We love because... [Sermon transcript, 14 May 2017]

[The following sermon transcript has been edited for this blog. The original video recording and slides can be viewed here.]

When I was asked to preach on Mother's Day, I became curious about why we all love our moms. So I conducted a survey, and I think some of you (including my FB friends and blog readers) also completed it too! What I had meant to be a simple informal survey of friends and people I know turned into an international survey covering hundreds of people from more than 10 countries and every continent in the world!!! That’s the power of social media! Anyway, the survey respondents also consisted of both genders as well as a spread of different age groups. Well, here are the results of the survey.

Why we love our moms

1. NOURISH

Firstly, we love our moms because they feed us! Regardless of which country or continent we come from, moms are more likely to be the ones to make sure there’s food on the table for the family. I’m sure that for many of us, even after we’ve grown up and got married, our moms will still make sure we are well-fed whenever we visit them. In fact, whenever we attend any meetings or gatherings, who are the ones who would bring food for everyone? The moms, of course! Secondly, we also love our moms because they clothe us. More than ¾ of those who responded to the survey said that when they were kids, their moms would make sure there were bigger clothes on standby even before they had outgrown the ones they could wear.

2. NURSE

Not only do our moms feed and clothe us, they also take care of us when we are hurt or injured. The person who stays up through the night to monitor a feverish child’s temperature and administer medicine is most probably mom. Other than physical wounds, moms are also the ones more likely to comfort us when we are emotionally hurt or feeling down. And this seems to come naturally to moms because they have been gifted by God with a sense of empathy. That’s why more than half of the respondents said that their moms would be the first to cry during a sad movie. In real life, moms are also the ones who’ll feel sorry for those who are in pain or suffering. Like when we see a little child fall down, we are the ones who would fuss over the child to make sure he or she is alright.

3. NURTURE

We also love our moms because they teach us basic skills like how to brush our teeth and tie our shoelaces, and other much-needed skills for us to get on in life! Last but definitely not least, moms, sometimes together with dads, teach us values and beliefs through modelling and explaining them to us, in other words, by mentoring us.

How our moms love us

I grouped my survey results into three main categories – Nourish, Nurse and Nurture – three N’s! To nourish is basically to provide all that is necessary for someone’s physical health and growth. To nurse is to care for someone when something goes wrong. And to nurture is to teach and equip someone. Now we know some reasons why we love our moms. But do we know why moms do all this for us? Because of love! Mothers instinctively express their love for their children in these ways.

Of course I must qualify that I am not saying fathers don’t love their children by nourishing, nursing and nurturing them. In fact, some of the respondents indicated that their dads, rather than their moms, were the ones more likely to do so. But I’m generalising here as moms do tend to be more predisposed to showing their love in these ways. Dads may express their love for their families in other ways but that’s the topic for another sermon, perhaps on Father’s Day. 😉

How we should love others

As we look at why we love our moms and how moms express their love, let us not forget that God has explicitly told all of us to love one another (John 13:34) and to love our neighbours (Matt 22:39). That means, moms, we not only have to love our own families but we are to love the families around us and also those who are without families. And these instruction aren’t just for moms, so regardless of whether we are moms or dads or neither, all of us as the body of Christ and the expression of His love for the world, also have to do the same! In fact, we can easily find instructions for us to show love to others through these three N’s - Nourish, Nurse, Nurture - all over the Bible. Let me just list a few of these to explain what I mean.

1. NOURISH

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matt 25:37-40

If we want to be counted among the righteous at the day of judgement, then we should be feeding the hungry and caring for the needy. That’s why we have community outreach by the church to reach out to the poor and needy in the community and to help meet some of their needs. This could also be something we do in our daily lives like for example, helping to cook a meal for our neighbours’ children when their parents are unable to for whatever reason.

2. NURSE

But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. Luke 10:33-34

Jesus also told the parable of the good Samaritan to illustrate what it means to love our neighbours. And in the parable the Samaritan nursed the wounds of the man who had been attacked by robbers.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Cor 1:3-4

We are also called upon to nurse the emotional wounds of those who are in any kind of affliction. So it could be comforting someone who has just lost a loved one or encouraging someone who’s unemployed to keep looking for another job.

