Saturday, November 15, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Blessed and Watched with Abundance
Deuteronomy 2:7
The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. The Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.
The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. The Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.
There are many areas in which I am not good at and I could easily brood over them. As I read this verse, I looked at my hands and I reflected not on what I cannot do, but what I can do. I am not multi-lingual but I am given a strong hold on one language. I cannot speak publicly but I am given clear speech. I cannot sculpt or paint but I am given drawing and computer-based talents. I cannot organize but I am given the spirit of serving. I cannot perform miracles but I am given the grace of my God who can.
In my journey, I could easily lose these gifts for the sake of a couple of failures, being overwhelmed by inabilities or the comparison to people with other abilities. But the Lord my God has watched over me in my journey of learning, changing and performing. He has been with me and indeed, I have not lacked anything. For the Lord my God knows and tends to my needs and even my wants.
Have you ever thought of what your life is leading to? What you would do with it? I have. I don't care what I cannot do. I know what I can do and in that, I aim to do it well for the benefit and, hopefully, change in others for a better life. I do not have a particular kind of people to focus on but I do want to witness people, as a whole, live their lives without hurting themselves or others; without beating themselves up and with understanding the amazing life of serving others.
Someone prayed over me recently, declaring excellence beyond other works in what I do. I don't think he was talking just about my drawings. Thank you for your prayer - it is received and appreciated.
-Thank You, God-
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Anger Management
Anger is probably one of the most interesting topics to me, current day. Maybe it's because I've experienced (and still am experiencing) so many kinds of anger, and not just experiencing that but experiencing ways on responding to it.
How many times can and do we get angry a day? We could very well wake up on the wrong side of the bed and feel like we're having a rotten day for the next 24 hours. We could have a day with petty problems like a car breakdown, not finding a (good) parking space, forgetting our homework, computer crashing on us, annoying classmates, rude people... And the problems mentioned are surely petty because they aren't enough to really, actually hurt us. But they can make us angry.
My life, when it concerns anger, can be broken down into three stages: past, past and present.
Anger Management #1
I am easily angered. Flukes, delays, pressure, stress, faults, words.. everything gets to me. I react, I flare up. I frown, I scowl. I swear, I curse. I become silent, I withdraw. I shout, I cry, I blame, I accuse. I spend the next hour in an isolated self-pity party, wondering why the world is against me, why people always fail me, why problems are out to get me.
Anger Management #2
I am fairly easily angered. Some little things still annoy me, some more important matters, but I approach the anger differently. I begin to ignore it, pretend that it didn't even happen. I dismiss the person who angered me momentarily, stop associating with them till the anger wears off and we easily become friends again. At times, I even dismiss the problem or source of anger altogether, but other times I find myself persistently complaining about it.
Anger Management #3
I am still fairly easily angered. But I find that I am angered by things so different from before. My approach has changed too. When someone angers me, I pray for them. When something angers me, I pray for peace over petty problems.
Anger isn't always a bad thing. If we're angry for a right reason and if we respond correctly, there's nothing wrong with it. Anger is just a feeling, after all. It comes naturally, we cannot stop it. See the three different stages of anger I have gone through in my life? It may not apply to everyone, nor is it a statement that I do not anger anymore. Even more so, I admit that every day I encounter, see or hear people, words, attitudes and situations that make me so angry sometimes. Sometimes I become so angry, I feel like strangling someone, breaking something. I feel angry because... because I know it displeases God. Because I know it could work out differently if people took the liberty to choose correctly. Because I am unable to do anything about it.
But you know what? While I know I am unable, I know my God is able. That is why I pray.
If you read one of my previous posts about my encounter with a group of people online, I was angry, so angry with them. I eventually resorted to praying for them, because there was nothing else I could do. Nothing else and nothing better. Who knows? Perhaps my prayer added another brick on their path to knowing God.
