Gotta Do My Homework

Choosing to take a step back from my usually more systematic, organized and pa-deep way of journaling insights, and just spontaneously writing what I want to remember.

Because tonight, after another long while, I felt triggered by my own (chain of) behaviours again, and prompted to just take note of what I want to change...and God knows, maybe this time I won't forget.

Tonight's bible study was on 1 Kings 22, and some inspiring lessons from the story's characters include...

• From King Jehoshaphat: Ask God first! Before any decision, His opinion must have the greatest weight, we should always consult Him first.
• From the Lord's prophet Micaiah: Do not be afraid to deliver the God's message, even if there are possible consequences. (In his case, it was imprisonment.)
• From King Ahab: Know whose counsel to seek -- are your listening to Godly advice? Or are you just consulting people who you know will give you the advice you want to hear (but not necessarily good for you?) And if/when God gives you a "NO", how do you respond? Do you disregard the "no" and continue to do things your way? Or do you follow His instruction, even if the "no" is against your plan / instinct / desire?

What awesome reminders for day-to-day life!

However, as the sharings progressed through the night, and as I continued to listen to each lady's struggles as well as to my own voice, I was reminded of how un-joyful I've been in my own waiting (for God's direction). While I was so grateful to hear all the realizations that was so candidly brought to the table, I simultaneously felt turned off by how I shared my own struggles in hearing God's repetitive "no" in my life.

Not so much on what I said, but as I've come to notice more and more about myself, it's more about how I said / say things (i.e., attitude), that gives away what's innately in my heart.

I complained as if I didn't trust God's plan (I do). I grumbled as if I didn't know of His capacity to give and love (I won't ever understand the full extent, but I know it's greater than I can ever imagine). I expressed envy about how Micaiah could so easily hear God's voice, as if I didn't know He speaks to us in different ways. I muttered and mumbled about what I've been "doing", but really, I know it's not about the laundry list of what we do/don't do that matters to Him, but how our hearts are transformed while we prayerfully, expectedly wait.

It's not far from what I was reflecting on the other night: About how embarrassing I can act when I let my expectations get ahead of myself. Instead of just enjoying and appreciating the things I CAN do while I'm pregnant -- my climbing, in particular -- I felt discouraged and down that I don't get to do it the level that I want to. Ugh. Talk about a very simple way of God saying "no" to me just for this season in my life, and me not being able to accept it!

In short, I am reminded that it's not about me and my issues on "is God for real or not?", but about me not really knowing His character enough, which just leads to my age-old, long-overdue homework of spending regular, quality quiet time with Him and His word.

So yes, the core of all my prayers as of late -- as He has been prompting me in the past 2-3 weeks -- is this: That I become diligent in doing my quiet time so that I get to know Him in ways I've never known Him before. 

And after this evening's bible study, this prayer is supplemented with an objective: I pray the above so that, hopefully, I get to hear Him more clearly; so my heart's desire becomes aligned with His plans for me; and life stops becoming about repetitive cycles on waiting for God to say "yes" or "no" or "maybe".

When I stop focusing solely on complying with the prescribed steps to get certain results, perhaps I will find the joy in the process of discovering God's best.

On Glorifying God

I’ve long been bothered by the notion that everyone is innately selfish.

It’s not a positive concept. But ever since I slipped, doing something I never thought I could possibly do — despite open-eyed awareness, and conscious willpower to try and avoid it — I’ve acknowledged that there is something negative controlling us. Like a tiny Dr. Evil waiting for opportunities to fuel our greedy ambitions, a Selfish Monster sits inside of each person, not dragging us around like a slave every minute of our lives, but occasionally striking our knees, causing us to stumble and give in to temptation.

Thought I haven’t given it much thought in a long time, I know that it’s a belief I’ve carried ever since. On it I blame my sporadic cynicism, as well as fits of hopelessness, helplessness, and “emotional breakdowns”. And upon hearing Francis Chan’s message, I also can’t help but point to the Selfish Monster for causing this world to evolve into the selfie generation.

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 

2 Timothy 3:2-4 (NASB)

Francis Chan warned us — as Paul wrote to Timothy — of a certain kind of future when “difficult times will come”, and how today’s generation (myself included) already shows much of the symptoms of this difficult time “to come”. Because don’t we just see ourselves in those horrible descriptions at this present time? If you don’t, well, in all honesty, I know I do! At this day and age, I am or have been guilty of these behaviours at one point in my life, and I don’t need to wait 10 or 50 or a hundred years more to get a glimpse of what Paul is warning us about.

Seeing a Selfish Monster in myself, I can’t help but also recognize how there are so many things to dislike in this world. If we don’t crumble from the external pressures and persecution, there are lies and deceit that can manipulate us from the inside. The Oscar Wilde quote from a Company of Thieves song rings loud in my ear:

We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.

Speaking of demons from within, it excites me to find some progress in my faith walk, when God allowed me today to come to terms with one of my not-so-thought-about and unexpressed but deeply-rooted questions: “Why does God insist on being glorified?”