3. NURTURE

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deut 6:6-7

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Prov 22:6

Finally, we are also to nurture the next generation by teaching them to know God and to follow His way. This is not just the job of the parents and the Sunday school teachers or youth mentors, it is the responsibility of all of us in the faith community because we model to the young ones what it means to worship and serve God through what we do and say.

Jesus Himself exemplified what it means to love. Let’s look at what Jesus did and His demonstrations of love in the following video clip. As His disciples, we should then imitate Him and love like He did.

So just as Jesus fed the crowds (nourished), healed the sick (nursed), and taught others about the kingdom of God (nurtured), we are also expected to do all that and even greater things (John 14:12)! But it would be impossible for us to do all that with our own strength. It is only possible for us to love and serve others in the same way He did because He first loved us. It is only by the power of His love in and through us that we can also love those around us.

How He loves us

1. NOURISH

So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matt 6:31-33

When we have experienced how God feeds and clothes us and provides for all our needs then we can also feed and clothe others.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matt 11:28

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Is 40:29

And when we are tired and weak, He nourishes us so we can nourish others.

2. NURSE

He said, "If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you." Exod 15:36

Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. Ps 30:2

God also heals us so we can have the confidence to minister to those who are sick.

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Ps 34:18

Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Is 49:13

And when He nurses us lovingly during our times of heartbreak, we will also have the strength to comfort and minister to others who are suffering or in pain.

3. NURTURE

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16-17

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."  Is 30:21

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.  Ps 32:8

Finally, when we have received His teaching and instruction through His word as well as through the guidance and prompting of His Holy Spirit, then we will be equipped to teach and nurture others in the faith.

At this point, I'd like to share a story which had ministered to me greatly in the past - A Tale of Two Pails (adapted from http://morningglorylights.blogspot.sg/2011/02/tale-of-two-pails.html).

The Master carried two pails of water each day to the people in his community. Day after day he made the trek. One day the pail on the right side of the pole fell off and cracked. But the Master didn't throw the pail away; he continued to use the broken pail to carry water to the people.

Every day he made the trek with the two pails of water.

Every day the broken pail dripped water along the path.

When the Master arrived at the people's homes, the bucket on the left was full and had plenty of water to share. The pail on the right had only a small portion of water left because it had dripped water along the journey.

One day the broken pail said to the Master, "Master, I am no good to you. I am broken. Please, just throw me away."

And the Master replied, "Don't you know how good the world has become because of your brokenness? Please, come with me. Let me show you how beautiful the world is because you hung from my pole on the right side of the road, right where I put you. Do you see the flowers there? Every place you dripped through your brokenness, I planted a seed. Because you were broken, the dry, barren ground was watered and the flowers bloomed."

Let’s look more closely at the pail that didn’t have any holes and wasn’t leaking water. Because it wasn’t watering the ground on the left side of the path, the ground remained dry and barren. Perhaps some of us are like this first pail, somehow you can’t shower love on others. You just don’t have the desire nor motivation and find it difficult to do so. Then I would say that what you need to is to ask for and receive more of God’s love. Only when you know His love and are filled to overflowing can that love then flow out of you onto others. Once you are moved and touched by His love, loving others will come naturally.

However, I suspect that more of us are like the broken pail. You have been giving and serving the people around you so much so that you are drained and emptied. I just read a few days ago an article on parental burnout, which quoted a study published in the Frontiers of Psychology journal: 12.9% of mothers and 11.6% of fathers, had what the researchers called "high burnout." That meant they felt exhausted, less productive and competent, and emotionally withdrawn - qualities that are similar to professional burnout - at least once a week. 

Another article also discussed the findings of a Yale psychiatrist's research that showed how new mothers often suffer from post-partum depression because they feel that they will never be able to live up to the image of the perfect mother often seen on social media: a nurturing, organized, sexy-but-modest multitasker who glows during prenatal yoga and seems unfazed by the challenges of leaking breasts, dirty laundry and sleep training. 

And sadly, a new mom in Singapore had jumped out of her flat with her infant baby because she had been struggling to cope with the demands of motherhood and pursuing a career. I have ministered to many stay-home moms and they already carry heavy, sometimes unbearable, burdens on their backs. So for working moms, it must be many times worse!

Remember that the broken pail had to be refilled over and over again in order to be able to water the seeds in the ground and bring forth the blossoming of flowers. Similarly, we must be continually filled with God’s love so that we can continue to love and serve the people around us. We need to take some time out regularly to soak in His presence and His love and be filled up before we can go out to the world to give that love away. 

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

How He loved Elijah

Let us now consider a classic case of burnout and depression in the Bible (1 Kings 19) - when the prophet Elijah was escaping from Jezebel who was after his life. He had just witnessed God’s dramatic power and defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Yet he wanted his life to end as he felt there was no way out for him now that Jezebel was determined to kill him. 

But God knew what he really needed was some food and a good rest. So He sent an angel to feed him and get him to sleep. After the nourishment, Elijah was very much strengthened, so much so that he could get up and walk for forty days and forty nights to Horeb.

There, he met with God and the first thing he did was complain about how lonely and discouraged he felt. But God in His love and mercy, spoke to Elijah gently in a still, small voice and nursed his bruised emotions and encouraged him with news that he was not alone after all, but that 7000 other Godly men had been preserved. God also gave him specific instructions of what to do next.

As we can see, at a time when Elijah was feeling absolutely drained from serving God, even to the point of being depressed and suicidal, God showed up and nourished and nursed him back to health, then continued nurturing him for the work ahead. But let us not wait till we get to the end of our limits like Elijah to take a break and get refilled with His love. Let’s learn to go to God daily for our daily dose of His love just like the broken pail was refilled with water daily.

We love because...

So let all of us who are busy serving people like Martha, remember to spend time regularly at Jesus’ feet like Mary did. We must allow Him to keep filling us with His love so we can keep loving and serving others. No matter how tired and weak we may be, He is sure to provide for all our needs and nourish us with His rest and His strength. Regardless of what we’ve suffered and the hurts that we carry, He is always ready to soothe our wounds and comfort us, and nurse us back to health.

And even when we’re feeling lost and hopeless, He will shine a light on our paths and direct our steps as He continues to build and nurture our faith. The key is to first be loved by Him, the God of love.

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Maybe you are someone who finds it hard to love others or perhaps you’re feeling drained from loving and serving others - be it as a stay-home or busy working mom or a burnt-out dad or someone who is overloaded from serving in a few ministries on top of your regular job. We all need to first receive His love and keep coming back to Him for more of it! So practise soaking in Him regularly on your own, at home or wherever, to make sure your love pail is filled up.

For instance, you could play the songs in this list, then meditate on the meaning of the lyrics, or you could pray silently and cast your cares on Him, you could also just wait quietly upon the Lord and listen out for His voice, or imagine Him singing over you as a mother would sing over her child to soothe and calm, or you could do a combination of all that. The main thing is to allow His love to fill you and touch you where you need it the most.

W - Two Worlds [Spoiler Alert!!!]

This Korean drama series, W - Two Worlds, really got to me. It broke the mould of the typical K drama formula (which will be the subject of another post) and got many viewers, including myself, drawn into the manhwa world (pun intended!) I also started to see many parallels between the story and the Biblical narrative so I'm going to try and describe some of them here. But if you haven't watched it yet and would rather do that first, it's available here. This site also provides well-written synopses of each episode with accompanying (mostly) thoughtful remarks.

What gave you the right to create me?
So the entire plot is based on how the female protaganist Yeon Joo (Han Hyo Joo) is pulled into the world of a webtoon W created by her Dad.  She meets and gradually falls for the main character Kang Chul (Lee Jong Suk). Later on Kang Chul also finds a way to step into the real world and meets his creator, Yeon Joo's Dad. However, he is boiling with anger as he feels that Dad has been unfair in killing off his entire family without good reason near the start of the webtoon. He demands an explanation and argues that Dad had no right to decide on such a horrendous life for him.

This reminded me of Job's tussle with God after he lost his family, everything he owned and even his health. And just like Job and his friends, many people mistakenly conceive of God as one who either has no control over what He has created and hence can't stop all the evil and suffering in the world, and/or that God flicks us around like pawns according to His whims and fancies without sparing a thought for our feelings. But we know that this is not who God really is. Unlike Dad in the drama who is self-centred and helpless in the face of his creature (he got shot by Kang Chul), our God is not only all-powerful and sovereign over the entire universe He created, He is also loving and merciful. However, He has given us free will (which I'll talk about more later) and because of sin, we keep making poor decisions and that is the reason for all the evil and suffering in the world. But God does not watch on helplessly. On the contrary, He is always at work to redeem our mistakes according to His plans for the world and for each one of us.

