Things I Wish My Father Knew #9 Balance Between Work and Family

Whether it’s called labour, job,

employment, business, career,

or simply – MAKING A LIVING –

work is a necessary and natural part

of being a father.

Providing your family with

food, shelter,

clothing, and security

is not simple task!

It takes much

time, energy and thought.

And sometimes,

it is easy to fall

into the trap

of giving work

too much of yourself.

However important your work is,

it must be balanced

with other things.

There must be

time for your family,

time for yourself,

time for rest,

recreation,

refreshment!

And, especially time

to develop and strengthen

your relationship

with the Heavenly Father

who wants you to enjoy

the life He gave you.

“Do not worry, saying,

‘What shall we eat?’ or

‘What shall we drink?’ or

‘What shall we wear?’

For the pagans run after

all these things,

and your heavenly Father knows

that you need them.

But seek first His kingdom

and His righteousness,

and all these things

will be given to you as well”

(Matthew 6:31-33)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

John the Baptist must Become Less Important

“This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, ‘Who are you?’ He came right out and said, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ ‘Well then, who are you?’ they asked. ‘Are you Elijah?’ ‘No,’ he replied. ‘Are you the Prophet we are expecting?’ ‘No.’ ‘Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?’ John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: ‘I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the LORD’s coming!’’” (John 1:19-23, NLT).

All four Gospels highlight the unique role of John the Baptist in the life of Jesus. In Luke 1:36, we know that John and Jesus are distant cousin. John was “a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him!’” (Matthew 3:3). John’s appearance in the Gospels was a way that reminds us of the Old Testament prophets whose ministry involved unorthodox outfits and unusual diets: “John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 3:4). Small wonder that the religious establishment sent a delegation to John to inquire about his identity. Would he claim to be a prophet? John made it clear he wasn’t a prophet; he was the fulfilment of a prophecy!

John the Baptist knew his role and lived it. He was a charismatic figure whose life and message drew crowds, and he could have cashed in on his notoriety. Instead John used a striking word picture from Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness.” To make sure people didn’t miss the point, he added, “I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal” (John 1:27). John was not seduced by his own stardom, influence and popularity. He knew who the “star” really was and gladly pointed everyone toward Jesus Christ, the Saviour. I love it when John said, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” (John 3:30).

Think about this: “It’s all about me” is the attitude of many in our world today. The bottom line for the Christian, however, is that it isn’t all about me – it’s all about Jesus. Every act, every word, every motive, every plan, every desire should revolve around the centre, Jesus Himself. Only then is life in balance. Only then can we point people to the Saviour. Yes, in our life, Jesus must become greater and greater, and we must become less and less. It’s all about Jesus.

In your act, word, motive, plan, desire and thinking, is it all about Jesus?

How can you make Jesus the central focus of your life today?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

2015 Resolution for Digital Life: 10 Digital Diet Rules to Live By

Why did you click to read this blog article? Was it the picture art? Was it the title? Was it a random choice? Or was it because of an undeniable voices saying that you’re, in fact, having an “obesity” with technology and you need a digital “diet” now?! Me and Daniel Sieberg, writer of The Digital Diet, guessing the latter. Well, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re in the majority. Let’s examine yourself more with these questions by Daniel in case you still not convince of your need for digital diet:

Do you sometimes feel the urge to pull out your smart phone when someone else is making a point in conversation? Have you ever realized you were texting while your child was telling you about her day at school and later couldn’t remember any of the details of her story? Have you ever felt that something hasn’t really happened until you post it on Facebook or tweet about it? Do you sometimes wonder if you could actually focus better in real life before all these gadgets invaded your space? Does a flashing red light on your BlackBerry or white light on your iPhone make your heart flutter? Does a ringing/vibrating cell phone interrupt and trump everything else? Do you feel anxious if you’re offline for any length of time? Do you find that your family can be in the same room but not talking to one another because you’re each interacting with a different device?