As I read through some texts about the topic, I found that this October 1984 sermon by John Piper to be most helpful.  And the way I understand it is this: God does not insist to be “glorified” as if he was a self-centered egomaniac, demanding his subjects to kiss his feet 24/7. 

First of all, it’s important to be aligned on why we glorify something in the first place, and the way C.S. Lewis explains this is that we would normally glorify (or praise or give honor to) anything that gives us enjoyment (“all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise”).Think about anything you admire or draw enjoyment from; wouldn’t you desire to express your appreciation to whoever is responsible for that thing/event/source of happiness?

Secondly, if one acknowledges that God is indeed the all-powerful, sovereign creator of all things and author of all of our lives, then surely He deserves all the honor and glory and praise above everything/everyone else! 

Thirdly, he asks us to glorify Him not for the sake of his ego (which he doesn’t have) nor for him to “feel good about himself” (which is usually why we humans seek affirmation or words of comfort). John Piper in this sermon also states it well:

God cannot be made more glorious or more beautiful than he is. He cannot be improved, “nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything” (Acts 17:25). Glorify does not mean add more glory to God.

From Max Anders:

If anything matters more to us than God, then we are giving higher glory to something else… and if that thing is taken away from us, as it may easily be, we are shattered…God wants us to grow, to increase, to “become,” to the point that we actually perceive His weight accurately, and accurately perceiving it, we glorify Him as the greatest value in life.

God instructs us (even the heavens and the skies above, see Psalm 19:1) to glorify Him because he wants us to stay focused on Him, for our own good. Because only by focusing on Him, on His goodness, mercy and grace, can we break free from our addiction to ourselves. And from my point of view, I’d say it’s the only way I know how to break free from my bondage from my Selfish Monster. 

Why Do I Believe?

They say kids are so very impressionable.

Now that I'm 30+ years old, I affirm this with much more confidence compared to 2 years ago, or 5 years ago, or even more than 15 years ago. Year after year, as I get older, the more I come to terms of how much of "me" I am is a result of what has influenced me growing up.

I was around fourteen years old when I first read about atheists, and how their lives are less easier than theists', because of the fact that they have no higher being to run to. Twelve years later (congrats, you did the math!), I am still considering that statement, and ran into this article, Without No God Where do Atheists Turn In Times of Crisis?

I have no plan of addressing the article head-to-head. Call me a coward, but my unwillingness is honestly due to my unpreparedness to argue on a topic as fundamental as this. I'm simply jumping off the article because I myself once made a long list of theories/questions for myself (meaning: private), on "Why Do I Believe (in God)?", which went something like this:

Why do you believe?
Do you believe simply because you were taught to believe?
Because you grew up believing, as a result of your parents telling you to believe?
Because you were brought to church every Sunday, and when you went there, everyone just simply appeared to believe?
And as you grew older, everyone you met — from your schoolmates and your neighbors to your officemates and acquaintances — they all believed?

The questions spilled out briskly, like a thread spool unraveling, and my fingers managed to drum over 500 words in far too short a period. And reading the atheist article now just made me wonder -- how far along have I gone in my own belief? While I may not be ready to properly respond to that article, have I at least gone far enough to respond to the very questions I myself wrote three years ago? 

Armed with faith, I daresay, here's where I am now:

Yes, I do believe that I believe firstly because I was taught to believe.

But believing, I've come to understand, is not simply declaring His existence, but actually having a relationship with Him. So just to be clear, let that now be my definition of "believing".

That said, why do I believe? Because I am indeed surrounded by awe-inspiring personal accounts and testimonies. Because I've indeed watched and heard and read so many stories, there’s no reason left for me NOT to believe.

Furthermore, I've not only watched in TV or YouTube or heard testimonies during service. I believe because I've come to personally know many people who were truly changed, on account of their belief. People who never in their wildest dreams thought they could even change. And the change -- it came in different ways.

Some were sudden, some seemed to drag on for years. Some were eager and resolved to change when God touched them, some met Christ unexpectedly. Regardless of personal readiness or duration, the changes always shook their worlds, for the better. (Yes, for the better. But it was never painless, because God never said a life of following Him would be without struggles!)

I believe because life is more beautiful when you believe. (Such a losing argument for non-believers, I know!) Life is teeming with goodness! I experience nature, consciousness, art, music, beauty, love! There are mysteries, miracles, un-explainable occurences. There is darkess, yet there is light. There is pain, yet there is joy. There is suffering, yet there is peace. We can be lost, but we can be found.

What are these but His purposeful creations? Or are these really just particles in collision? Major accidents and grand coincidences in the movement of matter that just so happen to happen minute-by-minute, all over the world?

Going back to the impressionable 14-year-old in me, I am not afraid to admit that yes, one of the reasons I also believe is because I really don't know what to do if don't. I don't know where else I'd turn to, what kind of hope I would cling to, if I never revived my relationship with God.

I am amazed how atheists how can rely 100% on human control and capacity. I don't know. Maybe I don't know enough of them to understand better. Still, my personal experience determines my own belief, and reaching a point of hopelessness in my life led me to my own belief. And when there were no immediate answers that can be found anywhere, He was able to quiet the storms in my head. He kept me at peace, and remained my strength and refuge. He sustained me.

