And had a great time of sharing. Some quoteworthy quotes:
We often neglect what is important to focus on what is urgent.
Quiet time with God: just like calling your Dad home from overseas. There's no substitute for quantity time. :)
:) he really understands the part about how it is possible to serve so much but not have a close relationship with God. he had served as a UL before, with lots of sheep... but as the whole church knows (he had shared his testimony with his wife about how he had left home & church, & how God brought him back), even leaders can fall badly. He told me about how people had been praying for him, even the family of a close Catholic friend as well :) thank God for His mercy indeed.
Very sobering and yes, his testimony also made me feel very touched to the point of near-tears. :)
But yes, relationship with God - to know God & love Him... that is the most important thing in ministry.
Listening to him share, it gives me a deeper understanding of marriage - and the tough temptations that every man faces. Every married man will be tempted, frankly. I shared with Kelvin that one of my prayer requests is that God will help me stay faithful to my wife all my life. He looked at me, smiled and with the wisdom of a veteran, pronounced the magic word: "FLEE!"
Amen! To flee from temptations. And pray so that I will not fall into temptation. :)
Anyway, after the shepherding, I was walking at night, taking a break. I was thinking about God's care for me :) what a relief & joy to recall all the many miracles He has done for me. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid."
:) to experience God afresh. And the funny thing is, though I pled with God to take away my weaknesses many times, He gently reminded me that His grace is sufficient for me, for His power works best in weakness.
So, walking under the night sky, and reflecting on my chat with HT & the prophecy during CG, I realized that I had been trying to perform to meet up to perceived expectations, whether true or false.
But the real test of my character is how would I respond in the face of my inadequacies, how I would respond when confronted with my fears and failures. I think when we are struck in our weak points, it really reveals what really lies within us.
One powerful way to reveal a person's character and depth of relationship with his/her God... would be when the person undergoes great suffering. It sounds very similar to God allowing Satan to strike Job, right?
And God is not interested in what I can do. But He wants to see my heart as shown by what I actually do. We talk about ministry successes, about doing great things and winning many souls... but perhaps God prefers obedience? Patience? Kindness? Gentleness? Love, joy, peace? Deeper in love with Him? To abide in Him & obey His voice? Where there's quality, there'll be quantity in due time.
Ultimately, to fulfill the Great Commission. :) True discipleship. :) amen.
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