Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

Brian Tracy said this: "Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” In this video, I would like to share with you three (3) ways to step outside your comfort zone #ServeToLead #StepOutsideYourComfortZone #GrowingLeader

To watch other short videos on personal development, go to > https://bit.ly/LegasiSelfDevelopment   

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/ 

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/ 

IG: https://instagram.com/legasi.tv/ 

YouTube: http://bit.ly/LEGASItv 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Lives WITH Us and IN Us Because of the Holy Spirit

“[Jesus said] “If you love me, obey me; and I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and he will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, for it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, for he lives with you now and some day shall be with you… I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Comforter instead of me – and by the Comforter I mean the Holy Spirit – he will teach you much, as well as remind you of everything I myself have told you”

(John 14:15-17; 25-26, The Living Bible)

A lot we can expound from passages above, but I just want to focus on the subject of the Holy Spirit here. Lord Jesus now promised His followers they would experience His presence more fully and intimately because the Father would send them the Holy Spirit. The expression “another Comforter” or “another Advocate” in some translations implies that Jesus was the first and the Spirit would be the same kind of “Comforter.” When Jesus would no longer be with the disciples physically, the Holy Spirit would be with them and in them, and He would “leads [them] into all truth.”

Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit (John 20:22) on the disciples just before His ascension, and the Spirit was poured out on all the believers at Pentecost (Acts 2) shortly after Jesus ascended to heaven. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God with and in the believers, helping them lives as He wants and building Christ’s church – that is, the gathering of all believers, not church building per se – on earth. In chapter 14, Jesus taught these truths about the Spirit: #1 He will be with us forever (John 14:16); #2 The world at large cannot and don’t want to receive Him (v.17); #3 He lives with us and in us (v.17); #4 He will become our Teacher (v.26) and; #5 He will reminds us of Jesus’ words a.k.a. God’s Word (v.26) [Also if you read Chapter 16, the Holy Spirit will convicts us of sin, shows us God’s righteousness, announce God’s judgement on evil, guide us into all truth, and brings glory to Jesus].

After Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection, all of these about the Holy Spirit came true. How about now? You see, Jesus did not leave the disciples – and us – alone. He is with us and in us. He is with us through His Spirit encouraging, assuring, convicting, guiding, enlightening and empowering. We need to depend on Him, listen to Him, and follow His lead. The question is: Are you living in the Spirit of Christ?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

In Jesus, We Are Victorious! (1 John 5:3-5)

“Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God”

(1 John 5:3-5, NLT).

I noticed that our love for God is not so much an emotional feeling as it is practical and active. We show our love by our actions, by “keeping his commandments.” This may sound kind of easy, but it’s not always so, is it? Sometimes we may just be too busy thinking about something else, like workloads, worried about how we look or act, or feel tired or sick. At times like these, we need to remember the promise of Jesus Christ: “Come to me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). So, when we’re burned out and feel that God’s commandments are “burdensome” – when we’re exhausted, too busy, or when our feelings get kind of numb, we are promised that, as we share our concerns with Jesus, we will get great relief. We can cast our concerns and burdens upon God because God really cares about us (read 1 Peter 5:7).

Not only does Jesus promise to give us relief and rest but He also promises to give us strength. No matter what our age, there are times we may just feel like we want to let go of everything and sleep for days and days. Life can just be too much, and who can care about other people at those times? But as we learn to keep the right balance in our lives – especially as we learn to include God in our plans and put Him at the center of what is important to us – we will be given new strength we never thought we would have. God’s got enough power and strength to last all of us through our lifetimes! So, God has not imposed a lot of impossible demands and rules on us only to walk out and slam the door. God is right here with us, never leaving us (even at times when we may not feel close to Him), always encouraging and giving us the strength we need to “keep his [not burdensome] commandments.” God wants what is best for us and wants us to have deeper joy in Him.

“And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God” Obeying God’s commandments and having faith in Jesus is one and the same, and interrelated – only God’s children will do. Our faith in Jesus brings us great victory: we can overcome and “defeat this evil world” The temptations of the world can be very appealing and alluring. The pressure to be like everyone else – to have certain things and to act in certain ways – can be overpowering. But with God on our side, we “can win this battle against the world.” We don’t need to walk around and act defeated. With God’s help, we are really victorious in life!

