An instrument for Noble purposes

"In a large house, there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. Some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work."

2 Timothy 2:20-21 is one of the verses that I've been memorizing, and as I memorize more of it, one thing that clearly stuck within me is "be an instrument for noble purpose, made holy, useful to the Master", and I started asking myself, am I one that is an instrument for noble purposes?

I believe that I am still in the midst of being sanctified and made holy by God, but I realise that there is my part to play. The verse states that if a man...... "IF" is being used, like it is commanding us that it is our choice that we need to cleanse ourselves from impurity. And I then realise that it is not just God sanctifying me, but it is also my choice to respond with faith. And I just want to thank God for being so patience and faithful to me.

A testimony......I have been facing challenges at work, and because of the ethical dilemmas that we are in, I started to have really bad attitudes, and was becoming negative, wanting to give up. The team that I'm leading, naturally picks up from me and also developed bad attitudes and negative feelings towards all that is happening. And I realise that my influence on the team is wrong. As I reflect back, I realise that I have allowed the enemies to use me. And the prompt in my heart is that "despite how bad the situation may be, I should continue to reflect Christ, and continue to shine the love of Christ." The Holy Spirit prompts become stronger and stronger each day as I pray and seek Him, and that's when I know that I have sinned before God. I prayed and repented before God.

And my heart was.........God, use me for noble purposes, use me in this workplace, change me so that people can see Christ in me. I prayed and asked God to really help me, cos it is really seeing beyond what people has done, and continue to lead others beyond what is impossible. I realise that for me to lead my team, I need to rise above the circumstances, and I need to see beyond the negativity. I made a decision to be positive and encouraging instead. I decided that I will make a difference in the workplace. I went in to work last week, and made a note that I will not be negative about whatever that is happening, but rather point people in a direction to look at the positives, and to celebrate. Slowly, people started to ease off the negativity. It is still lingering, but people are choosing to look at other positives that has happened and will be happening. And I even had the opportunity to share with some of my colleagues about Christ, and as well, even just encouraging them in God, and letting most know that I'll be praying for everyone of them, and the situation.

It is not like any amazing thing that has happened, but yet, it is the choice that one made.........whether we want to be use for noble purposes? And if so, we have to make sure that our hearts are pure before God. God will demonstrate His faithfulness, but we need to keep our lives right before God.

** For all those working out there........ what is the difference you can make in your workplace today? Is there some actions and attitudes you have that could draw others towards God? Think about it, it's worth it when we commit it to the Lord, and He will bring us to share with our colleagues. For me, I had the opportunity to share with my manager, and even encourage her. It probably wasn't easy, but God opened the door. God can do it for you too.

Certainty of God's Promises

Have we ever asked ourselves what are the promises of God? and whether God's promises of the past is also promises to us. It is amazing when I think about it, that God has done so much for people in the past, and how come in my life, and today's world, we find it so hard to claim all that God has promised?

As I thought more, some thoughts brought me to grow in my faith in God, and trusting in God, and His promises. One of it is the everlasting nature of God, the God who never changes, who is the same yesterday, today and forever. When I ask myself what does it mean when God never change, it dawn upon me that it means...........whatever He has done in the past for people, He can do it for us today as well. And it is really about us trusting and having certainty in His character. Not just upon the promises, but it is upon God that we trust and seek. We seek the giver, not the blessings.

Something else that also came to mind is that we should seek the heart of God. And when we seek His heart, we will know His desires. Many times, we ask God to fulfil our desires, but it is only when we delight in Him, that He will give us the desires of our heart (Psalms 37:4). And I realise that I have been lacking in seeking God's desires, but rather, I've been asking God to fulfil my needs, and my lack. That I feel so ashamed of myself that I'm not sensitive to want to minister into God's presence. I asked myself why am I seeking so much for the blessings and the fulfillment of the desires on my heart..........I could only see "pride" and "selfishness". This really challenged me, not just to see my needs met, but to see that God's will be done.

Recently, I was pushed to my max at work that I started to break down, and when I talk to God, I realise that my attitude have been "God, why don't you meet this need of mine". I felt I have become so inward and self focused about my own need that I didn't want to hear about other people's need, and I became indifferent towards others. I felt so ugly about my own attitude that I felt I needed a slap on myself to wake up. The break down was good because it helped me to realise that I need to humble myself to seek God, and not just my needs have to be met...............I hated my negativity, hated my frustrations and anger, and struggled with pride. I just came to God and said "God, renew me. I cannot go on this way and still be a salt and light to the people around me".

That's when I realise that I need to claim God's promises in my life, that I need to know that God will provide in His timing, and not just because I have a need to be met. At the same time, it is to be sure that His timing is the best, and not just what I want. I said to God, I want to be certain, I want to know His promises, and I want to allow His power to flow through my life. When I came to understand this, I felt a peace come upon my heart, and though I still am in the midst of getting through it all, I ask God to continuously look to Him, others, and then myself. I said that I do not want to just be focus about my need being met, but I want to be focus that I am doing God's will.

