Called to LOVE

To those of us who inherit salvation, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away (Hebrews 2:1). The test of faith lies not in the first few years of being in Christ but in the last few years of my first decade in Him. I have to jealously guard my quiet time with Him by hiding my handphone in my wardrobe. However, it takes greater discipline on the mind and heart to tune in to His word and to rest in Him. To say “no” to even legitimate requests is something that I am learning. I am beginning to realise that while all things can be done to glorify God, He does not want me to do all. That is why we need the body of Christ, each using his spiritual gift and sphere of influence to impact this nation that our Lord has put us in.

I used to be a very timid person. I was awfully afraid of authority figures and even now, I dare not talk to Pastors because I think they know too much and I know too little. Yet I have the audacity to share my reflections on social media because I sincerely hope to encourage fellow brethren that each of us has something valuable to offer to the body of Christ. I may lack a theological background but the Holy Spirit guides me into all truth (John 16:13). A soul that refreshes others will himself be refreshed (Proverbs 11:25). Through my sharing, even unbelievers will know that God is real because they can see the transformation in me. 

In recent years, God gave me so much boldness that it scares me. The past eight years in Christ was a period of connecting with God and basking in His love. Sadly, I was also totally oblivious to what was happening in our nation. It was only in the last quarter of year 2014 that the scales of my eyes were taken away. I did not realise that I live in a world so contrary to God’s values. We have the most liberal abortion laws, sexual immorality even among teenagers, high divorce rates, high suicide rates among youths, with more seeking professional help for mental health issues. I serve a God who is deeply concerned with our lives because He created man in His image (Genesis 1:26). What about us? Do I go for church service every Sunday and forget about God for the rest of the week? Do I go for the best bible study but I never learn to apply His commandments and His values in my life and in my relationship with others? What do I do with what I know, if not to be the salt and light of this nation that God has put me in? God is not real to me until I realise how applicable His Word is to my life.

And so from year 2015 onwards, I started to write in to the Forum pages of our newspapers. It takes a lot of time and mental discipline to produce a decent letter that will either be published or rejected. I could take as long as four hours at the computer simply because my mind is not used to writing such letters that require basic knowledge of the subject, concise language and a certain appeal that would make an editor publish it. It has been two years since then. It is easier now though still not easy. I do what I do because Singapore is a democratic society. Without your voice or mine, who will build a culture that speaks life and emphasizes the worth and dignity of every individual, even the unborn? Everyone can write in. What is needed is a willing heart.

Life in Christ is really tough. If someone had told me so when I first received Christ, I would have probably backed off. Yet I would tell a prospective believer the truth. If you cannot endure hardship, please do not receive Christ. It is a point of no return. Nonetheless, it is the best thing I have ever done for myself because life without God is chaos and has no meaning or purpose. I used to wake up in the morning, wondering why I am still alive. I attempted suicide and so nearly died. Because I did not die, I must live even better for Christ. I struggled with depression, with my emotions being my deadliest enemy. Yet in Christ, I learn self-control. Even now, especially now, my spirit and soul are always wrestling with each other but the Holy Spirit always wins. The soul will feel very sore before it surrenders to the Spirit. It is a sweet victory, after the anguish of the soul.  

As I walk on this path, I see people going through similar struggles. My first instinct is to tell them how great God is. Yet I realize that everyone has to overcome their hurdles with God. They need a personal encounter with Him, even if it means hitting the wall and realizing that their ways do not work. It hurts me to see the unnecessary path that people choose to walk on but my role is just to be there, to be a comfort to them just like how I was comforted by the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). While it is our role to point people to Christ, we too need to understand that it is a process that is at God’s timing and He gives the increase. When we minister to the broken, let us not forget where we came from. He brought us up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set our feet upon a rock and established our steps (Psalm 40:2). Let compassion pulsates in our heart as we tell the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Love and truth are not mutually exclusive.