The Digital Diet: The 4-Step Plan to Break Your Tech Addiction and Regain Balance in Your Life (Three Rivers Press, 2011) by Daniel Sieberg is a treasure book for me. As for the content of this book, you must read it for yourself. In summary, the 4-Step Plan and subtopics are Re: Think (You Are What You Type, My Binary Binge, The Weight You Can’t See), Re: Boot (Detox, Your Virtual Weight Index, Surveying the Damage), Re: Connect (Mind and Body Dexterity 2.0, Upbeat While Downloading, This Time It’s Personal), and Re: Vitalize (Your Organic Blueprint, Sustainable Intake). Here I would like to quote at length Daniel’s 10 Digital Diet Rules to Live By:

1)    Avoid tech turds. Don’t just dump your smart phone on the table at a restaurant or at home. Keep it in your pocket or purse unless it’s critical to have it out. If you must have it out, acknowledge its presence and inform your companions that you’ll check it only in an emergency. It’s a courtesy that you’d appreciate, too.

2)    Live your life in the real world. If you must post a status update or tweet or blog about something in your life, then make sure it’s something you’d be willing to announce to anyone you know face to face.

3)    Ask yourself whether you really need that gadget. There are tons of cool stuff in the tech world, and some of it might even improve your or your family’s life, but don’t feel compelled to buy every new toy that comes out. Before you make a digital purchase, question its necessity.

4)    Seek tech support. Navigating the wilds of the wired world can sometimes be too much to handle alone. It’s okay to ask for help and it’s also okay to use technology to help “outsource self-control” when needed. Check out the many programs that can assist with budgeting your time online.

5)    Detox Regularly. Once you’ve completed the Digital Diet, return to the detox phase one day a month. You can do this as a family, too. Use that day as a touchstone to remember what life can be like without technology.

6)    Sleep device-free. Move your chargers out of the bedroom to another room in the house, and let your devices live there overnight. They need a break from you, too.

7)    It’s either the human or the device. Work toward choosing people over the device. Yes, there’ll be times when it’s tricky or nearly impossible to choose between your smart phone or laptop and paying attention to your child or your loved one or your friend, but try to use your devices more on your own time rather than during the time you share with others.

8)    Remember the “if /then” principle. Choices that you make in the virtual world can have an impact in the real one. For example, if you don’t find the time to put down the gadgets and log out once in a while, then you might lose the ability to appreciate the finer moments in life.

9)    Structure your e-day. Work toward a finite beginning and end to your connectedness. In other words, dive into the gadgets and the e-mail and the texts only when you’ve composed yourself in the morning. When you’re ready to unplug in the evening, do it without reservation and focus on what—and who—is immediately around you.

10) Trust your instincts. If you think you might be spending too much time being a voyeur on social networks or playing online games or endlessly texting, then you probably are. That little voice knows when it’s all become too much. Listen to it. Pursue the ultimate goal of balance and awareness.

I would like to add one more rule.

Rule 11) First Thing in the Morning, Don’t Check Your Smartphone – Log In to God First.

Say a short prayer instead or read a chapter or few verses of the Bible and meditate on it.

Jesus first, not Facebook or E-mail. You can do all of it later.

Don’t eliminate technology, no. The goals are balance, awareness and take control.

Now, do you want to consider having Digital Diet this New Year?

Happy New Year 2015! Thanks for all my readers.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

An Interview with Myself: On the Avengers and the Scripture

This is an interview with myself.

Why you love to watch movie?

Why you love to eat? Why you love to dance? Why you love to read? All of these are natural for human being. You enjoy food, you love to move with the tune, you love stories. Movie is my source of leisure and entertainment. Movie captured my imaginations and filled me with inspirations. I’m talking about good movies, of course.

How do you differentiate between good and bad movies?

Good movies cause you to think, not just being entertained. This is very important because the thrill of participation with the characters is what makes the movie worth to watch. Worth for my investment, RM13! For me, good movies ought to have moral values without neglecting the reality of bad influences. For action-movies like The Avengers, which is why you interview me right, we must not expecting the movie to be realistic and logic or hoping that the heroes must be perfect and good all the time… come on, movie is a movie, okay?

