I recall times when I would wake but stay in my bed, unable to think of anything to look forward to, or any grand meaning/purpose worth living for.
Thank you that I was not able to be satisfied with anything in my life.
Thank you for this time when I am not busy or cruising in life, and when I am able to be still before you.
Thank you for allowing me to wake up in the morning, aware that I am your creation, an image of you, and that my purpose is to reflect your glory.
Day by day, for you glory, may I never forget.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Sharing the Gospel at Work
I had a negative experience sharing the gospel at one of my former workplaces. At that time, I felt like it was almost time for me to be leaving my workplace and it would be the last opportunities to do so. On the last day, I wrote a few people thank you cards and shared the good news with them on the card, and also included gospel tracts. Oddly, that day, none of them were at their desk to receive these cards directly from me. I believe now it was God's protection from direct conflict which I would not know how to handle back then (even now I would have no clue). However, as much as I felt relieved for doing so, ultimately I received feedback from the workplace advising me not to share the gospel. They had also advised everyone in the department of what had happened and given the same advice to all my former colleagues to not to share about faith at the workplace. It was the first "formal" rejection I received from a workplace for sharing about my faith, and it left me wary about sharing the gospel at future workplaces. Was this really God's plan, to have me share the gospel and then be blacklisted from the workplace? I worried that given how small the industry I work in, everyone would soon know and brand me as the strange girl, or worse still, tell other people about what had happened. I received some peace from scripture that though there may not have been a positive result from sharing, I was only answerable to God, for
1 Thes 2:4 just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.
Still, however, I recognize the weakness in my heart. Especially times when the industry is so tough to be in, I sometimes almost regret doing what I did and effectively ruining the once high possibility of working there.
At another workplace, I had an orientation session, where they screened a video from the Ministry of Labour portraying a Christian sharing about his church and encouraging his coworker who had issues with his spouse to attend counselling at his church. The video filmed the christian-related displays he had in his office and presented the Christian as if he was committing evil. The conclusion of the video was of course not to share about your religion/faith at work.
Given all the hostility about faith at workplace, it has been a challenge to share and for me sometimes even slightly traumatizing to think about because of bad memories. It was only till yesterday at a BSF teaching that it finally made sense to me. People will be offended by the gospel message if they don't feel love from you. Love is only felt where there is a genuine relationship with other, and when they have experienced care and concern from you, and know that they can trust you and that you mean for their good. Although people say love is telling people the truth, which is that the wages of sin is death and knowing Jesus is the only way, how many colleagues would accept that if I was more or less a stranger in their life? I look back on the times where I did share with coworkers and where it was received, it was with people whom I could call friends. Two weren't, but at least we were comfortable chatting and the conversation came up really naturally. Where we had more serious conversations, for me, none of it was during work hours.
It will still take wisdom and discernment as there will still be people who take offense. One of my experiences was that the coworker initiated an email directly to me with a rant about Christianity, but at least that was an open dialogue about faith. Different situations calls for different approaches, but generally for myself in today's North American context, I think I will view future workplace faith sharing, as something more on a personal level and established on a relationship with love in order to tell the gospel, rather than a "preaching-message heralding-hard truth" stance. It will also be equally important to live out the Bible in our own lives as part of the testimony, as a preacher said, "we are the only bible many people will ever read in their lives" .
1 Thes 2:4 just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.
Still, however, I recognize the weakness in my heart. Especially times when the industry is so tough to be in, I sometimes almost regret doing what I did and effectively ruining the once high possibility of working there.
At another workplace, I had an orientation session, where they screened a video from the Ministry of Labour portraying a Christian sharing about his church and encouraging his coworker who had issues with his spouse to attend counselling at his church. The video filmed the christian-related displays he had in his office and presented the Christian as if he was committing evil. The conclusion of the video was of course not to share about your religion/faith at work.
