Monday, June 12, 2017
I haven't posted in a while, namely because I seldom use my computer nowadays.
But I decided that I should post today because I want to remember how I am feeling and what I learnt today.
Today feels quite strange because I just came back from church camp, and starting work just feels slightly disorientating. I rarely thought about work the entire week I was away, so much so that it almost felt like I was a student again. Staying up super late playing games, and having to wake up super early for the program the next day. I was extremely tired after camp, but I wouldn't trade it for the world! No regrets at all! (: It was a good break.
So I had a little bit of the Monday blues starting work today. I thank God that I do not dread coming to work daily, it is actually quite enjoyable. But it was just the feeling of losing the freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I want to. Sigh... There is just too little free time in the Singapore system! All I have time for is to work, sleep, eat. If only I could change that. But nevertheless, I thank God for great colleagues who followed up with all the work I had to do, so that nothing screwed up while I was gone! hahaha.
Anyway, just some things that God has been teaching me these few days. He has been teaching me about the grace of God extended to me, a sinner. And how Christ love compels me to live my life for Him. Sounds simple right? Pretty basic stuff. But its soooo difficult to live out, given that we as Christians tend to gravitate towards the debtor's mentality. We think we can pay God back for what He has given us. But that cannot be further from the truth, because every step we take towards Christlikeness, is taken by grace alone, with the Spirit's power alone! It is not of ourselves. We only get more and more grace, which we can never pay back.
So just today I came across a sermon, which really struck me, on the mercies of God.
http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/build-your-life-on-the-mercies-of-god
There are 2 types of mercy. The mercy which shows compassion to the helpless/desperate, and mercy which offers forgiveness to the guilty.
We often focus on the first type of mercy which we do out of pity.
This mercy of God ought to penetrate deeper and deeper into our sub conscience. We seldom have time the pre-meditate our every action, and most of the sins which I am guilty of are to do with my reflex reaction to things. I'm praying for the mercy of God to reach deeper so that I can extend this mercy to others especially through my unpremeditated actions.
What it means to build our lives on the mercy of God is to put the gospel at the core of everything that we do. This is an excerpt taken from the article:
"Parents, teach your children that the behavior and attitudes you expect from them are built on something! Don't say, "Just do it."... Help them to see that Christian living is not a list of do's and don'ts, it is a way of showing the glory of God and Christ. Help them see that Christian living for children and teenagers and adults - is built on the gospel - on the beauty of Christ crucified and risen and reigning. The question is not mainly, "What's wrong with this music or this movie or this party or this dress or these drugs or these friends?" The question is, How can I act and speak and feel so that I help my friends see the worth of Jesus above all music and movies and parties and friends? How can I live to show that Jesus didn't come into the world to help me party better but to help me love better and die better? Cultivate in your home the understanding of the word "therefore" in Romans 12:1."
I think I heard this sermon 3 times, and yet I keep learning new things as I rehear it. May God bring these truths to life for me as I go through the rest of the week.
A song comes to mind as I come to a close:
Hear our prayer,
O Lord God Almighty!
Come bless our land,
As we seek You,
Worship You!
For You are Holy, Lord.
avoid the aliens;
10:37 PM
