Destiny's Claim

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

And in everything you do...

We are spiritual beings. Heh - that doesn't mean that we're wisps of air around, floating and as where we like and just WAITING for the ghostbusters to come around and suck us in if we create too much havoc. We are spiritual because we have the Holy Spirit in us and everything we do has a spiritual value to it.

Yup that's right again, EVERYTHING you do. Sportsperson, mugger, whatever your occupation/character/pasttime might be. Whether you're throwing a rugby ball, writing notes frantically or giving speeches, they all have a spiritual value to it.

Why? Because as a Christian, everything you do/say has a reflection on who you really are. Impressions form in the space of a blink and take a lifetime to get rid of. Worse still are the impressions that are formed over a long period of time - those might even be correct. But can you imagine, everything you do has an implication on what a Christian should/would be like. Hold on a moment, you don't even need to imagine it - it's reality. Yup, that's exactly what's going on, in case you didn't know.

We all have sin, that's for sure. And at one point of time or another, we've definitely behaved in a very un-Christlike manner. I know i have. Let's be honest - we all have. That kind of behaviour is not part of our goal, but we fall coz we're only human.

Max Lucado has a very good example of it - can you imagine you are wearing a T-shirt that tells everyone that you're a Christian? I feel that's the kind of life we should be living...although you'd need more than one T-shirt coz you're going to have to wash it at one point or another. But the point being that our lives alone should be enough to identify us as Christian. Can we say that of ourselves? I think not many of us can. I don't think i dare to assert that claim at all.

But that's where we should be working at. Everything that is done should honour God. Everything. If that means you have to change your lifestyle, change it. If that means you have to give up things that you would normally have done, then give it up. If it means that you have o forgo things that you wish you could have done, then pls set your convictions down before you even start thinking about it. If that means you have to break an agreement to someone else, then break it, whatever the cost might be. (I realise i'm being harsh here, but that's my stand and i'm not going to be apologetic about it. This is the same standard i expect anyone to treat me should i have a situation as this.) I can promise you it's not going to be easy. But i can also promise you that it's well worth it. The sad thing is that so many of us are numb to what we're going that we don't really realise that it's not edifying at all. Perhaps we're too busy to think about it. Perhaps we're enjoying it too much. Something that portrays a wrong/bad image to you and to other Christians. Something that edifys the flesh. Something of the sinful nature. Something that we want but is not of God. Sadly, we often don't realise it at all.

That's why i feel that it's important for us to take out time each day to reflect on what we've done, what we'll be doing, and what we're doing. Maybe you'll think of your hobbies. Maybe you'll think of activities that you do on a regular basis. Maybe you'll think of your career, or even your service in ministry (although i seriously hope not). What you're doing it for. Why you're doing it. Who you're doing it for. And be honest - it's just too easy to rationalize and tell ourselves that we have pure intentions for each thing that we do.

I leave you, the reader, with no conclusion to this post. It's intentional - i want to leave you thinking about what you're doing. Think about it yourself coz only you know your heart. Only you and God. It has always been between you and God.

...do it unto the Lord.

simply jon.pondered @ 1:19 am

Monday, September 12, 2005

Kudos to RavenHawk for so kindly giving me his template and letting me use it at the cost of no longer having a unique blog. He's really a nice guy, considering i don't know him at all.

I think this template reflects my nature a lot. Thinking a lot, trying to work the chaos out from the world. If you want to know more about Chaos Theory you can try and Google it yourself.

I know some of you are thinking that i've gotta be some copycat to use someone else's template and background. Firstly, let me inform you that there are plenty of blogs out there, and i'm sorry to inform you that your blog template is probably not unique as well, unless you tweaked the whole thing from scratch and kept it to yourself.

Secondly, i've said this before, but i'll say it again - this is my blog and i can do what i want with it as long as it doesn't defy my own values. =)

simply jon.pondered @ 2:31 am

Sunday, September 11, 2005

The storms of life and disappointments wrought
When tides of time ebb to bring naught
Yet through the dark and stormy gale
"My anchor holds, within the veil"

Though clouds may gather and hailstones fall
Though winds crash walls and waves' roars call
Through every crack of thunder leered
A Silent Still Small Voice is heard

He promised not a smooth-patched road
Nor flowers lining the path we trod
His promise holds whate'er betide
His promise is: He is by my side.