[In my mind, I asked and answered too many questions to myself which are not quiet appropriate for public to read. Therefore, I skipped most of it.]

So, now, tell me, what you have learned from the movie The Avengers?

Oh, many things. By the way, before I watched The Avengers (again), I watched Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Iron Man 1, 2 & 3, Hulk, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and  Thor: The Dark World. To get the big picture of the movie, I need to do some ‘revision.’ [Smiled]

In summary, The Avengers taught me more than just cliché lessons that you get from self-help or motivational books. The Avengers – this might sound unusual to you – helps me to recaps what some of the Scripture’s values that I have learned as I read and study it. I mean, by watching The Avengers and other Marvel movies, it help me to see how some Biblical values can be seen in each heroes and situations.

For examples, Hulk taught me how to be angry. Almost all references in the Scriptures about angry are negative because by nature angry is a sin. But there is such thing as righteous-angry where anger is not directed to persons but to the injustice, unrighteousness and merciless. Jesus, do you remember, overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves because He was righteously-angry with what He saw in the temple (Read Matthew 21:12-13). When an alien spaceship coming toward him, Captain America said something like this, “You need help to be angry?” “No,” Bruce Banner replied, “This is what you don’t know about me… I’m always angry…” And then he turned into the green beast and smashes the ship! Meaning, he had his anger under control and ‘expressing’ it toward the real enemies. 

Captain America taught me about leadership. He is mentally and physically fit. He is a fighter and strategist. He is probably one of the least members with special power but nevertheless – he is the Avenger’s Captain. He is a patriotic who value teamwork and do whatever it take to achieve the missions. He is the man who believes in God.  I remember one scene after Captain and Iron man caught Loki, Thor with raged came from nowhere took Loki out of the plane. As Iron man followed them from behind with an attack plan – that is “Attack!” – Captain was left behind. Black Widow reminds him, “Are you going after them too? They are Asgardians… they are literally, gods.” The Captain buckled up a parachute and said, “No ma’am,” he’s about to jump, “There is only one God!” He jumped and continues, “And He’s not dressing like one of those.”

Iron man taught me that people can change. He was a playboy, but now in love with one woman, Pepper. He was a billionaire who sells war machines, but now becomes a generous entrepreneur that helps to make the world a better place. He was a selfish genius, but now he fights for justice and even sacrifices himself to save many. He diverts a nuclear missile from blowing the New York City into the black hole all by himself. He, literally, saved the world. “If we can’t protect the earth,” Tony Stark said to Loki, “you can be damn sure we’ll avenge it.” Minus the language and attitude, do you hear his selflessness?

Thor taught me to be humble. He was arrogant, I know, but he now has become a matured and responsible man. When he was on earth – even though it is not relevant – he didn’t take pride of his Asgardian’s title and position. He is the prince of Asgard, heir of the kingdom throne, and god of thunder yet he remains humble, human-like in his character. He slowly learns to become human.

I haven’t told you about Nick Fury, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Maria Hill, Agent Phil, etc… maybe next time bro.

Finally, do you have anything else to say?

Yes. Religious people often told me to “Stop watching worldly movies”, “Don’t watching this and that movie, it’s no good”, “You’re influencing our youth to worldliness.” I appreciate their concerns but I sense their hypocrisy. Even though they didn’t watch movies in cinema, they themselves watch movies on television, gossips in Twitter, watch videos on YouTube, and always read nonsense news on Facebook. I only take advice from those who have integrity and sincere.