If you have ever won some kind of contest (I once won a musical contest during my university time, battle of the band. Or whatever you had won) you know how great you feel when you win – as if you could conquer the world! That’s the kind of attitude that God wants for us in life – a winning, forward-looking, confident, expecting the best, stretching us to the limit. “We achieve this victory through our faith” in “the Son of God.” If you’re God’s child, you don’t have to feel defeated, inadequate, and expecting the worst. In Jesus, you’re victorious! Amen.  

THINK BIG. START SMALL GO DEEP.

Jesus Asks for Your Loyalty: God the Father or Money of this World (1 John 2:15-17)

The picture was taken from: https://www.worldmissionmagazine.com/

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever”
(1 John 2:15-17, NLT).

Apostle John here is telling us to be careful not to love the world or anything in it. Now, what does John really mean by this? Does he mean the physical world – that we should go around and tear out all the plants and trees we see, pollute the air and water, and kill all the animals? Of course not. From the beginning of history, God told human beings to use the resources of this world carefully, for they were all created by Him for a special purpose (see Genesis 1:28-31). Nor John is telling us to hate the people of the world, for “God loved the world so much” (John 3:16).

If John does not mean the physical world or the people of the world then, what does he mean when he tells us “do not love this world”? I’m convinced that what he means is the pagan society, the values of this world, and the ungodly worship of false gods. This is the world we should not love. During the time of John (even today), he noticed that some believers had left their faith and joined other faiths, or had no faith at all. The persecution of the early Christians had been terrible – ridicule, imprisonment, torture, and even executions. Understandably, the pressure had been so great that some Christians decided that it just wasn’t worth all of the effort to maintain their faith.

The early Christians were having to pay the price for their faith in a way that many of us today may find hard to understand. Can you imagine if your job or choice of colleges or your very life depended upon whether or not you renounced your faith? (Oh, maybe you can) Now, can you imagine how strong that pressure might have been on the early Christians? But even then, no excuse – in the past, present, or future – the Christian faith calls people to be special or unique, not necessarily odd, just different. Our Christian values may be quite different from those who are nonbelievers. Instead of letting the world, our friends, or neighbors determine what is important, we are to ask God and study His Word and live by Biblical values that show that we honor God and want to please God first over everything. “Anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

Maybe you have felt this pressure from the world recently. Our greatest pressure today is not in the form of persecution but tolerance, comfort, and conformity. For example, people entice you to join a wild party and drink alcohol because it is “cool” today, or the world trends influence your hairstyles and makeup, or gaining your status and recognition thru fashions and collecting materials, or having no religion or mixing all the religion into one, etc. even it is the dumbest things to do.

Way back when Lord Jesus was on earth, He made it very clear that love for God and the world are mutually exclusive. Jesus acknowledged how powerful the pressures are to have money and material things and said we have to choose between two masters: God the Father or money (represents all the values and ungodly worship of false gods): “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). The Apostle James went even further when he said: “Friendship with the world is hatred toward God” (James 4:4). Does Jesus mean that we have to make such a choice, God or money? Can’t we have the best of both worlds? No. I’m afraid not. The powers and pressures of this world are so strong that a divided loyalty just doesn’t work in the long run.

The pressures of living in the world are so subtle but so strong that before long, our energies would go towards the worship of those things that are not of God – the need for power, popularity, and money. To “love this world” means to worship or be devoted to the world – to put your energies, attention, and hard work into making the world the most important part of your life. No matter how much we get of these things, it never seems to be enough. We can’t be satisfied with all of these except with God. The more you focus on the world, the less focus you have on God and what is really important in your life. Pleased God, not the world. Remember “Anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Invest God-given Time, Energy and Talents in Your Community

“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.

I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home” (Jesus, Matthew 25:35, NLT)

“The best portion of a good man’s life – his little nameless acts of kindness,

unremembered acts of kindness” (William Wordsworth, poet)

One of the comments people most commonly make after a major disaster has hit a community is how it brought people together to help and comfort each other. More often than not, when I read and talk to people who are going through some difficulties and ask them if there is anyone nearby to whom they can turn for support, they cannot think of anyone they know well enough to ask. Admittedly, I only do and join few social community projects in Sarawak, but I understand that this phenomenon is not exclusive to large, city areas only. The need for social community projects is vast and very demanding, especially, today.

