Doesn't Matter How Difficult

¹⁶ Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!
1 Corinthians 9:16

If a man or a woman is called by God, it doesn't matter how difficult the circumstances may be. - Oswald Chambers.

How true. For me, i get frustrated when people tell me that they can't serve God now, maybe another 2 years time, or when they tell me "no lah, you go ahead and serve lah, i don't have the calling to serve in this way". You see, i'm a very straightforward kind of person when it comes to biblical truths and promises. When God promised that "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Heb 13:5) i think he really meant it. God will always give us the grace to obey him. How cool is that? He not only asks us to obey him, He gives us everything we need to obey him because he gives us His presence.

When i look at my own life, i thank God everyday for his grace in my life. At such a young age, i'm given the grace to do so much for his kingdom, influence so many people. In my ministry, i'm so humbled because i have the unique opportunity to counsel and give advice to people 10 years older than myself and they listen and are challenged by what I've accomplished. I'm studying for a really tough exam, yet i still come back every weekend to Seremban to serve the church. I don't say all these to boast, i say this because I am convinced that the only person i should aim to please in my life is God. Not my examiners, not my parents, not myself, but God.

Don't get me wrong. It's definitely not easy. Lonely is the way of the cross. I've failed major exams, been betrayed, been made fun of, cried myself to sleep for lack of friends who stand by me and understand my burdens etc. But i still carry on. Let me share with you an excerpt of my current favourite chapter

¹² I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. ¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. ¹⁵ Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things." - Philippians 3

Therefore, fun the race in such a way to win the prize. Because we can. Not because of who we are, but because of what He's done; not because of what I've done, but because of who He is.

shameful thoughts

2 Corinthians 4:2 "we reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods..." it's so easy to have thoughts that are shameful. deeds are rather detectable, but thoughts are my own and thus i can easily hide them. and so, shameful thoughts are much more dangerous. It's hardly evil thoughts, but shameful in many ways. i catch myself thinking many times "good thing he/she can't read my thoughts..."


i think the only remedy for these shameful thoughts is found in Romans 8:5 which says "those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit."


I think i need the Holy Spirit to control me and to control my thoughts everyday. My life's goal is to please the Lord. When i stand before him on judgment day and my thoughts are played out like a movie, i don't want to be ashamed. i want the Holy Spirit to be pleased with my thoughts, that my whole being is pleasing and acceptable to the Lord.

Therefore i need to be constantly found in the presence of God, constantly coming to him for my mind to be renewed. This, is discipline. There will be days (there have been many)where i just want to "run away" from God, but that has to stop. i want my life to be guarded by the Lord, i want my foundation to be on His word.

So today, there's much to do, much to accomplish. By his strength and in His control, there will be discipline in my life that leads to passion for the things of God.