Okay, I fully understand that watching too much movies or addicted to it will affect and pollute our mind but in everything we do – whatever it is – balance, priority and discernment are require. Those who make so much fuss with me watching The Avengers and told me to read the Scriptures more, I have two questions for you: 1) Do you know  Spiderman and Superman, Batman and Iron man, Thor and Hulk, Captain America and Wolverine? Maybe the answer is “No.” Then, since you don’t watch movie and love to read the Scripture, do you know Cain and Abel, Miriam and Aaron, Korah and Dathan, Ruth and Naomi, Abigail and Rahab, Ahab and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, Esther and Mordecai, Amos and Obadiah, Nadab and Abihu, ect.? [Pause]

The Avengers and everything in this world are just faded mirror reflections of what is really real – Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. Of course, if The Avengers have taken our hearts and minds over the Scripture, we have issues with God. Therefore, Repent.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

University Student: New Friendships and Old Friendships

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11, NIV)

“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31)

From the moment you stepped onto campus, you were surrounded by a sea of new faces. I remember my first orientation sessions (though I never like it initially, especially when ‘ragging’ culture was still legal) and my first classes. Do you remember your moments? For some of you, you celebrate the opportunity to meet new people; while others may feel uncomfortable with the thought of making new friends (yuck!).

"3 Idiots" is a good movie about friendship.
Pic taken from: glamsham.com

Friends, no matter what, I convince that attending university or collage is an exciting time in your life, and one of the powerful treasures you will take with you when you leave is those new friendships. Seize the opportunity. Now is the significant time of your life to meet people with different interests and backgrounds and even religious. My advice is for you to make it a point to break out of the old crowd and getting to know someone who is from a different country (such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Nigeria, Japan, etc.), or different state (Sabah, Sarawak and peninsular Malaysia) or of a different race (Malay, Indian, Chinese, Iban, Bidayuh, Kadazan, etc.). You will grow in ways that you cannot imagine!

For you who might finds that it is not easy to meet new people, I have some suggestions. Make yourself available. If you have been in a habit of sitting in your room with door closed (like some of my friends were), others may assume that you’re unfriendly or an introvert person – perhaps you are, and there is nothing wrong with that – but sometime for the sake of living testimony for Christ, open your door for others to come and visit you. You too do the same with them. Go socializing. Another suggestion is for you to join activities beyond the classroom. Your campus likely has a variety of clubs, teams, and organizations that allow people of similar interests to get together. It also helps you to find new friends. When I was a student, one particular club that has changed my life forever was our Christian Fellowship. There I renewed my personal relationship with Christ; I learned the Word of God; and I gained new friendships that are faithful since today.

For those who have moved to campus, there is the question of what to do with your old friends back home. You may feel a strong desire to keep in touch with old friends, particularly in your first semester in university or collage. The familiar voice and word of an old friend can be very comforting as you adjust to your new surroundings. The use of technology such as Facebook, E-mail, twitter or blog is an excellent way to maintain those older relationships, but beware of how much time you invest in it. It is possible that too much time spent nurturing old relationships may lessen your time to make new friends. I’m not suggesting you to let go of your old friendships totally but to encourage you to consider that perhaps a new friendships while you are in campus is more important. Balance and perspective are the key words that I want you to understand.

John A. Beck and Marmy A. Clason write, “Not every relationship you have had in the past will make the transition with you to college life. Honor the fact that although you have changed others may not have changed or they may have changed in ways that are not compatible with the way you have changed. This means some relationships will never be what they were before. Some old friendships will survive the challenge of distance and change. But expect that some of your past relationships will best retire to happy memories as you move forward with your life” (Light on the Path: A Christian Perspective on College Success. Pg.174-176).

Make New Friendships.

Seize the Opportunity!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

My Dear Busy Friends, it's Time for Silence and Solitude

Our minds yearn to be busy. When we are with others, we tend to occupy ourselves watching, listening to, communicating with, and responding to those around us. This is good. In fact, it is normal – as long as we know when to withdraw. Jesus was a busy man, just read the Gospel stories and you know that He was the busiest person in the New Testament. Yet every morning “Jesus got up and went to an isolated place to pray” (Mark 1:35NLT). He practiced silent and solitude. After Richard Foster listed numbers of Bible verses where Jesus intentionally seek silent and solitude to pray and rest, he writes in his book Celebration of Discipline: “The seeking out of solitary places was a regular practice for Jesus. So it should be for us.”