And because He first loved us, who else can compel us to love others with as much fervor? Who else (or what other thing) can energize us enough to live a life that serves, cares for, and forgives even those who hurt us? Finally, I believe because His character is one without comparison, a perfect model for us to to try to follow. 

Who else will teach us to carry a positive, grateful attitude amidst life's tests and challenges, and encourage us to look far beyond the current pain? Who else will teach us not to retaliate towards our aggressors, and to instead treat them with gentleness and respect? Who else will teach us discipline and righteousness? Who else will teach us to love unconditionally, and how it is to really make a sacrifice? We can never fully emulate Him, but while we're here, His ways are the best ways to live a good life.

I know none of what I said would provide proof or tangible evidence of God, nor did I give any logical argument for his existence. That was not my objective, anyway. This is simply me rebutting against my younger self, and if I were the judge, I'd say I've made some progress. I guess I can also say, to put it all simply, I believe because I choose to believe.

2 Corinthians 5 : 16-17 (NIV)

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

*****

What a breakthrough it is to write this! Am so grateful for the service at CCF Commonwealth this morning, led by Ptr. Tom Roxas. The message was about God's Compelling Love, and I believe God touched my heart to start and to "persevere" completing this blog post, which I've long wanted to put together.

Ptr. Tom also said it was "Global Missions Sunday", therefore the church had two guests, which was a such an eye-opener. The guests were Vin and Sean, missionaries from Vietnam and Malaysia, respectively. They shared about how Christians were being prosecuted in their countries, and they requested for our prayers for more workers, unity of churches in their country, changes in their governments, and for all prosecuted believers. Our hearts and prayers go out to them.

Reflection on Salvation

I've been reading up on the topic of Salvation since December, and found how it's one of the main contrasts between Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Christianity, (or referred to in an umbrella term as "Protestantism" when I was growing up).

The difference is stark, as summarized by several websites. But in my humble understanding, the Catholic belief is that "good works" AND faith are required in order to be saved, whereas Protestantism teaches us that we are made right with God apart from our works. Meaning, because of our faith (alone) in God's grace, our honest-to-goodness relationship with Him will inevitably yield good works, and we will be saved.

So that's that. It wasn't really anything new to my ears. Furthermore, the Internet articles are secondary resources in my opinion, so I decided to set aside the argument until I can get some facts straight from actual scripture. (Because I got college-research-paper-citation-training-like-that).

Not long after, I came across this verse, Philippians 2:12-13 NASB:

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

The key words being "work OUT" your salvation, and not "work FOR" your salvation. Which points to how we have really already been saved, and how salvation is not something to be worked FOR :)

It also emphasizes how God is continually at work within us. He knows the desires of our hearts. All we need is the discipline and to do our part, so that His work will be completed in us.

I especially found it interesting how, even in the NIV and HCSB bible versions, the translation of "work out" is retained and never paraphrased. In NLT, it is translated into "work HARD"...but never ever working FOR.

***

Couldn't I start with a less-controversial topic?

Fortunately (or unfortunately), this was the reflection that stuck with me far enough to reach my Blogspot dashboard, so it must be important to carry the blogging out, for my own well-being more than anything.

I guess you can say this is me diving in.

At Peace

Just finished watching 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes', and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it. I find that its story strikes at the heart of many conflicts we have today -- conflicts big and small; amongst families, friends, neighbors, organizations, businesses, countries, races -- whatever groups of people you can think of!

With the Palestenian-Israeli conflict running for decades, plus the recent tragedy of a civilian airline being shot down with its 295 innocent passengers, conflict has become THE theme that has cut through time and territory. And if one is not properly armed, it's so easy to fall into a state of depression because of how hopeless the world has become.

With so many sad news around us, in one of my pray dates, I shared about how I am sometimes overcome with guilt that I am not "affected enough" by such state of affairs.

Okay, forget about society's current events; even for issues that are closer to home, I would catch myself feeling guilty that I can go through my daily responsibilities feeling mostly at peace, hardly harassed or kept up at night.

Meanwhile, I would observe other people becoming high-strung and stressed by related issues and experiences.

I would ask myself: Am I insensitive and inconsiderate? Why am I at peace when the people around me are not? Are they seeing something I'm not? Am I apathetic or blind to the troubles that are right in front of me? Is there something wrong with me? 

This verse offered me both comfort and humility:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

Comfort because I did not need to understand everything that He does, as His thoughts are at a higher level than my own. Humility because while I claim to "not be affected" by things that I'm going through, I was obliviously worrying about WHY I was not worried, which is anxiety in itself.

The conclusion? Well, something that was emphasized to me again today, is to focus on things that are within my control, and to not worry about those that are beyond my control. Why allow my energy be depleted if I sincerely believe that He is sovereign?

And taking the cue from Caesar, we realistically cannot control the people around us, even if we are of the same race...even if we are "family". What's important is how we relate to EACH human / animal we come across, whether family or not. That we treat this person with love, offer trust, show respect -- because that's the only thing that matters in the end. Not our power or influence, but how much love we give away.