Few years ago, I joined FES Malaysia, a student ministry organization, 2-weeks program called S.W.E.E.P. (Social Work Exposure & Embracement Program) and my life changed! Since then, my view on Christian faith broadened and my perspective of the Gospel enlarged. Getting involve in social community projects (definitely not the only means out there!) give joy to me because I get a chance to practise my faith, witnessing Christ both through my work and words, and it is an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives together – even with the students and my non-Christian friends. Offering to volunteer to help with or initiate a community project has been, for me, the most satisfying ways to love God and people.

In my experience, it pays to think and plan before rushing in to help with the first project you encounter or are requested to help with. In order to obtain the best return in terms of helping the community, while at the same time it helps you in your relationship with God and others, you will need to bear several things in mind prayerfully:

Do Personal Research and Respect Local Needs

You can do this by asking neighbours and meeting leaders of local organizations or churches. It also helps to spend time reading the local newspaper, campus or community bulletins, and listening to any local radio station. Do some research before you get involve. Don’t assume needs but offer helps only in the area of needs (not whatever you wants).  

Try to Match a Local Need or Interest to One of Your Talents

If you are good organizer, you could offer to put on trips for residents’ association, or be on the committee of a charity group. If your talent is writing, you could perhaps, offer to start a newsletter or write something like this article in your blog or any social medias. Give encouragements, update needs and be the voice for the voiceless. If you have driving license, offer your help in transportation. If you’re good in English or math, be a volunteer teacher. “If… be…” There are lots of opportunities and ways you can be involve. What are your God-given gifts or talents? Remember this: Playing to your strengths will be much more satisfying for you and make your involvement much more effective.

Under- Rather than Over-Commit

This is much easier said than done (over-commitment is one of my weaknesses. vise versa). Every community and charitable project is never ending and is constantly thirsty for help. It is particularly hard to say “No!” in crises, but remember – these are inevitable and frequent in this world. Don’t overcommitted that you lost your personal, quiet and alone time with Jesus along the way. Jesus is our priority, not men. That’s why the first commandment is the first, not second. Jesus said, “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me” (John 12:8). So you have to be clear about the commitment you can give, and stick within your capability boundaries with super-assertiveness. Remind yourself that over-commitment leads to resentfulness, bitterness and burnout – none of which will benefit anyone if you do.

“[Whether] you eat or drink, or whatever you do (that include social community work),

do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, bracket mine)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus is in Kuching Town

“[After Jesus raises a widow’s son from the death] Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, ‘A mighty prophet has risen among us,’ and ‘God has visited his people today.’ And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside”

(Luke 7:16-17, NLT, bracket mine)

The people of the town of Nain said, “God has visited his people today.” Their statement was more accurate than some of them may have intended it to be. It was true that God visited his people by bringing the dead boy back to life (Luke 7:11-15), but this miracle was not performed by an ordinary prophet of God (as Muslim said Jesus was); this miracle was performed personally by God himself – by the God-man, Jesus Christ the Nazareth. Apostle Paul once wrote, “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body” (Colossians 2:9, NLT). The people of Nain had not only seen the miracle in which the dead boy came back to life, but they actually saw God himself perform the miracle!

All of this is a mystery to us. The doctrine or teaching of the Trinity and of Jesus’ incarnation are beyond our human comprehension. How can God be in heaven as a spirit (who has no flesh and bones) and at the same time be on earth as a man? We cannot understand, but we can believe that it is true. I know that it is true. It is the truth.

Although the teaching that God is everywhere is mystery to our intellect, it is a comfort to our heart. It is comforting to know that wherever we are living, God the Father who made us still continues to preserve us, his children. It is comforting to know that Jesus who redeemed us from sin, still walks next to us in this life today. It is comforting to know that God the Spirit who has brought us to faith in Jesus, continue to keep us in that faith. Only if we remain faithful, God is faithful to us.

