The grass is greener

Deuteronomy 5:21

"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Gosh I'm really terrible at keeping my eyes on my own green plot of land. To me, there is really a lot of truth in the saying that "the grass seems greener on the other side". 

Here's why. The past month, I received news of friends who got sudden windfalls of new jobs that seemingly dropped onto their laps and it came with nice fat pay increases and titles. Somehow, it invokes the inner green monster in me as I can't help but compare. Suddenly my green patch of life seem to be filled with ugly cow grass and my neighbours look like a hill of lush, soft carpet grass.

Not that my life is miserable to the dumps, but there's this part of me that never seems to be satisfied for the nice things of life- money, position, perks, travel benefits, free products. Since the pursuit of the finer things in life doesn't really end, and only warrants a sinful lust for more, may I learn to be contented with the grass of my own pastures.   

M.

Beyond trusting God

Matthew 6:31-34 (MSG)

What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

JLTA 2010 is over. With it comes a great opportunity for lives to encounter God and for me to be a part of a very tiring but rewarding camp (as you age, it truly takes its toll on the body). This year was particularly taxing because it not only rained excessively,  the trainees were so slow that everything ended so late. Even our night service started at 10:30pm, which was the planned sleeping hour.

This verses above in the MSG edition is really apt in expressing God's amazing provision in my work life, especially when I take my leave to serve him. 

How often it is when we look at the situation ahead of us and everything seems mired in difficulties and problems. I may have run a Jr survivor camp before, but that really does not guarantee that everything can be run like clockwork. With a different job, different campsite and the global weather going cukoo, there's really no guarantee that anything wrong would not take place.

As I eagerly anticipated the arrival of the JLTA, before me was a pile of work problems and tasks which never seemed to end. It really does not help that nowadays everyone expects you to be 24/7 and responding to issues via emails or mobile. Moreover, only before my leave somehow, there is always a barrage of urgent matters which need my attention to resolv. Even though I have this 'heck-care' attitude with work when it comes to me being on personal leave, somehow when I have this crazed, hot-tempered big boss that makes me worry that all the issues would just explode in my absence.

Faith is easy to talk about, trusting God is an action, but let's be honest. At times where our reputation and rice bowl is at stake, it's really beyond trusting God. However, this is where the promises of God is just so good. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

blessings,

M.

Marvelling at God's provisions

1 Corinthians 2:9

“However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"

I'm in Barcelona (BCN), spain for work and have been here for 2 days already. As I'm waiting for my actual conference programme to start, it dawned upon me that it's been a really long while since I've updated because the ending part of 2009 was so packed and as the new year started, everything quickened. 

 

Currently, I'm sitting in my room in Barcelona and I've this incredible view of the city, it's really gorgeous because the  room which I first stayed in for day 1 was getting all the sun and it made it stuffy and I could just feel myself getting a migraine. So after deciding that suffering for 6 days would not be worth it, I went to the front desk to request for a room that faces the other side. Who would have thought that I would get a free upgrade and now it has this amazing shower and nice view which I'lll enjoy for the next 6 days. The view is simply breathtaking, and I can stare outside at anytime of the day and bask the beauty of the city in different times of day. Sigh.

Times like this, I really marvel  at the goodness of God's provision. God is good.


M.

Success: doing the most what you do the best

Ecclesiates 5:10

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income"

This story from Max Lucado says it all.

A businessman bought popcorn from an old street vendor each day after lunch. He once arrived to find the peddler closing up his stand at noon. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

A smile wrinkled the seller's leathery face. "By no means. All is well."

"Then why are you closing your popcorn stand?"

"So I can go to my house, sit on my porch, and sip tea with my wife."

The man of commerce objected. "But the day is still young. You can still sell."

"No need to," the stand owner replied. "I've made enough money for today."

"Enough? Absurd. You should keep working."

The spry old man stopped and stared at his well-dressed visitor. "And why should I keep working?"

"To sell more popcorn."

"And why sell more popcorn?"

"Because the more popcorn you sell, the more money you make. The more money you make, the richer you are. The richer you are, the more popcorn stands you can buy. The more popcorn stands you buy, the more peddlers sell your product, and the richer you become. And when you have enough, you can stop working, sell your popcorn stands, stay home, and sit on the porch with your wife and drink tea."

The popcorn man smiled. "I can do that today. I guess I have enough."

Examine your perspective toward life and be contented. 

M.

