Have we been less than discerning in our life? Have we lost our confidence to overcome life’s struggles? Have we forgotten to count our days and to make use of them wisely? Psalm 90:10...12 puts it simply and elegantly this way, “The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away…So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” A few things are clear in this illuminating passage. First, life is not long. Second, living is not smooth. And finally, we need to make everyday count by counting them, day by day. There is surely something important about counting our days. It seems to be the stepping stones to a wise heart, or a discerning and mature one. But I believe it is more than just counting that the Psalmist is advising us to do. I think is all about attention, or more precisely, paying attention to everyday that comes knocking our way.
Many people think that a day starts with the morning and ends with the night. But I think differently. Quite counter-intuitively, I think a day doesn’t start for us until we are ready for it. So, until we are ready to make each day counts, a day is as irrelevant to us as the moons that are orbiting Jupiter. Many of us let each day passes without knowing it. The hours are meaningless to us because we have nothing meaningful to fill them with. For those who live such a life, a day is as long as a lifetime. And a lifetime is usually wasted away on nothing more than work, duty and obligations.
Surely, there must be a higher calling for Christians like us. Are we purpose-driven? Or are we worldly-driven? Are we walking by faith? Or are we walking by sight? Are we living an examined life? Or are we drifting along, sleepwalking through the hours, the days and the lost years? On this, the above Psalmist’s advice is a wake up call. Going back to basics, we are encouraged to pay attention to every day and to seize the moment by making each moment counts. We can do this by investing more in our spiritual life through taking these 8 important steps.
1) We need to take the first step by asking: What defines us? In other words, we need to ask, what kind of Christian do we want to be? Or what spiritual legacy do we want our children to inherit from our life? This requires some soul searching. Some of us who are serious with our faith may want to take a day or two to sort this out. Unless we take the time to answer this question in our own personal and unique way, we will always be living below the level of our God-given potential.
2) Co-partnering with God. We need to come to a place to acknowledge that growing “spiritually” without God is no different from growing individually. Without God, our spiritual walk is a pharisaical one. It is legalistic. It is self-glorifying. It is inauthentic. For some of us, we have to re-invite God into our lives. To do this, we need to surrender our independence and our freedom. We need to let God take charge and submit to His leading. This is of course difficult for some who have been so busy climbing up the career or social ladder. That is why we need to count the days to slow it down. We need to pace ourselves and slowly but surely let God’s ministering spirit guide our lives. Sometimes, we have to take that spiritual risk to give up what we now think is important and invest wholeheartedly on what the Bible says is important. For we know that if we take this spiritual risk to invest in this journey of faith with God, all of life’s care and worries will be well taken care of.
3) Dealing with our duplicity. Jesus had made it clear that one cannot serve two masters. It is either this fallen world or the promised world to come. It is either the pleasures of this world or the imminent joy of eternity. We have to make the choice and stick with it at all costs. Nothing is more damaging to our spiritual growth than to profess our allegiance to God and then go out and live our lives to betray that allegiance. Let us live a life that is pleasing to God by making sure that our word matches with our actions. For there is only one “duplicity” that is allowed in Christendom, and it is in these words of Martin Luther, “A Christian is a perfectly free Lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.”
4) Stop making excuses. I think that the finger ultimately points back at us. We need to take personal responsibility for our decisions and our actions. If we are resolute on making that all-important change, we need to turn the searchlights on ourselves. Blaming our circumstances, our genes, and our lot in life are not going to lead us anywhere close to authentic personal transformation. Let’s do a thorough spiritual spring cleaning on ourselves before we become witnesses or ambassadors of Christ
5) Become ruthless with sins. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is also where we become serious with our Christian walk. I believe that one of the greatest obstacles to living a life of victory is to be burdened by a sin-stricken conscience. Sin compromises our effectiveness as a Christian. It drowns out the guiding voice of the Holy Spirit. It also makes light the sufferings of Jesus at the Cross. So, let’s be radical and ruthless with sins lest we become enslaved by it, held under its sway and subjected to its appetites. Isaiah 57:20 warns us, “The wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.”