One of the great blessings of silent and solitude is that they offer time for us to become who we really are – at least, this is what I get from my personal experiences. They take us away from the demands and obligations others lay on us and give us relief from the constant pull on directions by our employer(s), family members, friends, and many kinds of extra ‘baggage’ modern life has created. They allow us to get rest from the modern burden of multitasking (at this writing, I’m thinking about how restless are our young generation today). The constant need to meet the expectations of others draws us away from our true selves and deafens us “to hear the divine Whisper better”. I can assure you my friends that you can’t remember who you are when half the world is compete for your attention – for that, you need silent and solitude.

I hope you ask me “How?”, if yes, good. Here are some example you can do to practice silence and solitude.

Silent

“In a noise-polluted world, it is even difficult to hear ourselves think let alone try to be still and know God. Yet it seems essential for our spiritual life to seek some silence, no matter how busy we may be. Silence is not to be shunned as empty space, but to be befriended as fertile ground for intimacy with God” (Susan Muto).

Some practice includes:

§  Setting a period of time in which you don’t speak but isolate yourself from sounds (other than perhaps the sounds of nature)

§  Driving or commuting without the radio or CD prayer turned on

§  Leaving the TV off (and your internet and phone off); spending time in silence with God alone

§  Exercising without attending to noise; listening to God

§  Having personal retreats of silence

Solitude

“We are so afraid of silence that we chase ourselves from one event to the next in order not to have to spend a moment alone with ourselves, in order not to have to look at ourselves in the mirror” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer).

Some practice includes:

§  Giving God time and space that is not in competition with social contact, noise and stimulation

§  Taking a retreat

§  Observing Sabbath refreshment by abstaining from constant interaction with others, information and activities

§  Addressing your addiction to being seen

§  Communicating with God alone while you walk or run by yourself

§  Practicing disciplines alone: study, prayer, examen, journaling and so forth

Friends, take time for silence and solitude. It refreshed your soul, reenergized your mind and refocused your attention. You will find ‘you’ and most important of all – you can hear God’s gentle whisper more clearly. It is about who are you in God and who you are in relation with others. Thomas Merton, a Christian mystic writer once observes, “It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers. The more solitary I am the more affection I have for them… solitude and silence teach me to love my brothers for what they are, not for what they say”.

Silence and solitude are not easy to come by.

It takes time and effort to seek them out and cultivate them.

But once we find a place for them in our lives,

we immediately realize how much we’ve been missing without them.

God help and be with you.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

*Quotes and practice suggested for silence and solitude above are taken from Adele Ahlberg Calhoun’s Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us. Pg. 106 and 111.

Yesus dan orang Miskin

“Yesus mengasihinya. Dia pun menghulurkan tangan-Nya” (Markus 1:41)

Salah satu ciri yang sangat membezakan Yesus dengan guru-guru agama yang lain ialah Dia seringkali menjemput dan melayan golongan masyarakat yang terpinggir dan terbiar kerana masalah fisikal mereka atau disebabkan adat larangan yang dipraktikkan oleh masyarakat orang Israel pada masa itu – seperti Dia mendekati pelacur, bercakap dengan wanita, makan bersama dengan pemungut cukai, menyentuh orang yang sakit kulit, bersama dengan orang Roma dan Samaria.

 Antara semuanya, mungkin boleh disimpulkan bahawa Yesus seringkali datang kepada orang yang miskin. Golongan masyarakat yang tidak dipedulikan oleh orang lain.

Jika kita membaca kesemua kitab Injil secara keseluruhan, kita akan mendapati bahawa Yesus selalu dikaitkan dengan orang miskin. Ini dapat kita lihat dengan jelas apabila Dia membaca Firman Allah nubuat oleh Nabi Yesaya dalam Perjanjian Lama tentang diri-Nya sendiri. Lukas (4:18) menulis, “Roh Tuhan ada pada-Ku, Dia telah melantik Aku supaya mengkhabarkan Berita Baik kepada orang miskin” (baca juga ayat 19). Firman ini ialah salah satu tema utama yang menjadi latarbelakang bagi setiap ajaran dan pekerjaan-Nya.