When I counsel people who have a horrendously negative outlook on people and life, who use swear words to describe others, who prefer to dwell in intolerance rather than forgiveness, pride rather than humility, I also get angry. But I am not one good with words or persuasion. I am not a miracle-worker: I cannot change their perceptions and behavior with the snap of my fingers. But I can pray for them and that they are enlightened with a life-changing experience that will give them a happier life to live in.
I heard someone say something very inspiring today, about how we can take our anger and change it into something good. What do we achieve, after all, by taking out our anger on someone? Rather, when someone actually tries it, changing the anger to do something good for another is so much more fulfilling. Not very long ago, I wouldn't have believed that.. at all. If you had said that, I would've snorted, turned away and decided that I will treat those I dislike anyway I liked. And I probably would've picked to make them feel bad, to ignore them, to hold a grudge.
But when I began to do something good - pray, forgive, love - I found that it became so much harder to become angry and so much easier to manage my anger. I discovered what it means to have peace in Christ Jesus even in anger.
Anger management. Do you have it?
How many times can and do we get angry a day? We could very well wake up on the wrong side of the bed and feel like we're having a rotten day for the next 24 hours. We could have a day with petty problems like a car breakdown, not finding a (good) parking space, forgetting our homework, computer crashing on us, annoying classmates, rude people... And the problems mentioned are surely petty because they aren't enough to really, actually hurt us. But they can make us angry.
My life, when it concerns anger, can be broken down into three stages: past, past and present.
Anger Management #1
I am easily angered. Flukes, delays, pressure, stress, faults, words.. everything gets to me. I react, I flare up. I frown, I scowl. I swear, I curse. I become silent, I withdraw. I shout, I cry, I blame, I accuse. I spend the next hour in an isolated self-pity party, wondering why the world is against me, why people always fail me, why problems are out to get me.
Anger Management #2
I am fairly easily angered. Some little things still annoy me, some more important matters, but I approach the anger differently. I begin to ignore it, pretend that it didn't even happen. I dismiss the person who angered me momentarily, stop associating with them till the anger wears off and we easily become friends again. At times, I even dismiss the problem or source of anger altogether, but other times I find myself persistently complaining about it.
Anger Management #3
I am still fairly easily angered. But I find that I am angered by things so different from before. My approach has changed too. When someone angers me, I pray for them. When something angers me, I pray for peace over petty problems.
Anger isn't always a bad thing. If we're angry for a right reason and if we respond correctly, there's nothing wrong with it. Anger is just a feeling, after all. It comes naturally, we cannot stop it. See the three different stages of anger I have gone through in my life? It may not apply to everyone, nor is it a statement that I do not anger anymore. Even more so, I admit that every day I encounter, see or hear people, words, attitudes and situations that make me so angry sometimes. Sometimes I become so angry, I feel like strangling someone, breaking something. I feel angry because... because I know it displeases God. Because I know it could work out differently if people took the liberty to choose correctly. Because I am unable to do anything about it.
But you know what? While I know I am unable, I know my God is able. That is why I pray.
If you read one of my previous posts about my encounter with a group of people online, I was angry, so angry with them. I eventually resorted to praying for them, because there was nothing else I could do. Nothing else and nothing better. Who knows? Perhaps my prayer added another brick on their path to knowing God.
When I counsel people who have a horrendously negative outlook on people and life, who use swear words to describe others, who prefer to dwell in intolerance rather than forgiveness, pride rather than humility, I also get angry. But I am not one good with words or persuasion. I am not a miracle-worker: I cannot change their perceptions and behavior with the snap of my fingers. But I can pray for them and that they are enlightened with a life-changing experience that will give them a happier life to live in.
I heard someone say something very inspiring today, about how we can take our anger and change it into something good. What do we achieve, after all, by taking out our anger on someone? Rather, when someone actually tries it, changing the anger to do something good for another is so much more fulfilling. Not very long ago, I wouldn't have believed that.. at all. If you had said that, I would've snorted, turned away and decided that I will treat those I dislike anyway I liked. And I probably would've picked to make them feel bad, to ignore them, to hold a grudge.