6) Feed our Spirit. To state the obvious, natural food nourishes us just as spiritual food strengthens us. Spiritual food or discipline comes in many helpings. Reading the Bible with understanding, praying with faith and evangelizing with love are but some examples. We need to cultivate a divine appetite for spiritual food. The key to do this is to renounce the appetites of the flesh through meditation, fasting and prayer. By starving the flesh of lusts, pride and greed, denouncing such cravings, we develop a thirst for all things spiritual. To sustain this divine thirst, we need to experience God. We need to open our hearts to a life of relationship and intimacy with Him. In the end, the reward of spiritual disciplines is worth our daily consistent efforts because as Richard Foster puts it, the celebration of discipline leads us to the path of spiritual growth and true personal liberation from the temptations of this world.
7) Lastly, never grow alone. There is a simple reason for this: even the gift of redemption is a joint effort. The fullness of the Trinity is clearly at work here. God the Father gave up his only son. Jesus completed the work at the cross. And the Holy Spirit empowers us to live a holy life. If the gift of redemption is a joint effort, what’s more our spiritual growth. We should always encourage one another to grow spiritually. We should find a good and sound church so that we can praise and worship in one concerted voice. We should join hands together in the various church ministries to bring the gospel to the lost. We should never despise the gatherings of God’s people because there is power in corporate prayer, strength in numbers (if one can put one thousand to flight, two can put ten thousands to flight), and hope in the victorious testimonies of the saints.
Personally, our cell group is going to turn 8 this June. I believe the collective prayers, joint experiences and mutual encouragement have through the years deepened our spiritual life. It has also enriched our relationship with one another and sustained our hope in times of trials. This bond will remain strong as long as we all remain as one. For Ephesians 4:3 says, “(We) are joined together with peace through the Spirit, so make every effort to continue together in this way.”
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Whistle series (120310)
Are we all born to lie? Are we liars at heart? Is lying the default position in our life? An experiment was carried out to answer these questions and the results were less than surprising. A five year old boy called Jonah was asked to play a simple game. The tester was a friendly looking woman who would play toys behind Jonah’s back. These toys made distinct noises and Jonah was supposed to identify and match the toys to the noises they make. The first toy was the sound of a fire engine and it was a piece of cake for Jonah to identify. The second toy made this recorded statement, “To infinity and beyond” and Jonah shouted, “Buzz Lightyear!” Then, came the last toy with a melody that left Jonah clueless. It was at this time that the woman left the room to answer a telephone call. Before she left, she specifically instructed Jonah not to peek at the toy.
But it didn’t take long for Jonah to turn around and saw a Barney doll lying on the floor. After a while, the female tester returned and she asked him to identify the toy. Jonah barked, “Barney!” Looking surprised, the tester asked Jonah whether he had peeked at the toy. This is the whole purpose of the experiment: Will Jonah tell the truth or lie about it? This experiment was done on one hundred 3 to 7 years olds and 82% of them peeked. Out of this 82%, about 95% of them lied to the tester! Imagine that. A vast majority of these young, tender, adorable and innocent children lied to the adults without even being trained or taught to do so. In other words, you don’t need to school your children in the art of lying; it just comes naturally like the cravings for sweets.
In fact, to stretch things a little, there are a few schools in this world that will be wholly redundant or completely unnecessary. They are the school of lies, theater of theft and, maybe, academy of greed and adultery.
We are only humans and the Bible has already foretold of how sins are an integral part of us like a belly button or a birthmark. No matter how hard we hope to deny it, we are very imperfect people. For some of us, lying is only the tip of the iceberg of our character flaws. In fact, all of us have our hidden closets of bone-dried skeletons, deep-seated secrets, and shameful past that we dread the day they are exposed to our loved ones, our children or the public at large. This is therefore the cry of our heart: What must we do to be saved?
However you look at it, we are all crying out for redemption. And this is not even as a result of feeling guilty for some wrongdoings in our life. Even for those who think they are “morally upright” or “spiritually cleansed” by the overflowing dispensation of grace, something deep inside of them, I sincerely believe, still feels life is incomplete, something is broken, or something is missing.
When Jesus said that the truth shall set us free, He was referring to the freedom that comes from living a holy life. And this is achievable not to the extent that our life will no longer be plagued by sin or the temptation to sin. As long as we are still on this side of fallen heaven, and limited by this body, we will without exception face our own carnal cravings of the flesh. We will still lie. We will still fall into temptation. We will still be challenged by greed, lust and pride. But the difference here is in the final words of Jesus when he was confronted by Pontus Pilates in John 18:33. Finding no charge against Jesus, Pilates asked him whether he was the King of the Jews. Jesus then said that His kingdom belongs not to this world. Pouncing on this admission, Pilates exclaimed, “You are a king then?” My point here is in the reply of Jesus, “You say it! For I am a King. This is why I was born, and for this I have come into this world, to bear witness to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth hears and listens to My voice.”
