Jiayan posted on her blog about yesterday's sermon by Ps Simon Eng.

Today's sermon touched something deep in my heart.
Human love versus God's love.

When we have the love of men, only certain people are attractive and appealing to us. We get close to people because we can make use of them. When we have the love of God, we find ourselves loving everyone all the same. We begin to have love for strangers.

Maybe it is the straightforwardness of the way the truth is being delivered. No wrapping or decoration. Just stark honesty which tug at the heart which will respond. The willingness to see each individual with a clean slate, as though we are seeing them for the very first time. No labels, no expectations, no promises. Just a heart that breaks for what breaks His.

Love God -> Love people

I had dinner with Andrew, my neighbour and bro in the RP ministry, and we were sharing about our lives. And later on, I was talking with Spencer on the phone, and he was enthusing to me about the song that he and Hong Teck did on Saturday night (and raving about Hong Teck's electric guitar - limited edition some more!).

And as I was there, it struck me how much I really thank God for these brothers. I barely knew them last year, but now friendships are growing. And I was amazed to realize that even for a shy introvert like me, my heart was brimming with joy, just to listen to them share their lives.

And I realised that this is the love of God, poured out into my heart, by the Holy Spirit... that I can delight in other people who are so different from me. A heart that delights in others...

Yeah! That's the phrase. A heart that delights in others, just simply because they are they. Not because of what they can do for me - but because, well, they are they. It struck me how it was so unlike the old Yeu Ann, who would only see people for what they can do for him.

I'm not saying how loving I am - on the contrary, I am actually not a caring person by nature. But... over the ten years or so, having gotten to know and experience God's unconditional love even for a wretch like me... seeing God's love revealed so real to me through His people... gosh, to be able to actually delight in people, and enjoy and appreciate them for who they are - it's such a surprise to me.

I don't know how to sufficiently describe that sense of wonder. Perhaps it's like... you knew you were supposed to be dead, but hey! you find yourself alive... Or it's like a man blind from birth, who suddenly sees the full colours of a rainbow for the first time ever. Red is so... red. Yellow is so... vibrant. And so on.

What a joy and amazement it is to see God's love bursting out from your heart - love that you never imagine could come from you - and yet it really, really does... it's like seeing water come out from a desert rock - totally impossible, and yet you see it happening right before your very eyes. Like seeing water bursting forth from your side. :)

Hee. Just another perspective on seeing God's perfect love bursting out of imperfect people like you and me. What a joy it is to see the Lord so alive and well, the priceless Glory dwelling within mortal jars of clay like us.