From a spectacular miracle we know that the same God who was present bodily in the God-man Jesus in the town of Nain about 2,000 years ago are still present today in our town and among us. Jesus is in my town – Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Jesus is in your town too. It doesn’t matter where we live, for Jesus’ sake, our God is with us. Jesus is Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). He will help us. He will forgive us. He will guide us. If our doubts ever arise concerning God’s presence, all we have to do is to read God’s Word, his words and promises, in Isaiah 41:10: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (NLT).

Jesus is in our town.

Jesus is with us.

Jesus has come to help his people. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

What God Does With Our Sins

Rosalind Goforth was a well-known missionary to China who, along with her husband Jonathan, enjoyed an illustrious career and ministry. But for many years, even having laboured for the Lord in China, Rosalind often felt oppressed by a burden of sin. She felt guilty and dirty, nursing an inward sense of spiritual failure. Finally one evening when all was quiet, she settled at her desk with Bible and concordance, determined to find out God’s attitude toward the failures, the faults, the sins of his children.

She put these words at the top of the page: What God Does With Our Sins. Then as she searched through the Scriptures, she compiled this list of seventeen truths:

1)    He lays them on his Son – Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:6)

2)    Christ takes them away (John 1:29)

3)    They are removed an immeasurable distance – as far as the East is from the West (Psalms 123:12)

4)    When sought for, they are not found (Jeremiah 50:20)

5)    The Lord forgives them (Ephesians 1:7)

6)    He cleanses them ALL away by the blood of his son (1 John 1:7)

7)    He cleanses them as white as snow or wool (Isaiah 1:18, Psalms 51:7)

8)    He abundantly pardons them (Isaiah 55:7)

9)    He tramples them under foot (Micah 7:19)

10) He remembers them no more (Hebrews 10:17)

11) He casts them behind his back (Isaiah 38:17)

12) He casts them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19)

13) He will not impute us with sins (Romans 4:8)

14) He covers them (Romans 4:7)

15) He blots them out (Isaiah 43:25)

16) He blots them out as a thick cloud (Isaiah 44:22)

17) He blots out even the proof against us, nailing it to His Son’s Cross (Colossians 2:14)

These are such amazing truths. Only the sinners can claim this forgiveness.

Would you come to Jesus? [Read and check the Bible verses above for yourself]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Yesus akan Menghiburkan Aku

“Semoga kasih-Mu yang kekal menghiburkan aku,

menurut janji-Mu kepadaku, hamba-Mu” (Mazmur 119:76)

"Aku akan menghiburkan kamu di Yerusalem,
seperti ibu menghiburkan anaknya" (Yesaya 66:13)

Pernahkah kamu ketika masih kecil dahulu apabila kamu terjatuh kakimu terluka, tanganmu berdarah, badanmu mendapat lebam berlari mencari ibumu dan menangis dipelukkannya menahan kesakitan? Apabila kamu sampai kepada ibu, dia membelai rambutmu, mencium pipimu, mencuci lukamu dan membalutnya dengan kain “penyembuhan’ (Handiplas lar) – dan kamu merasakan bahawa luka kamu sudah hampir sembuh dan kamu berada dalam keadaan selesa walaupun masih ada sedikit sakit luka itu. Kasih dan belas kasihan yang kita pernah alami ini mempunyai kuasa penyembuhan yang lebih hebat lagi daripada segala ubat-ubatan dan rawatan ciptaan manusia.

Memang benar apabila insan-insan yang kita sayangi pergi meninggalkan kita buat selama-lamanya akan menyebabkan kita untuk seketika yang agak lama, hilang harapan dan hilang hala tujuan hidup dan lebih lagi – menyebabkan perasaan kesunyian yang sangat mendalam. Perasaan ini tidak mungkin akan hilang begitu sahaja dalam sekelip mata. Tetapi, walaupun kita berada dalam keadaan yang sangat teruk sekalipun, kita tahu dengan iman bahawa kasih Kristus sentiasa lebih lagi dekat dari kita. Kita akan mengalami sendiri kasih-Nya dengan lebih nyata lagi. Yesus Kristus – yang telah menderita kesakitan sendirian di kayu salib, dan yang telah mengalami kematian dan siksa dosa bagi semua umat manusia untuk memberi keselamatan kepada kita – tahu apa itu kesengsaraan dan kesunyian yang kita sedang (dan akan) alami. Dan disebabkan Dia tahu, Yesus Kristus boleh memberikan kita penghiburan yang sentiasa ada bagi kita melalui kehadiran-Nya. Kita harus berdoa: “Semoga kasih-Mu yang kekal menghiburkan aku, menurut janji-Mu kepadaku, hamba-Mu”. Amen.