This is what I call the ears of redemption. That is why the Bible says that faith comes by hearing and by hearing the word of God. Are we being convicted by what we hear and listen to? In this age of technology, we are assaulted by thousands of information. These are sensory stimuli that overwhelm and paralyze us into inactivity. Instead of becoming believers, we become non-believers. We have become skeptical, critical and even acerbic. The prosperity teachings, the grace dispensation, the Calvinistic pre-destination, the healing without exception messages, and the charismatic gifts manifestations have all conspired to lull us into a state of spiritual obesity. We are clearly overfed but, at the same time, spiritually empty, barren and disillusioned. This reminds me of the story told by a monk who founded the Dominican order named Dominic.
In the thirteen century, he was invited by the Pope to tour around the Vatican. In the tour, Dominic witnessed the majestic architecture, the wonderful treasures, and the exceeding riches of the interior. With reference to Acts 3:6, the Pope turned to Dominic and said proudly, “Peter (signifying the Pope himself) can no longer say, “Silver and gold have I none.” Dominic quickly added, “Neither can he says, “Rise up and walk.” Indeed, the lesson here is a sad one. Instead of listening to our Shepherd’s voice, we have turned our attention to the voices of the world. Jesus’ admonishments, his teachings and his rebuke have all been drown out by the rosy promises of exceeding wealth, perfect health and success for the easy plucking.
As Christians, we must be careful in our definition of what it means to live a life that is pleasing to God. On this point, Titus 1:15 puts it well, “To the pure (in heart and conscience), all things are pure, but to the defiled and corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are defiled and polluted.” So, the same old record keeps playing the same old tune: it’s the heart, silly. A life that is pleasing to God is one where the heart is right before Him. With a pure heart, we have the Midas’ touch. Everything we come in contact with turns solid gold. Our focus becomes realigned. Our directions become clearer. Our pleasures become redefined. When the heart is pure, whatever we do pleases God. Success takes on a new dimension. Wealth no longer controls us. Relationships with others take precedence. Physical intimacy with our spouse becomes pleasurable and meaningful and no substitute will suffice.
Beloved, let me leave you with this thought: Imagine just one day lived with a pure heart. You wake up in the morning with the assurance that God is pleased with you for being you and not because you are rich and famous or poor and less well-known. You go to work and relate to your colleagues differently. Because you are loved, you are able to demonstrate the same kind of powerful affection to your colleagues. Your inclusive behavior becomes contagious and everyone who crosses your path cannot help but feel a positive aura about you. You then return home and spread your joy and love to your children. After enjoying precious moments with them and putting them to sleep, you spent quality time with your wife. Both of you make love and enjoy the ecstasy that comes with consummation. Then, you seal the night with a prayer of thanksgiving and ask for strength and faith to face the next day.
Although not everyday will turn out so smoothly, you will nevertheless experience such profound pleasure and satisfaction that dwarfs all carnal pleasures this world can offer. Soon, the world would lose its luster. Temptation would lose its enticement. And greed and pride will lose its hold over you. Dr James Houston says it well, “For Christians who live closely with God, life is like a festival.”
But it didn’t take long for Jonah to turn around and saw a Barney doll lying on the floor. After a while, the female tester returned and she asked him to identify the toy. Jonah barked, “Barney!” Looking surprised, the tester asked Jonah whether he had peeked at the toy. This is the whole purpose of the experiment: Will Jonah tell the truth or lie about it? This experiment was done on one hundred 3 to 7 years olds and 82% of them peeked. Out of this 82%, about 95% of them lied to the tester! Imagine that. A vast majority of these young, tender, adorable and innocent children lied to the adults without even being trained or taught to do so. In other words, you don’t need to school your children in the art of lying; it just comes naturally like the cravings for sweets.
In fact, to stretch things a little, there are a few schools in this world that will be wholly redundant or completely unnecessary. They are the school of lies, theater of theft and, maybe, academy of greed and adultery.
We are only humans and the Bible has already foretold of how sins are an integral part of us like a belly button or a birthmark. No matter how hard we hope to deny it, we are very imperfect people. For some of us, lying is only the tip of the iceberg of our character flaws. In fact, all of us have our hidden closets of bone-dried skeletons, deep-seated secrets, and shameful past that we dread the day they are exposed to our loved ones, our children or the public at large. This is therefore the cry of our heart: What must we do to be saved?
