Orchestration

image source: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071021.html

A light bulb lit in my head today. It was strange, though, that it happened in the bathroom. 

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28)

In my head, I dissected every word of this verse and came upon the following realizations:

* God - He is the doer of the action expressed in the verse, not me or anyone else - I should not be the one trying to make everything work together; it is God's job

* causes - bringing about an effect or a result - God never wastes any stage of life; He uses every single moment of it 

* everything - all things - including the bad and good events - all things!

* to work together - life may sometimes seem so random, like series of events that don't mean anything - but in God's omnipotence, He can make all of them work together - for what?

* for the good - life is hard sometimes - but God intends all events of life for the good - of who?

* of those who love God- Who then are the people who love God? 

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me." (John 14:21)

However, many people think they are loving Him, simply because they are trying to obey His commands. To love God, you have to accept His love first. 

"We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

Have you done that?

What does it mean to accept God's love? It is too broad, it would take infinite number of words to explain it. John 3:16, however summarized it: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

To accept His love, we have to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. For one cannot love the Father, if not through the Son - because by His sacrifice, those who accept Him into their lives have been made right with God.

* who have been called according to his purpose for them - as long as you know you are walking according to God's purpose for your life (whatever it is), then you can be assured that this promise is for you (provided of course, that you love Him)

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28)

Blessings

image source: http://www.cc.gatech.edu/cpl/projects/graphcuttextures/

At the onset of this year, I asked God for a specific promise and then He gave me this:

“..I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19)

I took it as God’s promise of blessing for me for the year 2011. There are only 30 days left before this year ends and so far, what I thought I had got were a failed expectation – when I did not graduate with honors last March and a love story with a sad and painful ending that contributed much to my making God into my own image and likeness. I started to feel like He delights in withholding things from me, that the thought of “doing so to make me become closer to Him” is not only clichéish but lame. I have noticed refusing to see the drama of life – concluding that perhaps, everything is simply pragmatic, and my former self who was hopeful and child-like had been immature after all. I noticed how I almost stopped believing in His romantic side – that His gaze is upon me and He is seeing me through. Like a child that never stops wailing thinking mom does not know what I need, I sometimes thought and acted as if He does not really know what I need or if He does, He does not really care. After all, He could be busy running this whole universe – for His glory and His alone.

“I’m at the wrong place at the wrong time,” is the thought I tend to believe in. Has God made a mistake in sending me here? Or I just didn’t hear His will clearly? Is this how he is blessing me?

These days, I have been thinking a lot about my future – how it would be nice to go abroad to reach out to those who don’t know Christ - perhaps, use my skills in doing so, how it would be great to do it with a man God has chosen for me. Oh, how my heart aches for this.

But God’s word today at church reminded me once again to be still.

Simply be still...

Nothing wrong with thinking about the future – in fact, to go and preach His word is His command – but to think too much of it at the expense of what God has in store for me today is a sin in itself – a way of saying I don’t trust Him enough and that I think this life He has given me now is inferior to what He has planned for the future.

Nothing wrong with desiring for marriage – it is God’s gift – but to not see other facets of life because of it is a sin in itself.

Just because I don’t have a huge ministry this year or a 5-digit salary per month or a romance that sends tingles down my spine doesn’t mean I am not blessed. I realized that the absence of such things in my life is the blessing in itself. Perhaps, God wants to build my character or He is testing my faith or He is simply making me rest or all of the above.

To simply wait and rest in Him is the best way I could serve Him at this point in my life.

My tears came rolling down my cheeks as I listened to the message and the song, “Blessing” by Laura Story.

It felt as if God was talking straight to my face. Of course, that couldn’t happen. I was just sure He was speaking straight to my heart.

His giving and withholding are both manifestations of His love. His blessings come in many forms and how stupid of me to have put Him in a box as to how mine would look like this year.

With all that I have and with all that I don’t, I give my praise to thee! Thank you for my 2011! 

There's More to It

image source: http://martyrollins.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/the-utter-necessity-of-purpose/

DISCLAIMER: This article conforms to the belief that sex is intended only for married people.

Sigmund Freud, a popular psychologist and the father of psychoanalysis would say that man’s drives are all driven by the libido – in other words, whatever one says or does, it all boils down to his or her sexuality. I respect Freud and I believe in his other theories (and you will even find the word, ‘sublimate’ in this article). In my observation of humanity, however, I found this one to be untrue. Of course, I don’t deny the relation between the libido and other aspects of being human – but what I discovered instead was that if one is not vigilant and self-controlled, his or her dreams and aspirations can easily reduce themselves to mere expressions of sexuality.

When I speak of dreams and aspirations, I speak of human’s unique dreams – his or her desire to be the best that he or she could be and ultimately make a difference in other people’s lives and contribute to make the world a better place. In my membership to an organization inclined to talking with people (even strangers) heart-to-heart, I have realized that everyone wants to achieve something great – be it a simple help for a family member or an entire community, or a desire to change the world in some way. Such dreams are gifts from above and every day ought to be a way to achieve them, or an endeavour one-step nearer to its reality. Many, however, would opt for the second best in life – forget about this and pursue easier ways to enjoy life. They have become slaves of their sexual energy and not masters of it.

Sexual energy that manifests itself in sexual desires is a part of the whole energy that is intended for one to achieve his or her purpose. It is never a separate compartment in a person’s life. It is not a tranquilizer or a mere pastime – it is a celebration. There is a reason why God prohibits sex out of marriage – depriving singles from enjoying it. He wants to say that there is more to life! In short, sexual energies in singles ought to sublimate creatively for more productive, helpful outputs - all part of God’s plan for them at a certain point in their lives. As God’s children, we let sexual desires sublimate this way - to please God and to fulfil His purpose through our lives – not the other way around.

Sex may help us forget things – even those planted deep in our hearts but it is never true that it’s all about it. We are all made for something great – larger than life itself and we should watch over it simply slipping into inferior, demonic ways.

I Look

image source: http://www.citylifechurch.net/Articles/160992/City_Life_Church/resources/Messages/Jesus_and_the_Cross.aspx

I look at the world and I am wearied -

lost in its troubles, clueless of its cure

I look at others and I am worried -

envious of their possessions, comparing myself to them

I look at Jesus and I see the cross

reminded of its purpose, rebuked of my attitude

I look at Him and I turn my sighs into praise

recalled his saving grace, tongue-tied of its glory