Given all the hostility about faith at workplace, it has been a challenge to share and for me sometimes even slightly traumatizing to think about because of bad memories. It was only till yesterday at a BSF teaching that it finally made sense to me. People will be offended by the gospel message if they don't feel love from you. Love is only felt where there is a genuine relationship with other, and when they have experienced care and concern from you, and know that they can trust you and that you mean for their good. Although people say love is telling people the truth, which is that the wages of sin is death and knowing Jesus is the only way, how many colleagues would accept that if I was more or less a stranger in their life? I look back on the times where I did share with coworkers and where it was received, it was with people whom I could call friends. Two weren't, but at least we were comfortable chatting and the conversation came up really naturally. Where we had more serious conversations, for me, none of it was during work hours.
It will still take wisdom and discernment as there will still be people who take offense. One of my experiences was that the coworker initiated an email directly to me with a rant about Christianity, but at least that was an open dialogue about faith. Different situations calls for different approaches, but generally for myself in today's North American context, I think I will view future workplace faith sharing, as something more on a personal level and established on a relationship with love in order to tell the gospel, rather than a "preaching-message heralding-hard truth" stance. It will also be equally important to live out the Bible in our own lives as part of the testimony, as a preacher said, "we are the only bible many people will ever read in their lives" .
Monday, October 19, 2015
Humbling Season
I have been counting the months, and it has been a long season. In my flesh I would choose not to go through all this, but as with many things, this is not something I can control. When things are stripped away, I am left to confront my value and purpose in life.
My Worth Is Not In What I Own
http://www.gettymusic.com/hymns-myworth.aspx
Thankful for the lyrics and music that provides such encouragement, reminders, and challenge. Still learning to be satisfied in Him alone.
My Worth Is Not In What I Own
http://www.gettymusic.com/hymns-myworth.aspx
Thankful for the lyrics and music that provides such encouragement, reminders, and challenge. Still learning to be satisfied in Him alone.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
unbelief: A luxury no man or woman can afford- A .Z. Tozer
From the evangelist
"When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." Matthew 19:22
"To accept the call of Christ changes the returning sinner indeed, but it does not change the world. The wind still blows toward hell and the man who is walking in the opposite direction will have the wind in his face".
"When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." Matthew 19:22
"To accept the call of Christ changes the returning sinner indeed, but it does not change the world. The wind still blows toward hell and the man who is walking in the opposite direction will have the wind in his face".
Friday, October 3, 2014
failure becomes a friend when it turns us to God- from the Evangelist
Blessings ~ by Laura Story
~
In 2011, I was listening to this song. Somehow, I come back to this song it again. I know now much more clearly how it is true that God you are our only hope and only you can truly satisfy.
Still learning, while waiting for the rain to be over...someday
Thursday, September 18, 2014
First Love
Pastor Richard preached on letter to the Church in Ephesus earlier and the reminder and rebuke to the church not to forsake their first love.
To Remember, To Repent and To Redo
Think my blog is one of the things I can use to remember how my relationship with God was in the past and to meditate and reflect. It has been too long, reading the old posts makes me feel so distant from the person I was. It has become even hard to write things down. Many things have happened over the past year but it is only until more recently that I understand how I have time and again, broken the commandment of the Lord in idolatry and not fulfilled the greatest commandment of loving God with all my heart, soul and mind. There are serious consequences to that, but I can only cling onto the mercy and grace of God through the gospel. Lord help me to do the things I did before, to love and adore you, to put you first and in the center.
To Remember, To Repent and To Redo
Think my blog is one of the things I can use to remember how my relationship with God was in the past and to meditate and reflect. It has been too long, reading the old posts makes me feel so distant from the person I was. It has become even hard to write things down. Many things have happened over the past year but it is only until more recently that I understand how I have time and again, broken the commandment of the Lord in idolatry and not fulfilled the greatest commandment of loving God with all my heart, soul and mind. There are serious consequences to that, but I can only cling onto the mercy and grace of God through the gospel. Lord help me to do the things I did before, to love and adore you, to put you first and in the center.
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