However you look at it, we are all crying out for redemption. And this is not even as a result of feeling guilty for some wrongdoings in our life. Even for those who think they are “morally upright” or “spiritually cleansed” by the overflowing dispensation of grace, something deep inside of them, I sincerely believe, still feels life is incomplete, something is broken, or something is missing.
When Jesus said that the truth shall set us free, He was referring to the freedom that comes from living a holy life. And this is achievable not to the extent that our life will no longer be plagued by sin or the temptation to sin. As long as we are still on this side of fallen heaven, and limited by this body, we will without exception face our own carnal cravings of the flesh. We will still lie. We will still fall into temptation. We will still be challenged by greed, lust and pride. But the difference here is in the final words of Jesus when he was confronted by Pontus Pilates in John 18:33. Finding no charge against Jesus, Pilates asked him whether he was the King of the Jews. Jesus then said that His kingdom belongs not to this world. Pouncing on this admission, Pilates exclaimed, “You are a king then?” My point here is in the reply of Jesus, “You say it! For I am a King. This is why I was born, and for this I have come into this world, to bear witness to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth hears and listens to My voice.”
This is what I call the ears of redemption. That is why the Bible says that faith comes by hearing and by hearing the word of God. Are we being convicted by what we hear and listen to? In this age of technology, we are assaulted by thousands of information. These are sensory stimuli that overwhelm and paralyze us into inactivity. Instead of becoming believers, we become non-believers. We have become skeptical, critical and even acerbic. The prosperity teachings, the grace dispensation, the Calvinistic pre-destination, the healing without exception messages, and the charismatic gifts manifestations have all conspired to lull us into a state of spiritual obesity. We are clearly overfed but, at the same time, spiritually empty, barren and disillusioned. This reminds me of the story told by a monk who founded the Dominican order named Dominic.
In the thirteen century, he was invited by the Pope to tour around the Vatican. In the tour, Dominic witnessed the majestic architecture, the wonderful treasures, and the exceeding riches of the interior. With reference to Acts 3:6, the Pope turned to Dominic and said proudly, “Peter (signifying the Pope himself) can no longer say, “Silver and gold have I none.” Dominic quickly added, “Neither can he says, “Rise up and walk.” Indeed, the lesson here is a sad one. Instead of listening to our Shepherd’s voice, we have turned our attention to the voices of the world. Jesus’ admonishments, his teachings and his rebuke have all been drown out by the rosy promises of exceeding wealth, perfect health and success for the easy plucking.
As Christians, we must be careful in our definition of what it means to live a life that is pleasing to God. On this point, Titus 1:15 puts it well, “To the pure (in heart and conscience), all things are pure, but to the defiled and corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are defiled and polluted.” So, the same old record keeps playing the same old tune: it’s the heart, silly. A life that is pleasing to God is one where the heart is right before Him. With a pure heart, we have the Midas’ touch. Everything we come in contact with turns solid gold. Our focus becomes realigned. Our directions become clearer. Our pleasures become redefined. When the heart is pure, whatever we do pleases God. Success takes on a new dimension. Wealth no longer controls us. Relationships with others take precedence. Physical intimacy with our spouse becomes pleasurable and meaningful and no substitute will suffice.
Beloved, let me leave you with this thought: Imagine just one day lived with a pure heart. You wake up in the morning with the assurance that God is pleased with you for being you and not because you are rich and famous or poor and less well-known. You go to work and relate to your colleagues differently. Because you are loved, you are able to demonstrate the same kind of powerful affection to your colleagues. Your inclusive behavior becomes contagious and everyone who crosses your path cannot help but feel a positive aura about you. You then return home and spread your joy and love to your children. After enjoying precious moments with them and putting them to sleep, you spent quality time with your wife. Both of you make love and enjoy the ecstasy that comes with consummation. Then, you seal the night with a prayer of thanksgiving and ask for strength and faith to face the next day.
Although not everyday will turn out so smoothly, you will nevertheless experience such profound pleasure and satisfaction that dwarfs all carnal pleasures this world can offer. Soon, the world would lose its luster. Temptation would lose its enticement. And greed and pride will lose its hold over you. Dr James Houston says it well, “For Christians who live closely with God, life is like a festival.”
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