But when I began to do something good - pray, forgive, love - I found that it became so much harder to become angry and so much easier to manage my anger. I discovered what it means to have peace in Christ Jesus even in anger.
Anger management. Do you have it?
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Difference between Requirement & Desire
Many months of non-blogging and I have returned with a Word from God that I received today :)
Hebrews 9 & 10 speaks about Christ being the final sacrifice for mankind. We all know that God's law required priests of the past to offer sacrifices to God for the cleansing of the people. Heb 9 & 10 of the Bible makes one point very clear: such sacrifices are no longer required because Christ was the ultimate sacrifice. In other words, when Christ died on the cross, He permanently took away our sins.
On the surface, Hebrews 10 (vs 1-18) looks very much like a repetition of Hebrews 8 & 9. But as I read Hebrews 10 (vs 1-18), God revealed something different to me. He showed me the difference between requirement and desire.
The reason people had to present sacrifices and offerings in the past is because this was required of God's Law for the atonement of their sins. By right, because God's law is absolute, people today are also required to present offerings! HOWEVER... simply because it is required of the Law, doesn't mean it is desired by God.
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
but a body you prepared for me;
with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
(Hebrews 10:5,6)
Now, God even proved (admittedly, we humans tend to ask for proof of a lot of things) to us that He didn't desire repeated sacrifices and offerings from us. He spared us the trouble by sending down His Son, Jesus Christ, who became the ultimate* sacrifice. Yes, he provided the sacrifice.
*ultimate = final. As in, final final. Nothing can be more final. Eternity final. I trust I've gotten through to you.
TODAY... God doesn't require us to give Him sacrifices, but He desires something from us. He has offered us an undeniable offer: He has provided a way to eternal life with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. To walk the way to eternal life is simply to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord (paraphrase of Romans 10:9 NIV). This is God's desire: that we take up on His offer and love Him and walk with Him.
That is all He desires.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
In times of uncertainness, FOLLOW GOD
As I read 1st chapter of Colossians tonight, I stumbled upon this: But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. (1 Col 22-23)
I am advancing into a new season of my life where I will enter a new culture, new surrounding and new and different experiences. I've said to people before that I don't ever want to move from this faith and what I received back were cautionary words, warning me not to be too confident. I can't seem to express correctly when I speak, but what I really mean by my "declaration" isn't that I definitely won't ever stumble in my entire course of life, but that I don't want to.
Maybe it's hard for other people to understand - that's fine. But I know one thing, as Peter says in the book of John, "Lord, You know all things".. Indeed Christ knows all things of the past, present and future. I don't know what is in store for me, I don't know what will happen along the course of life, I don't know if I will weaken or be strengthened in this faith, but I truly hope that Jesus sees my heart today and knows my sincere desire to walk with Him.
I am shaken by other people's comments but not stumbled. Instead, I will only let such things affect me to the point that I will consider my life and future and pray about them to God and leave them all in His mighty hands.
I am advancing into a new season of my life where I will enter a new culture, new surrounding and new and different experiences. I've said to people before that I don't ever want to move from this faith and what I received back were cautionary words, warning me not to be too confident. I can't seem to express correctly when I speak, but what I really mean by my "declaration" isn't that I definitely won't ever stumble in my entire course of life, but that I don't want to.
Maybe it's hard for other people to understand - that's fine. But I know one thing, as Peter says in the book of John, "Lord, You know all things".. Indeed Christ knows all things of the past, present and future. I don't know what is in store for me, I don't know what will happen along the course of life, I don't know if I will weaken or be strengthened in this faith, but I truly hope that Jesus sees my heart today and knows my sincere desire to walk with Him.
I am shaken by other people's comments but not stumbled. Instead, I will only let such things affect me to the point that I will consider my life and future and pray about them to God and leave them all in His mighty hands.
"Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
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