to fight against temptation without help from others. Not everyone can pick up their self-confidence easily and face life struggles unaided. Not everyone is courageous enough to take that first step of faith to find healing- be it for life, body, soul or spirit- without support from people around them.

I am one of them. I am one of those, who cannot take on life challenges single-handedly. But, often times, I still try to make a way out of ruthless situations alone. I’m afraid of troubling others. I’m afraid that I may become too dependant on other people’s support that I start taking advantage of them. Accordingly, I only go to others when I’m really at my worst crossroads.

However, these days, God has been showing me that it is alright to seek human help and support. Jesus did too. That dark night in Gethsemane, as Jesus prayed, He looked to Peter, James and John for prayerful alertness and compassion. Although the disciples failed to support Jesus just as they were told, the main thing that God wanted to teach me was that- if Jesus looked to His disciples for support in His dark hour, how much more we need one another to go through life difficulties.

So, it is ok to seek help. In fact, it is good and in some situations, it may even bring more benefits to the people who are helping us solve our problems. Hence, let us be willing to solicit people for help and support; to pray for us and with us. Also, in turn, let us be alert for opportunities to offer our support to others who are suffering. We truly need each other.

Loving obedience

What is it that drives you to share God’s Word with others? Is it just because it is a command, a God-given responsibility that you do it? Or do you also sincerely believe it is an honor & privilege to be a witness for Christ?

In one’s walk with God, obedience to His commandments is a must element, a necessity. However, sometimes we are likely to forget that obedience is not just about strict, do-as-you-are-told kind of fixation; for obedience is also about love. As a consequence, we lose the enthusiasm and excitement that we really should have in being an example of the changed life that Christ has begun in us, the better and enriched one.

One should never see love & obedience as separable qualities. Sharing God’s love and forgiveness with others is both a privilege and responsibility that we, Christians, have in Christ Jesus. Thus, as we continue to serve in His ministy, may we work with a loving heart, as well as a "I want to" rather than a "I have to" attitude.

Over-caring

In caring for others, one must be willing to make sacrifices; sacrifices that are unselfish so that we learn to put others’ needs above our own. Yet, there are times when we may be bringing about more harm than good in learning to say ‘no’ to our own wants and desires.

In our efforts to give the most excellent care possible to the people around us, especially to our loved ones, we may sometimes fall into the snare of sacrificing more than what is required, which then leads to the cultivation of unwholesome & detrimental choices and practices for our body. Soon, we find ourselves growing weary, not only physically, but spiritually and emotionally. Unintentionally, we have neglected our bodily needs and rest.

One must and needs to realize that self-negligence is not the kind of self-sacrificing attitude that God looks for in our service to Him and His people. For in neglecting our bodily needs, we risk shutting down a place in our soul where God's dreams and gifts are waiting to be revealed. In fact, God is more concerned about the work He can do in us than through us. Hence, the best care that we can offer to others can only flow through when we decide to rely on God’s unlimited power to work through us as our power is limited & incomplete.

It is a lesson and reminder I need constantly. I need it because I tend to forget that it is ultimately God’s ministry and work which I’m involved in. I also need it because I tend to forget that He knows what’s best for me and the people around me. Thus, I pray that the Holy Spirit will continually help me, remind me that it is the Father whom I need to turn to first for help and provision for my needs, as well as the needs of others. I truly need His strength and wisdom so that I will not be enslaved by any unnecessary expectations to be perfect.

Prayer for joy

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
~Psalms 51:10-13~

Indeed Lord, this is my prayer- my prayer for Your joy. Grant me Your grace and strength for each day, that I may live a life that is filled with joy abundance. I want to be like the sun, always shining even when night falls, or even when clouds cover it. May not any bewildering circumstance or experience stop me from smiling, for in You and You alone, can I put my trust. Keep me constant and firm in my commitment to live a Spirit-controlled life, as well as a willing spirit to obey all of Your commandments.
In Jesus’ most precious name, I pray,
Amen.