Saturday, December 24, 2011

24-12-11 (Saturday) “More Than We Know”

Quite a number of things have happened to me recently which could have been well-deserving of complaints. There are also many that just leaves me with a high inside, speechless because of what God has done.

I was gonna list down all the things that happened but I think I would not do any justice to how God works so many mighty things in His own ways, in His own time. Hmmm… I’ll just give it a shot off the top of my head. A missed flight, a good friend moving away, a visit by my mom’s sisters and a cousin, a dream with more-significant-than-I-thought implications, conversations with siblings-in-Christ…
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How do I know why the thing that is happening now is happening for some other reason? I don’t. I just trust that God has got something up His sleeve. And its definitely greater than any kinda idea that I would’ve had.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
   neither are your ways my ways,”
d
eclares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
   so are my ways higher than your ways
   and my thoughts than your thoughts.
~ Isa 55:8,9

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Like a boss

God is much, MUCH greater than I can ever comprehend. Where do I even start probing into this…?

Not to us, LORD, not to us
but to your name be the glory
because of your love and faithfulness.
~ Ps 115:1

=)

Sunday, December 18, 2011

18-12-11 (Sunday) “Dung” *edited 24-12-11*

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. ~ Phil 1:21

 IMG_9157“In chains”

I always had a pretty smooth life. I always think of how blessed I am, having achieved much since my childhood up till now. I always thanked God for these achievements.

I’ve recently come to ponder what Paul was saying to the Philippian church. I used to find my worth in my achievements. I found it necessary to flaunt all these achievements to others and then feel all smug, high and mighty inside. Childish thoughts would run through my mind:

“Hah. Wish you had my kinda abilities, eh?”
“Don’t you wish you were single now?”
“Yeah, ‘Whoa’ is the right response... Aren’t I awesome? “

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BAM!


But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so , somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. ~ Phil 3: 7-11

Paul was clearly addressing people like me when he came to Phil 3:4b-6. We were brought up in a community where our worth depended on how well we are in achievements in life.

Now, I’m come to realize why he calls them “loss for the sake of Christ” (Or “dung” in certain translations!). With all these scrolls and paperwork in my hands, I’ve grown to let these things define me instead of the Lord Jesus! All this while, I’ve been busily garnering more and more achievements so that I feel more complete, more valuable. These “profits” in the past have always been a distraction to the knowledge of Christ in me!!

I’ve never been able to see how there is fullness in Christ (Col 2:10). In other words, there is no need for anything else to complete me with Christ in me! I am still learning to turn that into reality. Will you?

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May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ~ Col 6:14

Lord, it belongs not to my care
Whether I die or live;
To love and serve Thee is my share,
And this Thy grace must give.

If life belong, I will be glad,
That I may long obey;
If short – then why should I be sad
To soar to endless day?
~Taken from “Knowing God”, J.I. Packer

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

13-12-11 (Tuesday) "How does one love so much?"

I tried so hard and got quite far but in the end it doesn't really matter. No food compares to mom's home-cooked food. I think its just the "mom" element that makes it what it is. I can try cook the very same dish the very same way with the very same stuff but it just won't be the same. You know what I'm talking about, right? :D
 
Then, I realized what a challenge it must've been for my parents, bringing up 4 kids. I think about how hard it is to love just ONE other person and yet they had to do so to 5 different individuals, with their spouse getting a bigger share of their love, of course... But to split the rest of their love evenly between 4 very different people...??!?! How does one do that?! If it were 2 kids, maybe its possible. 3... Probably still can do it... But FOUR...?!?!?!
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Even crazier still...
 
How does One love ALL the (almost) 7 billion people on the earth now? How does One love them all the VERY SAME WAY despite their VERY DIFFERENT characters?
 
To make things even more absurd...
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How does One love ALL THESE disgusting living beings, tarnished with sin, the very antithesis of One's holiness, destined to be One's enemy?
 
But God DOES do it! And I don't understand how He does it. But He DOES!
 
... God is love ~ 1 John 4:8b
eclipsed
That does help a bit. It is His VERY NATURE! He IS love! But it still is mind-blowing. How does one even begin to wrap one's head around this love?!
 
"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully" ~ Eph 3:19a (NLT)

Paul wasn't being sarcastic or funny there. It really is incomprehensible, this crazy love! It has gotten hold of me now. I hope this love engulfs you as well soon enough!