This popped into my mind as i returned from dinner and Lih Yiing asked me how i was. I found the usual simple "ups and downs" too shallow to say how i really feel...so this sprung out in the stead of a simple statement.

simply jon.pondered @ 7:16 pm

Saturday, September 10, 2005

I have just been notified that my maternal grandfather has lung cancer. He's too frail for chemotherapy, though something redeeming is that the cancer has just started. He's giving up smoking. Yet we know that he's probably not going to last beyond a year.

He's not saved yet.

This is where i am reminded that life is so precious...

simply jon.pondered @ 10:53 pm

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that i dreamed of
Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true

Some day i'll wish upon a star and
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
And way above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't i?

This song keeps coming back to me one way or another. Maybe it's trying to say something to me.

simply jon.pondered @ 7:34 pm

Friday, September 02, 2005

Was talking to a friend for a while and he was ranting for the good one hour that we talked about how people these days don't seem to appreciate the things that he puts in to better his situation.

Why aren't people noted for what they did? Even more so what they didn't do? Usually it's the silent sufferers that are the most sacrificial.

It pains me to hear a friend so close, who has done so much for me, say something like that. I always thought people would like him for the way he is and for what he's done. Perhaps it was a naive point of view to take, that everyone would simply appreciate him instead of using him for their own means.

How can it be that we fail so often to recognise the simple beauty of a person, of his soul? Someone tell me how. The priceless jewel in the truckload of coal shining out from the dark depths and no one, no one can see it.

As i left him, he was crying coz it hurt him so much, for everything that he had invested and yet to be stabbed in the back. I believe his tears are still there. I think they will still flow...if not for him, for all the other people who knows how he feels.

And till the world learns to value people for who they are, and not just what they have done, they will continue to flow from our Lord's eyes. For those who never see the value of a soul and for each soul that is torn apart by the world's doing.

simply jon.pondered @ 2:14 pm

Thursday, September 01, 2005

I always liked the Mortal Kombat movies...the game was just lame, but the movies had something to it...more than the special effects which nowadays are overdone in every single movie, there definitely was a certain sense of familiarity and "cliche-ness" in the theme of good battling evil for a cause. The reason why it was called "Mortal Kombat" (albeit with bad spelling) was because the mortals had to slug it out among themselves...immortals weren't allowed to interfere (or at least not on the earth's side - i don't know if you can count Shang Tsung as an immortal)

But during RH CG yesterday something else struck me as another form of Mortal Kombat - one that we are already fighting (and i would hope that we are fighting), a struggle for us as mortals. It's certainly one that i've struggled with ever since i can remember...the kombat for surrender.

Cling, grasp, fight, and all those things that we've been taught to do gain power and control over what we want. What we think is best. And really, it's so easy to make it all about us - that's what we are.

Sometimes, we don't know what we want. Sometimes we don't know what we can have. Sometimes we just don't bother asking God if it's right and we go ahead with what we want. Therein lies the struggle - to hear God's tiny little voice. To listen to His whisper among the shouts of the world. To surrender.

We were talking a bit about submission to God's will and i sounded out that i thought "submit" perhaps wasn't the right word to use. Many may disagree and expound on the meaning of "submit", but my own personal impression is that "submit" implies a use of force, which God doesn't really do..."surrender" on the other hand seems to indicate that it is willing and complete, which really should be what we should be doing. Not surprisingly, it was restated that the only way to know God's will is to grow closer to him and change our hearts to be more like His.

I realise that i've blogged about surrender before, but i'm going to do it again. Firstly because i believe it's really important and that we all need to be reminded of it repeatedly (at least i know i do, which is why i blog about it). Secondly this is my blog and i can do what i want with it hahahaha...yet after so much reflection, we (or i, as i can only speak for myself) still have a problem with completely surrendering everything and letting God take control. Know God's will. Do God's will.

Mortal Kombat - the one fight that we as mortals have to deal with. If you're struggling with this as i am, then pls struggle on. Don't give up. Keep on trying and trying and trying, coz i know that this war can be won. Seek God. Fast. Pray. Kneel. Beg. But seek God and God alone. One day we will learn to say, with all sincerity, "Thy will be done".

Perhaps one day, we won't even have to say that.

simply jon.pondered @ 2:07 pm

What bing said.

i think i'm getting too lazy these days...heeheehee..

simply jon.pondered @ 11:35 am