Something that one of my shepherds said in church today really struck me: Is there a relationship that we need to set right? Is there a relationship that we need God to fix? Did we ask for it?

My mind went straight to one thing. One person. I've done so much to wrong that person, I don't know how to fix it myself. But I'm encouraged today because I know I won't have to worry about that; God will fix it in His own time.

I think it's good to always be self-reflective, over the past week, past month and past year. What we've done wrong, what trouble we've caused, it's good to commit all these to God, to confess all the sins we committed and to make a vow to God that we will change our ways and not let these things happen again. Sometimes, many a times, we cannot blame other people for what we have caused, because we were asking for it at the time. But God has let these things happen for a reason. And most likely it is to enable us to grow, spiritually and mentally. So cast all your worries to God, for He has the authority over all.

Of course, it is good to remember and cherish all the good things that have happened this past year as well. There are definitely good things that have come our way, blessings which God has graciously granted us with, and these are things which we must treasure. It is true that "we don't know what we have until it's gone". I've experienced that firsthand. Best if we can all appreciate what we have with us - the people in our lives, the many blessings we take for granted. Perhaps it's good to sit alone sometimes and think about all these good things which God has granted us with, and to thank Him for them. There are so many people out there who do not have the blessings we do, and who wish for simple things we take for granted like a roof over our heads, or food laid out on the dining table everyday. Such simple things are the things which we should take time to be grateful for.

On a side note, this is what I shared during YF today:
We always serve God in different areas - be it ushering, playing for worship, etc. Most of the time, we enjoy what we do when we serve God. But then, what about those times when God calls us to serve in areas which we're not comfortable with? Areas which God asks us to step out of our comfort zones? It may differ from person to person; it can be giving a public testimony, or reaching out to others in foreign lands. Or we may just not be in the mood to serve.

If you think about it though, what is the ultimate purpose of serving? It is to bring glory to God, not to enjoy what we're doing at hand. Just like studying - we get sick and tired of studying for exams after a while, but we still choose to persevere because we know that the end result it brings will be for our own good. It's the same thing; we may not enjoy serving in a particular area, but ultimately we know that it brings glory to God, right?

Why then should we grumble and think, "Are you sure this is for me?" when God asks us to step out of our comfort zones to serve Him? Surely, God is granting us a good opportunity to grow spiritually in Him, to grow stronger in our faith. It's good to reflect on our attitude in serving: do we serve because we enjoy what we're doing at hand? Or do we serve knowing that we'll bring God the greatest glory through our lives? Our first priority in mind when serving is the glory which we will bring to God.

Just a self-reflective post today. :)

VOTD:
"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV)

Something that one of my shepherds said in church today really struck me: Is there a relationship that we need to set right? Is there a relationship that we need God to fix? Did we ask for it?

My mind went straight to one thing. One person. I've done so much to wrong that person, I don't know how to fix it myself. But I'm encouraged today because I know I won't have to worry about that; God will fix it in His own time.

I think it's good to always be self-reflective, over the past week, past month and past year. What we've done wrong, what trouble we've caused, it's good to commit all these to God, to confess all the sins we committed and to make a vow to God that we will change our ways and not let these things happen again. Sometimes, many a times, we cannot blame other people for what we have caused, because we were asking for it at the time. But God has let these things happen for a reason. And most likely it is to enable us to grow, spiritually and mentally. So cast all your worries to God, for He has the authority over all.

Of course, it is good to remember and cherish all the good things that have happened this past year as well. There are definitely good things that have come our way, blessings which God has graciously granted us with, and these are things which we must treasure. It is true that "we don't know what we have until it's gone". I've experienced that firsthand. Best if we can all appreciate what we have with us - the people in our lives, the many blessings we take for granted. Perhaps it's good to sit alone sometimes and think about all these good things which God has granted us with, and to thank Him for them. There are so many people out there who do not have the blessings we do, and who wish for simple things we take for granted like a roof over our heads, or food laid out on the dining table everyday. Such simple things are the things which we should take time to be grateful for.

On a side note, this is what I shared during YF today:
We always serve God in different areas - be it ushering, playing for worship, etc. Most of the time, we enjoy what we do when we serve God. But then, what about those times when God calls us to serve in areas which we're not comfortable with? Areas which God asks us to step out of our comfort zones? It may differ from person to person; it can be giving a public testimony, or reaching out to others in foreign lands. Or we may just not be in the mood to serve.

If you think about it though, what is the ultimate purpose of serving? It is to bring glory to God, not to enjoy what we're doing at hand. Just like studying - we get sick and tired of studying for exams after a while, but we still choose to persevere because we know that the end result it brings will be for our own good. It's the same thing; we may not enjoy serving in a particular area, but ultimately we know that it brings glory to God, right?

Why then should we grumble and think, "Are you sure this is for me?" when God asks us to step out of our comfort zones to serve Him? Surely, God is granting us a good opportunity to grow spiritually in Him, to grow stronger in our faith. It's good to reflect on our attitude in serving: do we serve because we enjoy what we're doing at hand? Or do we serve knowing that we'll bring God the greatest glory through our lives? Our first priority in mind when serving is the glory which we will bring to God.

Just a self-reflective post today. :)

VOTD:
"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV)