That phrase often focuses on someone who is a designated teacher or pastor. We seldom think about ourselves. But how about it?
Everyday, we come in contact with people who we can use our words to either build up or tear down. This isn’t just about saying edifying or encouraging things, but what about the encouraging things we actually say? How often are our advices or encouragement truly biblical?
Do we say something because that’s what we do? Do we say something because it’s what our culture does? or Do we say something because it’s what makes the most sense?
One question: How much of this ‘faith’ we believe in is actually biblical or it’s American (or Canadian or Chinese)?
When I make dumplings, I often will cook one or two to see if the seasoning is right before I begin making a whole batch. Though often I’d burn my tongue with those initial samples. Well how will I taste if my taste buds are numbed and burnt?
This reminds me of what sin can do to our taste buds. It is said ‘Taste and see the Lord is good’, but can we really taste the goodness of God if our taste buds are damaged?
Our taste buds need to be healed and restored, and so we can taste and see the true goodness of the Lord.
This morning I read the Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46):
43“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”[j]
The obvious interpretation of this is for the Pharisees and the other tenants being the Gentiles (according to the commentary of the bible anyway), it made me think about what about the Gentiles, nothing in it that says we who hear and are given the kingdom of God is secure that it won’t be taken away and given to other people? If it’s about bearing fruits, few verses before, Jesus mentions about the fig tree.
It made me think about what I read in the Purpose Driven Life, that this life is a test, but it’s also a entrusted life. We are entrusted with the vineyard to bear fruits so that we have something to give back to the master. Similar to the parable of the talents. Now, is fruits about how much we build for ourselves or is fruits about souls that yearns for the truth? But is it just about quantity, or is it more about the quality of the fruits?
What is our responsibility? Since after reading the above verses, I get worked up and wondering how I am not doing it enough. But what is enough? The age old question of what is our responsibility.
Few chapters before, Jesus also talked about the weary:
28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Unrest is a big part of this world; stress, worry, anxiety, disappointment, failure stare at us every second. Often we blame the world this is what life is. Well it is, and it is not. These are never meant to be the burden from Jesus, but from the devil.
Jesus said he is the bread of life. Eat, drink and live. If we keep on munching on this snack while work, or live out the life, I doubt we’ll be a lazy worker. We don’t have to put ourselves through the grind. Does this mean we don’t have a burden?
But Jesus did mention about His burden being light. What is the burden then? The verse pops up in my mind is the ‘carry your own cross’. I believe our responsibility is to surrender, to obey, and to trust Him, and Him only. Allow the peace and joy to penetrate every part of our soul, each day.
Being at rest and running the race is a foreign concept to many, myself included. But I am beginning to experience how it feels though: one can run but have the patience and peace to see the outcome to wait for the finish line to come closer.
I can have the vision of what the outcome I desire, but be patient and at peace that the steps laid out (ever changing) will eventually take me there. My responsibility is this day, how and what I choose to do with it, via the prompting of the Spirit. This way, I will be sure to be effective and productive in His work. Unrestful spirit has no place in our heart, as it is the biggest hindrance for God’s holy power to work.
It all starts from the heart.
Are you weary or overwhelmed?
In the effort to not gather much for myself, but to give to care for the less fortunate. I signed up to receive a package from Compassion International, of a child who needs sponsorship, and for me to ask one of my friends (or anyone who is interested) to commit to sponsor this child. I’ve worked with Compassion International for few years, and I’ve had nothing but the best experience.
So let me introduce you to this girl:
Name: Gloria
Location: Indonesia
Age: 4
About Gloria:
In her home, Gloria helps by caring for children and running errands. She lives with her father and her mother. Her father is sometimes employed and her mother maintains the home. There are 2 children in the family.
Gloria is not presently attending school. Singing and playing with dolls are her favorite activities. She also attends church activities regularly.
Please remember Gloria in your prayers. your love and support will help her to receive the assistance she needs to grow and develop.
What more could you want for Christmas than to share the joy of sponsoring Gloria and know you are helping her learn and develop physically, mentally and spiritually?
Friends, if you’d like to sponsor this child for $38 a month, please send me an email or leave a comment by 12/15, and I will give you the packet to complete – takes 2-3 min. I appreciate your consideration. Feel free to share this with friends via Facebook, Twitter and MySpace etc.
It’s a great question why the universe is so big. Why are all the stars?
To be honest, I don’t know.
But maybe God created all that to illustrate Himself to us and also for our learning purposes. For example, He used the stars in the heaven to illustrate to Abraham that the offsprings will be numerous. God created bees to show how individually everyone plays a part in a big picture and that even tiny insect like bees, God had His hand in. Same goes with farming, to illustrate His point about gleaning and teach people to trust Him with things like weather that we have absolutely no control over.
Like I mentioned in the post Greatness for the Insignificant, the big universe is to show how insignificant we are but yet how the almighty God cares for a personal relationship with us.
Maybe all the planet and things actually exist to create the perfect living condition on earth.
At the end of the day, we just won’t know the whole answer to Why. His ways are higher than ours. So then does it prevent us from believing God, since we don’t know it all? Well, maybe…or maybe not. I often think, if I was able to understand everything that God knows, then He really isn’t that big. Do you really want to put your whole life in my hand? Seriously now. I don’t even want to myself. lol
We all have faith. It’s just matter of what we have faith in. Simple statement like ‘God doesn’t exist’, well that’s a faith too. Same goes with faith in science, or faith in men.
Personally for me, none of the books or debates or theories did it for me to prove that God existed. It was time after time, the personal encounters that slowly broke away the unbelief. Truth is, if it wasn’t for the lowest of lows in my life, if it wasn’t for those moments when everything seems so dark and hope seems so faint, I wouldn’t have came that close face to face with Him.