My focus for the rest of this year..................to place my hope in God, and this will be the anchor of my convictions before God. That it is in Him alone that His will for my life will be fulfilled In Him and through Him.

"Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,"

Hebrews 6:19

Turn Your Other Cheek

It is awfully hard when Jesus tells us to turn our other cheek to our enemies even after they have slappped us on one. I wonder where do one find that sort of strength to forgive our enemeies. This has been one of those commands, which you know very well that it is what God desires, and you very well understands it, but yet it is so hard to carry it all out. Recently in life, I have been challenged by the fact that it is not easy to love your enemies. Situations in life have put me in a spot to ask myself, where should I stand when there is unfairness and injustice shown, and how people have been hurt by the unfairness and injustice. I reacted with anger in my heart, and formed judgement towards those who displayed the injustice.

Outwardly, it all seems nice and fine, but i know in my heart (and only God knows), that time and time again, I had anger in my heart towards all that has happened. I struggled, and time and time, I have repented before God, but things just don't get any better, and it just seems to be greater injustice. I found it hard, to turn my other cheek and be slapped with injustice. However, God has been reminding me..........that vindication is His, and I should not have anger. Day after day, it has been just that prompting in my heart, from the Holy Spirit, to forgive, to have peace.

It is hard, especially when outwardly you can't really express it out, and I just find myself so helpless. I have been meditating on the verse - Matthew 5:38-44........

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"

This is my prayer before God, to keep my heart pure, to keep my attitude right, and indeed, to truly forgive those who may bring injustice, because God has first forgiven us.

The Confidence is in God alone

Personally for me, the rising of the sun shows how confident we can be in God, because it never fails to rise every morning. I believe that's how God can help us to have that confidence in Him, that every day, we can rise with that confidence in Him.

As I grow up, one thing that I have picked up is that my confidence (many a times), comes from my experiences in doing the thing over and over again. I am one who is usually lacking in confidence when I have to pick up something new to do. I am always awestruck at people who seem to be so confident, and always never fearful of the new things that they need to do. I take a long time to think through the new things that I need to do, before I will take that step out and do something about it. And yet looking at people, I gazed and wondered, where do they find that sort of strength to be so confident to be out there.

One of my weakness is my lack of confidence with people and public.........I know everytime when I have to address the public, and people, be it at work or in ministry, I go through a whole lot of turmoil and butterflies within me, that I'll come to the point of prayer and say to God, "I really don't have the strength to do it, but only you can do that in me, only You, can take me through the moments". As I look at it from time to time, this relying on God has helped me to understand a lot more how come confidence comes from God, and how can we have confidence in God, and why we as humans struggle in this lack of confidence.

2 verses that really strengthens me.................

"for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being snared."
Proverbs 3:26

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we ask of him." 1 John 5:14

For all of us out there (including myself), when we have that thought that I don't think I'll be able to do it, or I can't do a good enough job than another person.................rebuke that thought, and pray for the confidence to be placed in God, not on your past experiences. It is God that will take you through, not your past experiences. No matter how well or badly you have performed in life, in the past.............take it as a learning curve. But remember it is God that you rely on, not on what you have or haven't done. I am sure that God, when we seek His will in all that we do, be it studies, work, or even ministry, He will honor it.

grow......Grow......GROW

I have this voice in me that keeps telling me, it is time to grow, it is time to expand, and it is time to enlarge. And daily when I seek and speak to God, one thing that really struck me is my desire to grow, not just physically and naturally, but spiritually.

"Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities."

Isa 54:1-3 is what God laid upon my heart. I ask God, what does He wants me to stretch in? I already feel so stretch, can I stretch more? I pray that I can go on higher, not because I haven't got a choice, but because it is God's will. As I rise to the challenge to lead a bigger bunch of people, I realise that everything else that I use to do with a smaller group has to change. The perspective and even the way..............it is a challenge. When we grow, we move out of our comfort zone, and sometimes it is nicer to just remain in our comfort zone. That is my challenge, to grow and step out of the box that I have always put myself in to be comfortable.

I have been praying and asking God, why has He put me in the position that I am in, be it in ministry or work, I feel very stretched in the aspect of having to lead............and not just lead in how I have always done so, but in new ways, and in "uncomfortable" ways. Sometimes, it is such uncomfortness that will help us to rely on God more, and to draw from Him more.

There has been so much happening in my life that has taken me out of my comfort zone. I am challenged ethically, and as well to stand with integrity, that it is really causing me to ask myself, where I will choose to stand. It is not normal decisions that you will make, but it is one where because of your faith and your convictions in God, that you know you need to make those decisions. Such stretching really test your character and it is amazing when you choose to come before God and surrender it before Him.

All of these kind of remind me that God has called me to be that plumbline of truth, one that will hold fast to His standards and hold with that spirit of integrity and honesty before Him. I think I will choose God's ways, but it is really going to be challenging as it will require me to give up some things which I know is uncomfortable to give up. I can only pray that God will continue to guide me. Let it be stretched...............Stretched for Jesus, and let your character be tested as you "stand trial" before Jesus. Let's stand for the Word of Truth.