the title's stolen from Mark Tse's msn name, I heard it being mentioned last night and it just stayed with me...
it's something really close to my heart and I think, a really powerful reminder.
This term has been really good so far, I've been getting more sleep, getting to know brothers and sisters in CCF more, making new friends in my classes and my new housemates (sharing our food from different cultures :D), been back home and had an awesome time with family (plus bringing back lots and lots of food from my amazing Mum), volunteering & orchestra & hockey...everything's been more than I can ask for, but most importantly is my walk with God.
I was worrying for a while at the start of the term, that I might not be able to stay on top of things, especially because I was thinking of pulling up my average since I'm thinking of applying to medical school. Sometimes, it just seems as if my mind is forever racing to see whether I'm on track, and if I'm not, that's a bad sign and I should probably start worrying. But reading Walking with God, I discovered that the author struggled with the same problem. It's not about always being able to stay on top of things, and being so 'busy' and distracted that you lose your focus. It's not about seeking to gain that sense of 'security' from achieving all that we have set out to do and pursuing that 'happy little life' that we have in mind.
It's about God.
And as Dr Clement Yeung shared a few weeks ago, Christianity is not about getting the securities in life but the freedom in Christ.
The freedom in Christ that we have, the hope in His glory, the knowldege of His grace and mercy upon us, that we can rest assured in.
for You alone are God.
The other question he raised was "What kind of Christian are you?"...are you someone who has been thinking along the lines of crown without cross, prosperity without persecution, directives without discipleship?
Believing is the easy part...it's discipleship that's difficult.
I was reminded about this again through the bible study on Romans 7. Romans 7:6 says "But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." Having received the Spirit, we should be living this new life in the Spirit and not clinging on to any of our old ways...but we do. Romans 7 continues with the passage on Struggling with Sin...As Christians, people who have been born again in Christ, we do have to struggle with sin, as we learn to co-operate in His transformation of us into Christ's image - to make us whole and holy. There is a spiritual warfare going on...all the more we come to realize that we need God in our lives, and in fact, we do have the promise of His salvation as Paul concludes: "Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Sometimes, we've heard this so many times, or have unfortunately taken this for granted...but as you let this sink into your heart...
What else can I do but worship
What else can I do but bow
Cause all I really long for is You
And all I really yearn for is You
As for me, I struggle, not just a bit but a lot too.
If ever I might seem spiritual, I'm just barely there...
but as I was going through my worrying mode last week, He said to me,
Be still and know that I am God.
I am in you...my love is in you.
~love break me...
1 comment:
Good thoughts as always, Joanna. I've often struggled with being worried about school and keeping my average up too. It it still something that creeps into my mind, but whenever it does I just start praying to God that I may let it go and leave things in his hands. I wasn't here for Dr. Yeung, but that quote about not aiming for securities in life but gaining freedom in Christ is so true and is something I've been learning the past little while. In the end, that is what Christianity is all about, letting go of yourself to God. A passage I find hugely encouraging in this regard is Romans 8:28-30.
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."
If we only allow God's love to be perfected in us through our complete obedience to Him, then our lives will be filled with the richness of his glory. And if we love Him, all things will be worked together for our good!
It is hard for our earthly human minds to embrace letting go, but as Jesus said in Matthew 10:39, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
=)
phil
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