Yesus bukan sahaja prihatin terhadap orang miskin, malah Dia seperti orang miskin yang lain tidak mempunyai tempat tinggal sendiri yang tetap. “Anak Manusia tidak mempunyai tempat untuk berbaring dan berehat” (Matius 8:20). Ini sangat berbeza dengan “Yesus” yang dikhabarkan oleh guru-guru palsu pada masa ini. Merujuk kepada Yesus secara fisikal, mereka mengatakan bahawa ‘Yesus mahu kamu hidup dengan mewah’ padahal Yesus tidak pernah berkata begitu tetapi sebaliknya. Mereka mengatakan bahawa ‘Yesus ialah seorang yang kaya’  padahal Dia seringkali makan di tempat orang lain dan pengikut-pengikut-Nya-lah yang menyediakan keperluan dari segi kewangan untuk menyebarkan Berita Baik. Mereka mengatakan bahawa ‘Yesus ialah seorang yang berprestij dan mempunyai pakaian yang cantik’ padahal Dia seringkali disangkal, dihina, dimaki dan rupanya “tidak elok ataupun tampan, sehingga kita tidak tertarik kepadanya” (Yesaya 53:2).

Mungkin disebabkan oleh ajaran-ajaran seperti ini dan sikap sesetengah orang Kristian yang suka memetik dan memilih ayat-ayat dalam Firman Tuhan mengikut kesukaan sendiri dengan mengelak ajaran Yesus yang lain seperti tentang kesengsaraan, penghinaan dan penganiayaan – dan hanya fokus dengan “berkat, berkat, berkat” dan “keselesaan hidup” sahaja. Tidak hairanlah kita tidak mempedulikan orang miskin disekeliling kita. Tidak hairanlah kebanyakkan aktiviti keagamaan kita terhad kepada nyanyi nyanyian, kelas vocal dan bermain alat musik, konsert, kem, persidangan dan seminar – dan langsung tidak melihat kepada dunia luar yang memerlukan kasih Yesus. Kita tidak mempedulikan orang lain, khususnya, orang miskin di sekeliling kita.

Bukankah kita harus mencontohi Yesus Kristus dalam segala hal?

Jadilah seperti Zakheus. Apabila Yesus datang ke rumahnya dan mengkhabarkan Berita Baik kepadanya, dia menerima Yesus dengan penuh sukacita sekali. Dia yang sebelumnya ialah ketua pemungut cukai, yang mencintai wang lebih daripada segalanya kini tidak lagi bersandar kepada barang fana. Dia telah menjumpai Mutiara yang berharga; dia telah menjumpai Yesus [atau lebih tepat lagi, Yesus telah menjumpai dia] “Zakheus berdiri dan berkata kepada Yesus, ‘Guru, saya akan mendermakan separuh daripada harta saya kepada orang miskin. Sesiapa sahaja yang pernah saya tipu, akan saya bayar kembali empat kali ganda!’” (Lukas 19:8). Ini ialah sikap orang yang telah menerima Yesus dalam hidupnya. Harta dan keutamaannya sekarang tidak lagi menjadi utama baginya – Tuhan Allah ialah hartanya sekarang. Matanya sekarang terbuka untuk melihat kepentingan orang lain. Bagaimana dengan kamu?

Adakah kamu mempedulikan orang miskin atau orang yang memerlukan kasih Tuhan disekeliling kamu? Adakah kamu sanggup mengotorkan tangan kamu untuk ‘menyentuh’ mereka? Sanggupkah kamu menolong dengan apa yang termampu dan memberitakan Berita Baik kepada mereka? Atau adakah hati kamu sudah dimiliki oleh barang fana dan mata kamu sudah ditutup dengan keinginan untuk memiliki harta kekayaan dunia?