Jadi, bagi orang yang terus percaya kepada Yesus Kristus, ada “penyembuhan” yang akan kita alami di dalam kesedihan kita. Daripada kesengsaraan dan kekecewaan, Tuhan Allah mampu melakukan mukjizat yang terindah di dalam diri kita dengan memberikan kita kekuatan-Nya dan kasih setia-Nya. Ini janji-Nya.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Letter to Elizabeth

Dear Elizabeth,

How are you today friend? Okay, that question is inappropriate to ask but nonetheless – I do really care about you. I heard about your story. I know you’re hurting right now. You don’t deserve this. No one does. He should have treated you better. You have sacrifices a lot, and I witnesses how faithful you’re in this relationship. You’re beautiful but that is not a valid reason that he should love you; he should appreciate your inner love for what is truly beauty – your love for the Lord. And because of that origin, the fountain of truth, out of where your love for him flows, you simply love him purely and unconditional. You don’t care about his past, you say no words about his background and you have patiently endured his weaknesses. It is rightly so. But he doesn’t see this wonderful thing about you; he doesn’t care. That’s why he have no guilt when he rejected your love, betrayed your trust and leaving you alone like this.

Elizabeth, my friend, don’t be sad for long. I won’t stop you from crying. I won’t advice you not to grief. You need it but don’t overdo it. Let it all out but don’t add oil in it. Sometime you need to acknowledge that what had happened is happening now. Faced the “unsettle business” of the past today is better than letting it all become cancer in the future… so that you can move forward [pause].

Do you feel much better now? You know, to tell you the truth, I have nothing much to say to you. If I were a cat, I would rub my furs on your face. If I were a bird, I would sing a joyful song to you. If I were a teddy bear, I would wipe your tear away. But I obviously not one of it – I’m a human-friend. And as a friend who understands how you’re feeling right now, the gift of silent and little words of comfort might be helpful for you. Would you mind if I share some words here? I promise I won’t let you fall asleep.

Elizabeth, look to Jesus. Focus your whole attention toward Him. He will never abandon you – not even one millisecond of your life. To abandon you when you’re feeling sad and broken, God would have to stop loving you, and He simply cannot do that, not for His own people – for He is love. Although He does not promise to remove your pain, God does promise to be with you in it, to get through with you in your problems and difficulties, and to give you hope and purpose in the despair of your aching heart and soul. Look to Jesus. He was betrayed, rejected and alone – and understand now, He have overcome it ALL. He can help you to get through your ‘dark night of the soul’ if you only trust Him. Your hope is in Him alone. Your future is in His Hand. He is your God. Would you trust Him?

Look to Jesus, the bright Light of Heaven. Be so blinded by Him that you can only see His light shine upon you and all things are but shadows in His presence.

Look to Jesus, my friend. I pray you well. See you soon.

Regards,

Richard

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

"...tetapi Saya Tidak Boleh Memaafkan Diri Saya Sendiri"

Pernahkah kamu mendengar orang (atau kamu sendiri) berkata begini: “Saya tahu Tuhan sudah memaafkan saya, tetapi saya tidak boleh memaafkan diri saya sendiri”? Apakah maksud mereka? Biar saya cuba terangkan apa yang mereka maksudkan dengan berkata “saya tidak boleh memaafkan diri saya sendiri”. Pada pendapat saya, apa yang mereka maksudkan ialah:

‘Saya tahu Tuhan sudah memaafkan saya tetapi saya masih lagi merasa bersalah; saya tidak boleh melupakan kesilapan saya begitu saja, ia seringkali datang menghantui saya dan kadang-kadang kesilapan itu amat menyiksakan saya. Kadang-kadang ia membuatkan saya merasa marah dengan diri saya sendiri... Ianya begitu susah untuk saya menerima kenyataan bahawa memang sayalah penyebab kepada semua kesilapan itu. Ia bukan sahaja membuatkan saya merasa tidak berguna, malah, ia membuatkan saya tidak ada harga diri. Kehidupan lama saya tidak hanya tinggal sejarah, tetapi ianya sentiasa muncul semula bila-bila masa sampai sekarang.’

