Being there

I have to admit that at times, I struggle to give people my full attention when I truly ought to, especially when I’m with the people I love. I make sure I lay aside a certain amount of time to spend with them, yet occasionally, in the midst of spending time with them, I find my mind drifting off to the future, planning about what needs to be done next and how I am going to do it.

I want to be able to focus on the present, to make each moment count not only for myself, but for others and most importantly, for God. But then, I have this tendency of falling into the trap of getting too caught up with doing things that I start losing the sensitivity I should have towards other’s needs. I know clearly, that while some of the activities on my to-do list may be good and fine, I should never let them interfere with God’s plans.

Maybe you’re like me; we sometimes struggle being really there for the ones we love. We struggle to empathize with them, or even share in their joy because we let the noise of empty worries clutter our ears & heart. The only solution to our problem is to trade all our activities for His priorities, every single day; more than ever, first thing in the morning. As Mathew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you”.

Being a godly Christian is not about being a Superman or a Superwoman by the world’s standards. Rather, it is about being a humble and teachable person, who is sensitive to the supernatural leading of the Holy Spirit. No doubt that we will still have many tasks that we need to accomplish, but maybe we can learn to prioritize our to-do list, complete what we can and let God deal with the rest. If they have to wait, then so be it.

Every activity needs to be evaluated and re-evaluated in light of the Kingdom’s agenda, for the influence that we should leave on others should be one of love and attention, not on completed task list- this is the true essence of being there for the ones you love.

Everything to God in prayer

Dear Lord, help me learn to make prayer my life. Make my life a prayerful one too, for I do not want to be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, I want to present all of my heart’s desires to You. I need Your peace that surpasses all understanding to guard my heart & mind in Christ Jesus.

Living a life of total surrender to You is not easy at all. The desire to take control of my own life, to set my own agendas, and sometimes, even the agendas of others, is so strong deep inside me. But, the weight of these worries and thoughts are too heavy for me to carry; they only lead me to distress and anxieties.

So, please do come and take Your rightful place in my life, dear Lord, the center of my life. Only You can help me overcome disappointments with new beginnings and an everlasting friendship. Only You can make my burdens sweet and strengthening. Help me to always have the desire to seek You and to make Your throne, not the phone, my first approach whenever I feel troubled.

In Jesus name, I pray,
Amen.

“O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer”

Read & Pray

It kinda dawned upon me this morning how equally important both the act of praying and reading God’s Word are in keeping our spiritual body in shape. We can’t just give our full attention to one and neglect the other; we need a balance between the both.

If we merely spend time reading the Bible daily but don’t spend time in prayer, what good is it? The mind can be developed with the knowledge of God, but without prayer, the heart will still stay cold and hard. On the other hand, what good is it if we only spend time in prayer but don’t spend time reading the Bible? Without reading the Bible, we have no knowledge of God and hence, no understanding of His will in our lives. Thus, praying without knowing the Bible will only lead us to pray inconsistently to His will.

A marathon runner needs both regular training and a nutritious diet to keep up with his physical fitness. Likewise, we need to pray regularly and feed on God’s Word to keep our spiritual body in shape. Prayer is our form of exercise for the strengthening of our soul, while the Word of God is what gives us the essential nutrients for our spiritual growth. Both are necessary to help us stand strong and courageous in our spiritual battles against the evil one.

As Christians, the marathon we’re in is a pretty challenging one for there are many hurdles which we will have to cross along the way. For some of us, the marathon could perhaps be a little longer than others’. But no matter how tough or how long it’s going to be, let’s not give up along the way. Christ has already won the victory for us. It is just a matter of time before we truly get to taste that victorious win one day.

The utmost pursuit

Yes, no doubt you are very capable. You manage your time well. You lead bible studies, you teach in Sunday School and you coordinate prayer meetings. Even in planning and organizing events, you are efficient. You bear much more responsibilities compared to others because of your high level of competence.

But, honestly, have you taken time to stop and consider whether you are pursuing your own agendas in some way as you do His work? Are you sure it is God that you are pursuing and not ministry? Do you still feel good about yourselves even when things on your to-do list have not been accomplished?

Sometimes, in the midst of our pursuit for success in ministry, we tend to forget that the one thing God cares about most is our pursuit of Jesus. Those dreams and plans we have may just be out of pure and simple desires to want to do great things for Him, but there are times when we let activities and busyness cloud our minds that we start losing our focus on Jesus.

God never is in a hurry to fulfill His dreams. As much as He would like to see us put our abilities and talents to good use, He doesn’t want impatience to get the better hold of us either. We need to realize that His ultimate dream for you & I, is to become more like Jesus each day. It is when we learn to embrace this dream and make Christ all that we long for, seek after, love and adore, that all the desires of our hearts will come to pass.