Lihatlah Firman dan pekerjaan Yesus – Dia peduli. Kamu pun perlu begitu juga.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Let Me be Human

I love to listen to Jason Mraz. One of his songs entitled “Only Human” have a chorus that goes like this:

'Cause we're only human

Yes we are, only human

If it's our only excuse do you think we'll keep on being only human

Yes we are, only human, only human, so far, so far”

It is normal to hear people say (or you say) “I’m only human”. What make me afraid about this statement is that we try to give ourselves excuses like that so that we can get ourselves off the hook instead of doing our best. People, like you and me, are trying to push ourselves beyond our limits or we may become terribly anxious.

“Perhaps the most fundamental distortion in our self-image occurs when we find it difficult to see ourselves as human”, writes Juanita Ryan. For some reasons, we may find ourselves functioning as if we were either super-human (like gifted men and women in TV series ‘Heroes’) or sub-human (‘less than human’ like ancient apes in the Animal Discovery Channel). Like Jason Mraz, we fear what will happen if we are ‘only human’. We may not consciously think that we are super-human, but we often try to act that way in order to cover our weaknesses and our neediness. We may not consciously think that we are sub-human, but we may feel that way about ourselves when we cannot escape our fallen-humanness (that’s my word, I just created it) and our dependency. To be human, for us, is to be ‘someone’ we would rather avoid. We don’t like our weaknesses, our neediness, our fallen-humanness and/or our dependency.

So what we try to do? Consciously or unconsciously, we defend ourselves against our fears (above) by trying to be God. But, excuse me, we are not God. There is only one God. God is God. “The more we are able to embrace this most fundamental of realities – that we are creatures and God is our Creator”, write Juanita Ryan, “the freer our lives can become”.

I don’t know about you, but for me, it is a privilege, wonderful and joyful to be a creature. Want to know why? Well, creatures are not responsible for or in charge of things over which they have no power or control. God is responsible for His creatures, just let Him be (Read Matthew 6:25-34). Relax – let God be God. And let ourselves be God’s children, that’s more like it. Jason Mraz may have his own point by saying ‘We are only human’, but who is Jason? Human, like you and I. Want to hear what God is saying? Read Psalm 100;

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Let God be God. Let ourselves be God's children

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Hidup dalam Keseimbangan

“Apabila Yesus mendengar berita tentang Yohanes, Dia meninggalkan tempat itu dengan perahu, lalu pergi sendirian ke suatu tempat yang sunyi. Tetapi orang ramai mendengar hal itu, lalu mereka meninggalkan bandar mereka dan mengikut Yesus melalui jalan darat. Apabila Yesus turun dari perahu dan melihat orang ramai itu, Dia mengasihi mereka dan menyembuhkan orang sakit di situ.” (Matius 14:13-14)

“...berita tentang Yesus semakin tersebar luas. Banyak orang datang untuk mendengar Dia dan untuk disembuhkan daripada penyakit mereka. Tetapi Yesus pergi ke tempat yang sunyi dan berdoa.” (Lukas 5:15-16)

Hari ini kami pergi menaiki Gunung Singai di Bau, Lundu untuk membuat refleksi diri sendiri berdasarkan Firman Tuhan. Tempat itu sungguh indah sekali. Ia dikelilingi oleh tumbuhan-tumbuhan yang hijau, cuaca yang agak sejuk, udara yang segar dan jauh daripada kebisingan dan kesibukan kota – sangat tenang. Itulah pengalaman yang saya dapat apabila menaiki tempat yang tinggi kerana disana selalunya sunyi dan sesuai untuk menenangkan diri. Di situ juga saya dapat menfokuskan hati saya kepada Tuhan sepenuhnya (dan bukannya tentang hal lain).