Christ figure
Anyway, halfway through the drama, Yeon Joo is reminded that she was in fact the creator of the main character Kang Chul. While a teenager, she had described and drawn him as her imaginary perfect boyfriend (more about this later) and her Dad had taken it up for the webtoon without her knowledge. So just like Jesus was with God from the beginning of creation, she was co-creator with Dad. Not only that, she also enters the created world, as Jesus did. And while there, Yeon Joo exercises her skills as a doctor and keeps saving Kang Chul's life. That is similar to how Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead while He walked the earth.

Yeon Joo's resemblance to Christ extends further to her unconditional love for Kang Chul that bears all, even forgiving him for shooting her Dad. That is reminiscent of how Jesus asked God to forgive those who crucified him while He hung on the cross. In addition, even though they subsequently realise that she is mortal in the webtoon world and the Killer is after her life, she is determined to stay in it for as long as she can because of her love for Kang Chul. Again, that reflects the same self-sacrificial love of Christ who came to our world to die for our sins. Eventually, she dies and is resurrected within the webtoon world, although it's not very clear whether it happens within the same time frame as Jesus'. But her resurrection is brought about by her Dad (through his drawing), as Jesus was raised from the dead through the power of God.

Born again of water
Kang Chul also experiences rebirth in his own way after he jumps into the Han river and everything in his world including his life is suspended. He is pulled out of the river and given a new life by Yeon Joo (through her drawings). This spoke to me of water baptism where symbolically our 'old self' dies when we are immersed in the water and then we are given a 'new life' in Christ when we emerge from the water.

After his 'water baptism', in this new life, Kang Chul has a whole new perspective because he realises that everything he used to seek after in the webtoon world is meaningless (fame, fortune, revenge) now that he has discovered his true destiny (ie to love Yeon Joo, his creator). Isn't this what those of us who love and pursue God experience too? All that the world can ever offer us pales in comparison to the wonder and beauty of His love, and any other pursuit is a mere chasing after the wind (or bubbles!)

Created for love
I mentioned earlier how there is a flashback to Yeon Joo's teenage years when she had created Kang Chul as her dream lover. He is destined to love her, for that is the purpose of his existence. Hence we see how after his rebirth the only thing that he finds fulfilment in, and it becomes his main pursuit, is to love and please her. In fact, even before that, Kang Chul is mysteriously attracted to Yeon Joo from the first time he sets eyes on her. Even after his memory has been erased, he is unexplainably intrigued by her. In the end, even though he has to stay in prison for three years, he finds joy and strength in the hope that when it is over he will be able to spend the rest of his life with Yeon Joo in the real world.

We were also created out of God's love and His desire for a relationship of love with us. Our love for Him propels us to seek His pleasure in all that we do. And until we realise this, many of us try to fill that longing for intimacy with Him by seeking after other 'loves'. But ultimately, we will not experience true fulfilment until we find and acknowledge our one true love. And this is the only love that can sustain and strengthen us through whatever trials and tribulations, even persecution, we may face in this life for we know that one day we will meet our Beloved face to face and spend eternity with Him.

Free will vs predestination
It is also because of love that God has given us a free will. A forced love is not real love, but only one that is freely given in reciprocation can be considered love. And that leads to the age-long debate over free will and predestination. The interplay between how Kang Chul is predestined to love Yeon Joo and how he is also given the self will to choose whether to pursue the love of his life (eg he decides to complete the 10 loving acts even though he has lost his memory of their relationship) perhaps gives us a glimpse of how free will and predestination actually work together hand in hand.

Another character also illustrates the dynamics between free will and predestination - Han Chul Ho. Yeon Joo comments at one point that he will no doubt try to eliminate the Killer because that's how his character has been set up yet Han is also shown to have self will in making that very decision.

Impostor god
The Killer is a nameless and faceless character whose sole purpose is to kill Kang Chul's family. Nevertheless, he becomes dissatisfied. He longs to be the centre of attraction and wants to take over as the main character of the webtoon. Consequently, the Killer steals Dad's face and tries to play God by controlling Dad to draw stuff for him in the webtoon in order to change the plot. He even pretends to be Dad in order to trick Yeon Joo and kidnap her.