Seperti yang kita semua tahu atau kita sendiri pernah atau sedang mengalaminya, penyesalan tentang kesilapan lampau akan menghalang pertumbuhan rohani kita. Kita juga tahu bahawa memaafkan diri kita sendiri adalah sesuatu yang paling susah untuk kita lakukan, tetapi kita sedar juga bahawa kita HARUS melakukannya kerana penyesalan yang tidak disembuhkan akan menjadi dosa yang merosakkan diri kita sendiri. Merosakkan diri sendiri adalah dosa kerana diri kita sudah ditebus oleh Darah Anak Domba – kita milik Tuhan Allah dan kita berharga bagi-Nya.

Tahukah kamu bahawa kamu adalah sangat ‘berharga bagi Tuhan Allah’? Harga yang Dia sanggup bayar bagi kamu dan saya ialah dengan kematian Yesus Kristus, Anak-Nya sendiri di kayu salib. Kita tidak seharusnya merosakkan sesuatu yang Dia sudah bayar dengan harga semahal itu. Oleh itu, kekesalan yang kita ada haruslah disembuhkan supaya luka lama tidak akan ‘berdarah’ kembali.

Jadi, bagaimana kita boleh meninggalkan kesesalan kita dan belajar untuk memaafkan diri sendiri? Pertama sekali, kita harus sedar akan kenyataan bahawa adalah satu kesalahan jika kita tidak memaafkan diri kita sendiri. Ia tidak semestinya mudah! Sesetengah daripada kita masih lagi merasa bersalah, merasa harus dihukum, dan merasa terlalu kasihan dengan diri sendiri (self-pity) sehinggakan begitu susah untuk melepaskannya. Jika kita memikirkan tentang betapa parahnya kekesalan itu; jika kita memikirkan bagaimana ia boleh menjejaskan hubungan kita dengan Tuhan; jika kita sedar bahawa kekesalan itu telah membuka jalan bagi Iblis untuk menyesatkan kita, maka kita tahu bahawa ia adalah satu kesalahan. Terutama sekali, kita tahu bahawa Tuhan Allah sudah memaafkan kita, adakah kita sekarang ingin meletakkan diri kita lebih tinggi daripada Allah dengan tidak memaafkan diri kita sendiri?

Langkah kedua ialah dengan menyerahkan diri kita kepada Tuhan Yesus, datang kepada-Nya dan berdoa agar Dia menyembuhkan kekesalan lampau yang telah mengganggu kita. Dia sahaja yang mampu melakukan-Nya. Minta agar Dia dapat menunjukkan bagaimana kita sudah terlanjur menghukum diri kita sendiri dan berhenti berbuat demikian lagi. Minta agar Dia dapat menunjukkan bahawa Tuhan Allah sudah menerima kita seadanya walaupun kita sudah berbuat dosa dan melakukan kesilapan pada masa lampau. Minta agar Dia memperlihatkan bahawa kasih-Nya kepada kita tidak bergantung kepada perbuatan dan kebaikkan kita. Minta agar kita sedar bahawa kita ialah anak-anak kesayangan-Nya melalui kasih kurnia-Nya. Sekali lagi, di kayu saliblah segala bukti bahawa Tuhan Allah sudah memaafkan dan membukakan hati kita untuk menerima kemaafan itu. Ini memberi kita kuasa untuk memaafkan diri kita sendiri.

Kadang-kadang agar suka bagi kita untuk mengetahui samada kita sudah memaafkan diri kita sendiri atau belum, lebih-lebih lagi masih ada kesakitan atau kepedihan yang kita alami daripada masa lampau. Namun begitu, ia tidak semestinya bermaksud bahawa kita masih belum memaafkan diri kita sendiri. Melupakan kekesalan tidak bermaksud semua kesedihan atau kesakitan yang kita alami juga akan hilang begitu sahaja. Apabila kita sudah meninggalkan kekesalan itu, kesedihan atau kesakitan masa lampau tidak lagi akan menghantui kita. Ianya akan sembuh sedikit demi sedikit. Ia tidak akan lagi menyebabkan kita asyik memikirkan tentang diri sendiri. Hubungan kita dengan Tuhan Allah juga akan disembuhkan dan kita akan mula memikirkan tentang orang lain juga.