It's not mine to begin with

1 Chronicles 29:3-4

Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple

King David fought many battles and reaped the spoils of it. Coupled with the ribute paid by many defeated nations, he amassed a lot of riches. However the bible states that it was all stored for the creation of the temple of God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise,  stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.

The context of the passage here is of an old David addressing an assembly of people as he seeks of their support to assist his son Solomon in the construction of the temple of God.

David had amassed alot of stuff to build the temple, but still he offered to give out of his own resources, because he recognised the truth that all the riches that he possessed was not his to begin with. He was just a steward of the provisions which God had provided to him.

I know it's hard, but it is true wisdom and liberty when we recognise this truth. The hundreds, thousands, millions of dollars which we have to finance our lives are not permanently ours. It's only awarded to us to be stewards of, so the harder we hang onto money, the further from the truth of the matter we are.

May we not be a slave to wealth, because our wealth is but an interest free loan to our lives.

M.

"But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you." (1 Chronicles 29: 14-16)

God be with me

1 Chronicles 4:8-10

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

I've heard about the prayer of Jabez, but when it was shared to us at the leaders conference, some part of the prayer resounded loud and clear as if it was the first time I heard it true and loud.

What a terrible thing it is to be given the name "pain" and to live life with such a name. I have an ex-colleague who wanted to name her soon-to-be-born son "anakin" and I gagged at the suggestion because how many parents will some day make fun of her darth vader inspired named son.

The cry of Jabez to God cannot be more honest and heart-felt to me, and many of us included. We all want to be blessed! But this succinct prayer covers all that we will need for our life. For the almighty God to bless us and be with us! Afterall, with God for us, who and what can come against us?

As the cry of Jabez was read out and exhorted, I couldn't help but to cry out in my heart. God bless me and be with me throughout the entire of next year and my life forever. I cannot and don't want to live/trudge through life by my own strength.

M.

"Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns." (Revelations 19:6)

A fine balance

Ephesians 4:26 (NLT)

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

In Max Lucado's book, a love worth giving, he states the following:

"There's also a test for the tongue. Before you speak, ask: Will what I'm about to say help others become stronger? You have the ability, with your words, to make a person stronger. Your words are to their soul what a vitamin is to their body. If you had food and saw someone starving, would you not share it? If you had water and saw someone dying of thirst, would you not give it? Of course you would. Then won't you do the same for their hearts? Your words are food and water! Do not withhold encouragement from the discouraged. Do not keep affirmation from the beaten down! Speak words that make people stronger. Believe in them as God has believed in you."

The truth behind the word of God and what Max Lucado says of our need to affiirm other brings out the conundrum and the wisdom that I need in life to manage the words I say. 

It got me thinking of the way which I am to speak to some of the charges under me. Over the past 2 years, I've wrestled with the need to balance between being my usual self or more mellow and affirming when I do follow-up and counseling. It is partly attributed to a mellowing with age which allows me to restrain myself, but I reckon it is also the reality of being more resigned. Afterall, I can possibly only help so much and I often struggle if i should say what is needed or choose to back-off and not say anything more.

Left to my own devices, I'm a fiery, confrontational, irritable and very instructional when I deal with lives. I can't stand to beat around the bush, endure individuals who are uncommitted, whiny, needy or with weak resolution. I rather say things once and let it be, not repeat it again and again. I also prefer to shoot off the mouth and be blunt when talking to idiots, bums or scums.  

However, it is hard to have a one size fits all approach and expect everyone to be able to take the hard draconian attitude. Over the past 2 years, as i serve in living springs, I'm hardly in-character because it is not my church, nor am I in charge. Through it, the Lord has brought much changes to how I teach and talk. I can see myself being pulled to see the spectrum opposite of harshness. It is a very out-of-character experience as sometimes I find myself lapsing into a silent, passive, and resigned bystander. Not that it makes me irritable or feel a lot better, but I have learned through various occasions that being too passive and silent often results in one being very stand-off and disengaged from the situation. This would leave the individual and situation unchecked and unresolve, often spiraling into a worst condition than if I chose to confront. But, if I had exacted the in-character draconian style, the end result is likely to also explode into an equally terrible mess.

It is truely a fine balance in how we are to talk to others. Over time, I have come to realisation that the best of intentions we have cannot be better than allowing the spirit of God to guide us in how we are to use the words of our tongue. Too much fiery anger or passive observation is not going to cut it, the fine mix of how much of each element can only be dictated by God. So that that our words and its tonality will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

M.

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21)