More of Him, Less of Me
Today I came across a very interesting article.. the line that caught me was this: What the world needs more is more of God, not more of you, more of your Christian witnessing or your personal spiritual experience.
What the article was saying is that there should be one starting point to all things, and this starting point is when God speaks. And it is to what He speaks that we should respond, not to our previous experiences. It is very easy for us to rely on our previos counseling or life expriences when giving advice to another, but this should not be so. We will always need to come back to that place of humility to recognize that ultimately, we need God to be the One to speak into the situation that we or the person we are counseling are facing, and not us, using our past experiences or knowledge.
Of course God can use our life experiences to build another up, but we talk about these experiences only at His direction, not because
we think it best. For it is when God speaks that the world is created, nations are built or torn and lives are changed. We listen to God not just to hear answers to our prayers, but for what He's speaking and respond accordingly. It is not information or knowledge He gives, but a creative Word that is living and active.
Heb 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword , it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.That conviction cut deep in me or rather sent a jolt of a reminder to me that no matter how long i've walked with God in a relationship or in ministry, I will always need to first go to Him for all matters of counsel, whether for work, myself or others instead of dishing out advice from what I already know because His Word alone is life-bringing. May I never exalt myself nor my experiences beyond His Living Word again!
Let Me Number My Days...
Wanted to share a message that I heard in Shanghai from a Chinese pastor during Watchnight service that has changed the way I pray since I came back from there.
Ps 90:12
12 Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
“Teach us to number our days aright…” We are good at counting money, friends, people, a shepherd his sheep, a restauranteur the dishes served, a shopkeeper his stock, but how many of us, would count the number of days on earth? Here the Scripture reminds us that our days are numbered.. but yet few people do so.
Well, I know
I don’t really number my days, unless its days to an exams or something. I live like I still have a tomorrow and many days after that.. I never really bought into the “live each day like it’s the last” though it sounds like a really good slogan and idea. It just isn’t feasible or plausible practically. If I lived each day like it was the last, I would just stay home with my family ALL day, and never go to work! I would spend or give all my money away and eat all that I can and want to. But I don’t think it’s not possible to live life like that everyday, or perhaps, I’m too literal a person. I appreciate the spirit of
carpe diem behind it, but yet, there’s still something more I’m seeking, something that I know I can live on a daily basis and be a good steward of the days God has given me.
Ps 139:16
...All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.Psalm 139 tell us that God had already pre written our days for us even before it came to be. There is a story plot that has been crafted but God has given us the choice to either follow along His plot that is in accordance to His good, pleasing and perfect will or write our own story. And unfortunately, I think many people, including me in the past choose the latter. Everyday has a God-given purpose, unique in itslef, and I have begun to pray daily that God would fulfill His purpose for me for that day, and let that day count. Be it meeting someone to encourage, to bless, to pray for, to build relationships with, then let it be, but I don’t want that day to pass selfishly.. in self-absorbed ambitions or non-ambition. I want it to count, to make a difference to someone else and not just to myself…. I want it to count, not just for myself, but to God and to someone else.
Teach me to number my days aright, God.. let me see things from Your perspective that i may gain a heart of wisdom!
