Sunday, January 20, 2008

2008: Year of Character-building

Today, was taking stock of this year so far, and the path's been very clear so far - the Lord is clearly calling me to grow in character. More than that, I'm very thankful to God, 'cos He has been sending me people left, right and centre to point out to me my character weaknesses and flaws.

More than that, He's been speaking clearly to me through my reading of the Book of Joshua in the Bible (with the help of the very useful Life Application Bible) how character-building is like Joshua conquering the Promised Land.

Thank God for Peter who helped me evaluate and see the need to make plans to grow in character. And for his pointing out to me my constant frustrations... and the cause of my frustrations...

Thank God also for Hong Teck who taught me a practical way to see what are the underlying beliefs that affect my mindset...

Thank God also for Robert who corrected me on the way I handle my frustrations, and his advice on how to handle them.

Thank God also for my team leader, whose timely straightforward email came to me this year, to tell me to show better character at work... and thank God so much that he was doing this without a trace of condemnation - all the more since he's not a Christian, but I respect him 'cos he's a hardworking, sensible and mature man. And thank God so much for his equally straightforward affirmation that came right after I repented before God and changed the way that I worked. Wow! This can only be God's mercy and grace at work...

And thank God so much for His own convicting my heart... it's quite a strange thing, because I'd never really given that much thought to my character growth for my entire Christian life... until this year. And I just feel an increasing hunger and thirst to grow in character... which can only be the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in my life, who enables my heart to WANT to repent. Wow... God is so good, He is so sweet, and He is so powerful and awesome indeed!

Thank God also so much for His Word, that helped encourage me in desiring to be godly.

The Word and the Spirit, how they can set a man free! :D

When I sit back and ponder why only now I'm starting to see the value of character... think it's because I wasn't ready to handle this truth before. Think God wisely chose to open my mind only now, 'cos otherwise I might have fallen into the trap of legalism, or the trap of despair, or worst of all, becoming a cold self-righteous prig.

'Cos I've fallen in all these traps before... wonder how did I ever make it this far in my walk with God all these years. Oh God! He's so merciful indeed to a wretch like me. Hee! Just can't help but marvel at His sheer goodness again and again! :)

"Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come
'Tis grace that hath brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home..."


Actually, tracing out the road-map from 2007 to 2008... it's very, very interesting to see how His road-map unfolds in my life.

In 2005, God finally managed to break my spirit. Thank God for Hanhui's faithful correction and Peter's memorable scolding that made me feel super-loved. As a result, I repented and turned back to God... renewed my first love for Him. And also, He planted a vision for my life in my mind that year...

... which unfolded more clearly in 2006. Joined children's ministry, and also built close friendships during that time. And think one of the happiest moments in my life was when I served as part of the MM team for the Christmas production... really felt His joy and pleasure in my heart to be able to serve at a church-level.

2007 - saw need to grow in maturity, especially situational awareness. also learnt a lot about myself - why I am the way I am today, and my actual personality. learning to be really myself, even though i don't always like the real me that i see. life experiences of graduation, friendships and work. and thank God for weizhu and some other dear friends. grew deeper in friendships. learnt to say goodbye too, when other friends were called by God to different paths.

read the book on Boundaries, and realised just how powerful my family and school experiences were in my social and emotional development. relieved to know that a very significant part of all the troubles and habits that i had weren't because of attitude problems after all, but simply the result of inadequate training or ignorance in childhood.

grew in hopekids ministry too. :D thank God so much for His grace... learning to lead and impact children. God also helped broaden and deepen my understanding of the importance of children's ministry to building the church and especially building strong and biblical young adults for the future. so what i did not have in the past, God can work through me to give to children in the present, so that they will not be hindered or stumbled unnecessarily in the future when they want to serve God.

2008... whoa. God helped convict me of the value and importance of character. now reading the Bill Hybels book on character. got the opportunity to attend a hope conference - there, God confirmed His calling for me to children's ministry through at least four signs - one of them being a very memorable declaration by Pastor James that I have the right gifting for children's ministry. Whoa. God is so so so good indeed! :D

And the story will continue from here.

How about you? It's good to see what God has been doing in your own life... never mind the past, whatever it be...

Even if last year was a great year, let's remember Paul's words:
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ...


And let's aim for nothing less than the very character of Christ:
9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.


And let's aim to really live out Christ's character - especially through the difficult and tough times in our lives:
10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.


And let's press on, remembering that we're not there yet in Christlikeness:
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.


And let's live up to what we have already attained the year before:
15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.


Amen! :D

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