Kita selalu berfikir bahawa Tuhan akan sangat bersukacita apabila kita terus menerus tanpa henti melayan Dia. Kita berpendapat bahawa Tuhan akan dimuliakan apabila kita melakukan pekerjaanNya setiap masa, 24 jam. Baik tapi sangat berbahaya. Benar tapi tidak kekal. Bagus tapi berisiko. Lihatlah Yesus, dalam kemanusiaanNya Dia memberi contoh hidup yang sangat memuliakan Tuhan. HidupNya seimbang – bersosial dan bersendirian, bertindak dan berfikir, melakukan misi dan merenungkan Firman. Dia bekerja keras untuk menolong orang, tapi Dia juga mengambil masa untuk berehat. Keseimbangan ini membolehkan Dia sentiasa terbuka untuk mendengar perintah Bapa dan dapat mengelakkan Diri daripada tekanan atau kehendak manusia.

Keseimbangan dapat memberikan kita ketenangan apabila kita menyedari bahawa kita tidak perlu melakukan segala-galanya – hanya perkara yang Tuhan mahukan dalam hidup kita. Yesus tidak habis menyembuhkan penyakit semua orang, tapi Dia habis melakukan apa yang Bapa mahukan dalam hidup Dia (mati di kayu salib bagi semua dosa manusia dan bangkit semula selepas 3 hari). Yesus ialah yang paling sibuk (malah lebih sibuk daripada kamu dan saya). Ramai orang datang untuk mendengar Dia berfirman, ramai yang datang untuk melihat Dia melakukan mukjizat, ramai yang datang untuk disembuhkanNya, tetapi Dia tetap mengambil masa “untuk pergi ke tempat sunyi.” Kamu pula bagaimana?

Kawan, kita perlukan keseimbangan dalam hidup ini. Tidak melakukan sesuatu terlalu cepat sehinggakan kita tidak mendengar panggilan Tuhan, tetapi tidak juga terlalu lambat sehingga kita terlepas peluang yang Tuhan berikan kepada kita. Keseimbangan membolehkan kita mendengar dan melihat peluang yang Tuhan berikan kepada kita. Keseimbangan membolehkan kita membuka hati untuk menerima bimbingan Roh Kudus.

Kawan, adakah kamu hidup dalam keseimbangan? Lihatlah Yesus, Dia, “pergi ke tempat yang sunyi dan berdoa”.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP. 

Jesus’ Balanced Rhythm of Serving

“Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” (Luke 5:16NLT)

It’s tempting to think that God is most pleased, most happy, and most glad by our constant service. Sometime we serving God (so we said) in a false assumption that the more we work, the more productive we are and the more God will love us. Therefore –we tend to legalize God’s love by doing constant service to gain more heavenly ‘rewards’ and so on. Read what Luke writes about our Lord; “Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” He withdrew, go aside – OFTEN!

If you read the gospels carefully, you’ll find that Jesus always modeled a life of balance between socializing and solitude, action and reflection, mission and meditation, work and pray. Balance. He often work hard to help others, to performed miracles, to proclaimed the Kingdom of God, to visit others, to performed religious duties, to do discipleship; and then, ya know what? He took time for spiritual renewal. It’s so important that the gospel’s writers also said that he often ‘left in a boat to a remote area to be alone’ (Matthew 14:13) and ‘went up to the mountain to pray’ (Luke 6:12).

He balanced His earthly life by not being driven by human pressures (which some of us are familiar with) and always allowing Himself to remain open to God’s direction and God’s rhythm through prayer and solitude. Doing service is good, the world need it; but don’t keep on your constant service without having time alone with God – balance. It is about keeping the right rhythm (Eugene Peterson’s language ‘rhythm’, I like it!) in life – "not moving so fast that you miss God’s direction, but not moving so slow that you miss the opportunities God sends you", writes Ronald A. Beers. Remember this: Not every opportunity is the call of God. Therefore, as your fellow pilgrim in our walk with God, remember to balance your life and experience God in the process.

Anonymous once writes,
“A Christian worker is good; a worker for Christ is better;
but Christ, in a worker, working out His will through him, is best of all.”

Enjoy serving, enjoy resting! Balance your life. THINK BIG.START SMALL.GO DEEP.