This is not unlike Satan who became jealous of God and was thrown out of heaven as a result. He then tried to usurp God's place as the centre of worship as seen in how he tempted Jesus by offering Him all the kingdoms of the world if only Jesus would worship him. In fact, Satan still tries to get us to worship him instead of God by tempting us with worldly things like material wealth, power, fame, lust...the list goes on... But just like how Yeon Joo subsequently recognises that the Killer isn't Dad even though he has the same face, we also need to be alert and not fall prey to the lies of the wolf in sheep's clothing, the impostor god.

Even though the Killer does manage to kidnap Yeon Joo and  eventually shoots her fatally, he does not gain the final victory for he is killed and Yeon Joo is resurrected. This is analogous to how Satan thought he had triumphed over God when His Son was crucified and died, but with Jesus' resurrection he was defeated once and for all and Jesus won the final victory!

[I shall end here with this point. Despite having started writing this entry more than a week ago, it must be divine timing that I've completed it only now when we've just been celebrating Jesus' resurrection over the Easter weekend.]

From Renewal to New Horizon - personal faith journey

I was born (again) while studying in university in UK and when I returned after graduating, I was still a babe (in Christ) and was adopted (spiritually) by Renewal Christian Church. In this big family, I grew up under the love and care of many older brothers and sisters as well as the companionship (fellowship) of peers. I learned to talk (ie pray), walk (in God's ways), read (the Bible), and even teach (and mentor) others who joined the family after I did.

Under the watchful eyes of my family members and with much encouragement and support from them, I got to try out new ideas and embark on many adventurous projects. In the process, I grew stronger (in faith) and more confident of my (God-given) talents and abilities.

More than 20 years later, I have become a mature adult (spiritually). So the head of the family (senior pastor) match-made me with New Horizon Church and sent me out to stand on my own feet. But I will never forget the home where I grew up and was groomed for the work that God has purposed for me to do.

Happy 28th, RCC! 💕

Beauty and the Beast - arts and ethics

Not that I'm a big fan of Disney, but this article somehow got me thinking: Beauty and the Beast to feature first 'exclusively gay moment' in a Disney movie and I don't have to be a prophet to predict that there's going to be a petition soon to ban or raise the rating (currently PG) of the movie here and/or a call to boycott it.

After all, it's a mean blow to try and brainwash our impressionable kids with the gay agenda using an innocent fairy tale movie. Or is it? Are the artists on the opposite side the only ones guilty of manipulating the audience by subtly infiltrating works that are marketed as harmless frivolity with insinuating values and beliefs?

Honestly, how many times have we pretended to invite friends to a performance by XXX (insert celebrity's name) knowing full well that they will be bombarded with the gospel? What about the much-loved Veggietales which claims to promote 'Sunday Morning Values' with 'Saturday Morning Fun'? We play these videos over and over again to teach (some would say indoctrinate) our children the values and beliefs which we feel they should have.

Pot calling the kettle black, perhaps? Should we therefore take a step back and allow the other side to speak? Ok, I'm playing devil's advocate here but don't stone me yet for this is purely for the sake of discussion - comments are most welcome!

I have to put a caveat though - as a parent, I would still advise those with young children who are not yet mature enough to discern to put off watching the movie. And those with older ones, please do engage with them before and after watching and help them to process what they see. Other than gay identity, there are many other issues which I can think of for you to analyse and evaluate together, eg anger management, power and control, abusive relationships, feminism, chivalry vs chauvinism. So yes, it's fine to enjoy a bit of Disney entertainment, but keep your eyes open for opportunities to chat with your older kids too!

La La Land - comedy of errors

So apparently La La Land is supposed to be a romantic comedy, but the only time it made me laugh was when I heard about the fiasco at the Oscars. In fact, I was cringing throughout the whole movie and I kept screaming (in my head),"There are so many talented actors and actresses who can actually sing and dance (like those in the opening sequence), why did they have to choose these two?!?!" Well, the answer's pretty obvious, isn't it? They needed these pretty faces with BIG NAMES to sell the show! But if that was all there is to it, then I wouldn't be offended. The real problem was that they were also trying to sell something else!