Rasul Paulus ialah seorang hamba Tuhan yang paling memerlukan kasih kurnia Tuhan Allah untuk memaafkan dirinya sendiri terhadap dosa-dosa lampau. Dia menulis kepada Timothy:

“Aku bersyukur kepada Kristus Yesus Tuhan kita, yang sudah memberi aku kekuatan untuk menjalankan pekerjaanku. Aku berterima kasih kepada-Nya, kerana Dia mengaggap aku layak, dan telah melantik aku untuk melakukan tugas itu, meskipun dahulu aku mengufuri, menganiaya dan menghina Dia... Kristus Yesus datang ke dunia untuk menyelamatkan orang berdosa. Akulah paling jahat, tetapi justeru kerana itulah Allah mengasihi aku, supaya Kristus Yesus dapat menunjukkan kesabaran dengan sepenuhnya terhadap aku, orang yang paling berdosa” (1 Timotius 1:12-16).

Saya tidak percaya yang semua kesakitan atau kesedihan yang Paulus alami apabila mengenang kembali bagaimana dia sudah memenjarakan dan membunuh orang Kristian sebelum dia menerima Tuhan Yesus Kristus hilang begitu sahaja. Akan tetapi, kita tahu bahawa Paulus sedar bahawa kasih, kesabaran dan kemaafan Tuhan Allah adalah yang terutama dan terbesar sekali diingatannya – bukan dosa-dosa lampau. Oleh sebab itu, apabila dia sudah memaafkan dirinya sendiri dengan kasih kurnia Tuhan, hubungan dia dengan Tuhan Yesus disembuhkan dan dia mampu mengerjakan perkerjaan Allah dengan penuh keyakinan.

Kamu juga boleh berbuat begitu – maafkan diri kamu sendiri, kerana Tuhan Yesus sudah memaafkan kamu dahulu.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Sumber PenghiburanKu

“Jangan takut kerana Aku menyertai kamu. Jangan cemas kerana Akulah Allah kamu; Aku akan melindungi dan menyelamatkan kamu” (Yesaya 41:10).

Tuhan tidak selalunya akan melakukan sesuatu seperti yang kamu jangkakan. Kamu mungkin menyangka bahawa Tuhan akan menghiburkan kamu dengan menyediakan segala-galanya yang kamu fikirkan atau inginkan, tetapi Al-Kitab mengatakan bahawa Tuhan akan datang menghiburkan umat-Nya dengan kehadiran-Nya sendiri, bukan dengan menyediakan sesuatu barang bagi kamu. Dia berkata kepada umat Israel, “Jangan takut kerana Aku menyertai kamu. Jangan cemas kerana Akulah Allah kamu; Aku akan melindungi dan menyelamatkan kamu” – Kehadiran-Nya ialah sumber penghiburan.

Begini, barang fana tidak akan kekal; keperluan dan keinginan kamu akan sentiasa berubah-ubah, namun, Tuhan itu tidak pernah berubah – Dia kekal dan sentiasa ada. Tidak dinafikan, memang barang fana dapat juga memberikan penghiburan kepada kamu. Namun, ianya hanyalah untuk sementara waktu. Tuhan Yesus ialah satu-satunya sumber penghiburan yang akan sentiasa ada bagi kita untuk selama-lamanya. Tuhan akan sentiasa menyertai kita dengan kehadiran-Nya. Menyedari hal ini dapat memberikan kita semangat dan keyakinan kepada-Nya tatkala kita berada dalam keadaan susah. Ingat, “Jangan takut kerana [Tuhan] menyertai kamu. Jangan cemas kerana [Tuhan]lah Allah kamu; [Tuhan] akan melindungi dan menyelamatkan kamu”. Yesus ialah sumber penghiburan yang kekal, tiada yang lain.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.