Yes, another overdue entry. It really sucks that I allowed life to take over and leave me with little time to sit down and reflect on what God has to say to me. So, I told myself this evening that no matter how late I had to work until, I’d still do my reading today. So technically, this post is meant to be dated Sunday, June 7.

Day 5: Seeing Life from God’s View

After reading today’s chapter, I’m more certain now that everything that has happened to me thus far has been a test from God. He wants to see how we react to the situations He has placed us in – whether or not we will always respond according to His laws, or if we will disregard Him and fail His tests miserably. But a bigger revelation was that His tests are actually to see if He can trust us with what He has given to us.

The way I see it, God constantly gives us the freedom of choice and allows us to go through trials for two reasons: (a) so we can build ourselves up to be more like Him; and (b) so we can learn to be responsible Christians. It is well-known that it is when we fall, that we become stronger. Learning from our mistakes will allow us to better ourselves and make more informed decisions. Imagine if everything was always handed to us on a platter. Surely, we’d end up taking everything for granted. I know I will.

So if we can remind ourselves that our sojourn on earth is a huge preparation for what is to come, perhaps we’ll start placing more emphasis on obeying God’s commandments, and we’ll act more responsibly. After all, the Lord has entrusted us so many wonderful things and opportunities, and placed all of His creations under our care, the least we can do is to not disappoint Him any more than we already do.

Yes, I am well aware that I missed yesterday’s reading. It really was a matter of having too many things on my plate. Nonetheless, I’ll make it up with a second post tonight.

Day 4: Made to Last Forever

The concept of eternity is something that few people can grapple with. For many, it seems too far away, and because we think we haven’t even started to live, why bother thinking about something that seems so out of reach? But we must be careful not to let this concept escape us because it actually determines how we are going to live our lives.

When we realise that life is temporal and that there is an expiration date tagged to everything, we begin to view the world with an informed mind. Coupled with the fact that our actions and/or decisions are directly related to Eternity, it is imperative that we learn how to prioritise what’s truly important, and focus on building relationships and character, not acquiring a mountain of things.

Of course, that’s all easier said than done. It takes time and effort to cultivate good relationships with people, and we often attribute our failures in this department to our lack of time. Personally, I’ve been so caught up with work that I’m hardly able to meet up with friends and reinforce our relationship. But even when I do have some spare time, sometimes I’d just rather stay at home and watch a DVD, thinking that I’m simply giving myself a deserving rest after a long day at work. I know now there is this glaring lack of effort on my part, and I am ashamed.

Character-building is something that requires plenty of trials before we can emerge and proclaim that yes, we have conquered. In spite of that, we almost always take the easy way out because the other way would be too difficult. I often find myself asking “what’s an easier way to do this?” rather than “what’s a better way to do this?”. While they seem similar, the focus is completely different. Fortunately, God is always there to nudge me and lend a hand, without which, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve everything that I have ever accomplished. And in the process, I have also learnt to trust God more each day, leaning on Him for strength and support.

I believe God created us to last forever because He knows we will need an entire lifetime on earth to prepare ourselves for what is to come. So perhaps we should stop thinking that we have all the time in the world, because really, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. And if I should be scheduled to meet my Maker soon, I would much rather be welcomed with open arms, than one escaping through the flames.

I was at work 12 hours straight today and was all ready to skip today’s reading… But God doesn’t give excuses, does He? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Day 3: What Drives Your Life?

For the longest time, a large part of my life centred around two things: ambition and acceptance.

Since I was 14, I knew I wanted to study Mass Communications. So for the rest of my scholastic life, I was focused on achieving that goal. Along the way, there were some setbacks, but because I had this ambition, it drove me to persevere. So I got my degree and secured a good job, only to realise less than a year later that it wasn’t right for me. Did I regret it? Heck, no, cos for the longest time, it gave me a purpose. But when I got into teaching, it solidified the fact that God knew better. Much better. It was then that I understood how important it was for God to be the driving force in my life, rather than my own agenda.

The other issue that reinforced this was when I realised that I was promising my loved ones more than I could deliver, disappointing many in the process. Perhaps it’s because I am an only child, so to ensure I’m always loved and not forgotten, I got into the habit of being slightly too accommodating. This was a problem because I was trying to please everyone and when I could not give them my 100%, people became upset. Of course, I eventually realised it is more important to do what God wills. And if I stick to that, I don’t need to worry about anything else.

The model response to all this would be to say that since I am now more aware of my shortcomings, I am focused on submitting my life unto Him and that all my actions are God-honouring. But you and I both know that that’s not entirely accurate. Too many decisions were based entirely on my own desires, and even today, instead of making sure I am God-pleasing, my actions are more people-pleasing.

I really do pray that as I continue to walk with God, I’ll be more conscious and concerned about what God would think, and let His law be the only driving force in my life. After all, I know fully well that when God is for me, no one can be against me. So seriously? It’s time for me to get my focus right.