No reading for today, although we did go through 1 Corinthians 12 and 13 during our short meet up at Chris' place this morning.
The former talks about unity in diversity, and the latter regarding love - both topics are covered in Ephesians, perhaps with a little more depth here.
I am reminded that, no matter who we are, who our gifting, we are just as important as the person next to us. Just as indispensable. We matter in the body of Christ, for it is not about us. Just like every cell, every tissue, every organ in our body - meaningless on their own, separated from the body, yet the body simply cannot function without any of them.
And love. All the characteristics of what defines love. Without love, everything we say, think or do will lose its context, will have been for nothing, and will gain us nothing.
But put both these 2 concepts together, read them in the same context. And it's suddenly a whole different ballgame.
All our lives, we will be inevitably caught up in a journey to pursue our own interests, to perfect our very own area of expertise, be it a single skill or a series of interrelated ones. Then we will devote our time, energy, our willpower and mindpower to achieving that particular expertise, to ensure its development.
Agreed - skills and gifts certainly help you go a long way in life, but that's almost all there is to it. And all of that will eventually be meaningless in eternity.
Faith, hope, and love. These are the things which cannot be cultivated overnight - in fact we spend most of our lives trying to get there, yet never really will. What then, does this mean for us? What are we really loving for?
Sometimes, it's just not easy to choose to have faith. It's not easy to choose hope. It's not easy, even, to love.
And that, is worrying.
Prayer : Dear Lord, once again I find myself at Your feet, feeling very confused, very afraid. What if I haven't enough faith? What if I haven't enough hope? What if I haven't loved enough? What if...? I need Your guidance Father, lead me I pray. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Jun Fhui,
ReplyDeleteAunty Kooi Hwa here. Praise God, you are sincerely seeking to do His will with all your heart, soul and might. By our own effort, we will find that we are lacking in love,faith and hope. Actually, you just need to yield to Him (Rom 12:1,2). Let Him be in charge of your life. Our giftings ( natural and spiritual) are given by God for His glory. ( Col 3:23,24). May the Lord continue to speak to you as you carry on with this 40 day fast.
Hi Jason, here are some extra notes given by Uncle Barnabas during our Bible study...
ReplyDeleteHope - confident expectations which becomes possible in the living God wwho intervine in human life and who can be trusted to keep His promises.
Hope is inseparable from faith because of what God has done through Christ in the past, hence the christian dare to expect future blessing.
Hope is the helmet part of christian defense against evil (1 Thessalonians 5:8) and an anchor penetrating deep into the unseen spiritual world (Hebrew 6:19)
Hope does not disappoint (Rom 5 :5)
Although Jesus never explicity refered to hope, He taught His followers (ie us) not to be anxious about future which is firmly in the hands of the loving Father. (Matt 6 :25-34)
Hope makes transcend joys satisfying, stimulate purity of life. (1John 3 :2, 3);enable suffering to be born patiently (Rom 5:3,4 )and will finally realize when Jesus retured (1peter 1:13)
Hope is connected with love as well as faith, christian hope is free from selfishness (1 corin 13:13)-- And now abide faith, hope and love these three, but the greatest of these is love.
Faith, hope and love together comprises the christian way of life because of God's manifested salvation in Christ and because He is the source of all the believer's expectation, God is called "God of Hope " (Rom 15:13) ---Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The fountain head of Hope is the death, the burriel and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1peter 1:3 )
Thanks for the extra notes, and thanks Aunty Kooi Hwa for the encouragement. :)
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