I’m glad that God never ever tries to think that He’s like us, nor does He let our agenda and expectations thwart His plans of what He wants us to be like. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if God changes the plans He already has for me. He knows me so much better than I know myself- my needs, my wants, my wishes, my everything! He knows me perfectly inside out & upside down; and He’s got just the right plan to let me enjoy the fullness of life. All I need to do is to surrender my all to Him and then, patiently look forward to see how He will grow me as a result.

Story of a Cracked Pot

A water bearer in India had two large pots; each hung on each end of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots, full of water in his master's house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "For the past two years, I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value for your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Our lives are quite similar to that cracked pot. We are imperfect and broken; and at times, our sins and failures can really discourage us so badly that we feel like worthless nobodies. We then long for a fresh start, a new beginning. And what do we do? We strive hard to do more good works, thinking that somehow those good works can compensate our past. That’s legalism; definitely not God’s way of personal revival. However, that’s just our human nature, isn’t it? It seems so natural for us to lapse back into legalism every now and again, thinking that that is the right way of achieving His acceptance and blessings once again.

God wants to send a revival into our hearts, but He doesn’t need a clean heart to do that. All He needs is a contrite heart. A contrite heart may be grieving as a result of sin’s consequences, but at the same time, it knows that the only way it can be revived and refreshed again is by going humbly to God’s throne of grace for only He can fill, satisfy and mend the broken heart.

We should perhaps quit worrying about what we’re not and just give God what we are. No matter how cracked up we are, I am convinced that He has the power to mend every single cracks we have, but that’s if we will let Him. Think about this- it is because we’re imperfect that God has something to work with. Plus, it is only through cracks that light can begin to shine through.

Embracing forgiveness

Time and time again, we read of God’s boundless grace & mercy. We know that because of Christ, we are safe from all condemnation of our sins, as if they had not been committed at all. God deliberately remove them so that they cannot affect us any more; so that we need not feel guilty for our past sins. Yet, we all struggle at times to accept His forgiveness. Deep within our hearts we struggle to forgive ourselves even thought we believe that we have total forgiveness for our sins in Jesus Christ.

I don’t know about you, but I know I struggle a lot with self-forgiveness. Guilt is truly a strong emotion that if we’re not careful, we can allow it to outshine the great, or u can say gargantuan, gift of pardon and restoration that God freely provides. His mercy & grace is so great that there are no boundaries at all, infinite. However, we tend to think that our past actions are so terrible that God cannot forgive us, and that is, as a matter of fact, a tragic error.

It is also possible that sometimes we get so blinded by the outcome of our sins that the feeling of guilt stays alive in our minds. The negative consequences we bear as a result of our mistakes prevent us from fully understanding and receiving the miracle of divine forgiveness. The miracle of God’s forgiveness is that, with His help, we can be forgiven even though we still remember our past sins. Forgetting should probably never be a test of whether our sins are forgiven since lessons from our past sins are to be remembered.

Each of us is a valuable child of His. We mean the world to Him. We are deeply loved and precious to Him. That’s why we have the liberty of grace; the liberty of His glory; the freedom from fears of condemnation and guilt. He doesn’t want us to be haunted by insults or the damning effects of our sins. Neither does He want us to look down on ourselves and feel unworthy. What He wants is for us to bear in mind that our value doesn’t spring from our own feelings, but from His. He says that we are valuable and that should be enough. This is the truth.

Giving our best for the benefit of all

It sometimes can be quite frustrating when children don’t seem to do the work that they are supposed to do. Well, of course, if it’s a fun activity or game that they are asked to participate in, they will be more than willing to do so. But, when “less fun” responsibilities are given to them, all of a sudden, you lose them; you lose their cooperation.

When situations like this arise, I feel sorry for those children who seem to be trying their best to carry out the task given to them even though they may not particularly be interested in it, especially when it’s a group work. It just isn’t fair that some are putting in their best effort while others are idling and uncooperative. At times, I feel like punishing these kids, but then again, it’s quite worrying to punish them in order to get them motivated.

I guess it is the same in the body of Christ. The body of Christ is composed of different parts and each part has a responsibility to perform. All of us are the different parts which make up that body and if each of us do not do the things that we are supposed to, the body cannot function as well as it ought to be. Even if we do acknowledge our responsibilities, yet do them out of reluctance and half-heartedness, our attitude and actions will still be reflecting the total opposite of God’s nature. Plus, it does seem unjust too, if one is striving for the best, while others are contented with anything less than that.

We all have the same goal; we live in the same family. However, perhaps every now and then, we need to ask ourselves how well we are contributing to the body, for we need to jog our memory a bit to bear in mind that all our actions, be it in words, thoughts or deeds, reflect not only upon our individual self, but also upon our Heavenly Father.

We probably should start realizing that we are all indeed part of the same team, same family, one body, His body, so that we can begin to leave a lasting positive impact on the people around us. We may be plainly different people, but all are needed for the nourishment of the whole.