Various other writers have already said their piece about the movie: here, here and here. So I'm not going to repeat the same points. I'm just going to unload my own grouse about it. I am offended because the film tries to sell us real art (authentic, unadulterated jazz and improv theatre) using the vehicle of a banal musical-wannabe where neither is the music soulful nor the acting convincing. To me, that is as offensive as trying to sell golf using sex. True art does not need a patronising nod from the commercial, shallow world of entertainment to prove its value.

I'm also offended because it sells the idea that living (and consequently sleeping) together is to be expected once you fall in love. There was no discussion or hesitation, no questions asked! You love each other, so you live together, then you can conveniently have sex whenever you want. But I must be fair, La La Land isn't the only movie that promotes this way of thinking. It's only one in a whole plethora of films and stories that are changing cultural norms for the worse (in my opinion).

Finally, I'm offended that it sells the idea that breaking up is easy to do. It's never easy and always painful, even years and sometimes decades later. It sets the stage for young people who launch into relationships without thinking of the possible consequences, when they should be thinking twice about whether they are ready for long-term commitment and whether the potential partner is the right one for them. (I've written about being equally yoked some time back.)

Ok, that's enough complaining for now. All this is giving me indigestion but I'm glad I got it out and hopefully I don't have to keep brooding on it anymore.

Treasure

First posted on Facebook on 1 May 2013:

Aimee wanted to go to the prayer meeting in church last night cos there's no school today. On the way there, she started telling me a very interesting story.

Her classmate had told her about a neighbour who had a very precious treasure. This classmate had been shown the treasure before and it was very beautiful and very precious. Apparently it had been passed down from their great-great-great-(x 20 or so)...great-grandfather, and was very precious!

One day when the family was out, a burglar broke into their home and stole this treasure. When they got home, they couldn't find it anywhere and they were very very sad cos it was very precious...

Aimee then commented, 'Do you know we are God's treasure?'

After some prompting from me, she concluded that unlike the family who lost their treasure, God will never take His eyes off His treasure and He will watch over and protect His treasure from being stolen by the thief Satan!

Did you know you are God's treasure and that you are very very precious to Him? <3

God of Justice

First posted on Facebook on 7 April 2013:

Was reminded of the song 'God of Justice' this morning. Just scrolled through my blog and found an entry I posted years ago about it! This topic has been on my mind again recently. And here's my reflection for the past few weeks...

Jesus spent most of his time with and ministering to the poor, the sick, the needy and of course the sinners (eg prostitutes, tax-collectors). And His heart is still with them today. If we say we love the Lord and love to spend time with Him, then we ought to go look for Him among the poor, sick, needy and oppressed cos He's right there! In fact, He spoke to me once when I was in an orphanage in India that He had brought me there to be with Him because He loves me and wants me by His side! What a privilege it is to be able to serve alongside my Beloved.

Also, if we say that we are Christ's disciples, then our aim should be to copy what He does and our ultimate goal is to be become just like Him. So since He chose to get His hands grubby by mixing with the lowliest of the lowliest, so should we. And seeing as He didn't count the costs and sacrificed His own life for those He loves, shouldn't we then also be willing to give up everything to continue His work?

And if we say that He is our Lord, then we should show that He is indeed our Lord and Master by obeying His word. This is what He said:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matt 25:34-40

Finally, if we say that we have faith in God, then if the faith we claim to have is truly a genuine, saving faith, it would naturally and should be expected to be accompanied by deeds:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 2:14-16

But to most of us, including myself, this is a tall order. It requires us to put aside our own needs and sometimes even our family's too, in order to meet someone else's needs. It requires an everflowing stream of love, patience, strength, wisdom and even creativity in order to keep doing it despite difficulties, setbacks and challenges.

But let us not forget that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared us in advance to do.

Eph 2:10

He has given each of us a set of gifts and talents which we are meant to use for good works (and not for our own glory or rewards, mind you). Not only that, He has given us good and perfect blessings in our lives which we are supposed to pass on to bless others (and not to store up for ourselves - look what happened to the guy who did that in Luke 12:16-21!) All we need to do is to lean on God's understanding and trust that He has the best plan in store for us. As long as we are willing, He will enable and empower us to do the work He has prepared for us to do.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

2 Cor 9:8