Daily Responses In Light of Our Eternal Hope
"The faithful leader knows that time must be measured against the backdrop of God's eternal character and purposes. Everything humans build will one day be reduced to ruins, but our lives and our leadership will, in Christ, have eternal consequences and impact. The faithful leader lives every minute within that frame, even as he measures months and years and decades in terms of stewardship. Day by day, the leader negotiates the challenge of time, and minute by minute he senses it passing. The leader knows a time to work and a time to rest, a time to plan and a time to act, a time to read and a time to speak, a time to play and a time to fight."
The Conviction to Lead - Albert Mohler
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This has been a personal, ongoing theme for me this past month or two. I'm not exactly sure since when this happened, but I caught myself feeling like I'm just a busy-body (both physically and mentally). I think I came to realize it when my body literally crashed on me. I honestly didn't feel or think that I was actually that tired, but obviously my body said otherwise. I realized it even more when I found myself complaining about little things in life more than usual. Complaints coming from frustrations that I honestly didn't want to deal with, and felt that it wasn't all that big of a deal. One overarching complain that I had in my head was "why does it seem like everything is happening all at the same time in my life?!; struggling setting up interviews, struggling to reach certain employers, mediating between my parents at home, making time for both parents and a brother, desiring to reach out to sisters within ministry, struggling through issues that are coming up within discipleship, etc." I got overwhelmed, therefore, I saw myself complaining a lot.
After that phase, it has come to "Are you just going to keep complaining and be filled with frustrations? Or are you going to do something about it?" Stepping back and looking at this current situation and all the struggles in it, I have been evaluating myself in how I am responding to it. It has compelled me to repent of my selfish ways and lacking a heart of gratefulness towards God who has supplied and blessed me with so many great things and opportunities in my life (quite ironic compared to the title of my blog title LOL).
With this state, I re-read my devotional book (1 Thessalonians) again, as a whole. I was already finished with it a week ago, but I thought it would be good to just recap on this book and reflect on it in its entirety. I don't think I saw it clearly while I was going through the book section by section, but after re-reading through the whole book, I see how Paul was very encouraging and firm with the people of Thessalonica.
Background of this letter: Paul had been ministering to the people of Thessalonica and great amount of people received the gospel message of Christ and turned away from their sinful lifestyle. However, rioters who were instigated by Jewish opponents dragged out some Christians and charged them with sedition against Caesar. This forced Paul and the missionaries out of Thessalonica prematurely. In the midst of that, Thessalonian Christians were persecuted and killed for this faith. Moreover, the remaining Christians, who were still pretty young in faith and not fully informed, were grieving over the dead because they thought that the Lord's day was already here and the people who were killed would miss out on the second coming. They were also thrown off with the whole persecution of the church because it's lasting for quite awhile. So, the main point of this letter from Paul was to reassure the Thessalonians of their salvation in Christ, that both the dead and the living were destined to be saved at the second coming. And also to encourage them of the hope that they have as Christians in the midst of unexpected deaths of people of their congregation.
I can relate to this in some ways. Not that I am going through this type of persecution (at least not yet), but as far as how they are responding to their current circumstances, I feel a little uneasy and at times thrown-off like them. But this book has made me reflect on my current circumstances in light of the eternal hope of Christ returning and making all things new in him. You cannot help but to think of this current struggles and situations as something that will eventually pass and momentary. So with this kind of solid hope in Christ, why do we so easily get swept away with our daily struggles and distraction.
Reflecting upon that, I have come to a conclusion that the more clearly and earnestly you long after Christ, really affects the way you live out your daily lives and how you respond to each and every situation. In other words, how REAL is this eternal hope that we say we believe in to us that it affects our daily lives, how we interact with people, how we engage in conversations, how we encourage the people of our ministry, how we bear witness of our Lord in our work places, how we take care of our responsibilities, how we make disciples, how we make decisive decisions, how we refrain ourselves from certain activities, how we spend our time and energy, etc? This is the question I keep asking myself lately. And honestly, I fall so short. My personal struggle is that I easily lose sight of my goal and my actual prize when I face more of my insecurities. But more worse than that, I find myself responding to these things by being more lost in that instead of actively seeking Christ. How very immature, foolish, and weak I am still. So this book has encouraged me to reflect on my self through the lens of the gospel and facing the reality of my sinful weaknesses.
At the same time, it has brought great joy, hope and peace because of God's steadfastness and unchanging character! I can only imagine how frustrated he would be at his people, seeing them constantly falling into sin numerous of times and allowing themselves to be distracted by things of this world that doesn't even matter! No wonder you see no more mercy when Christ does return! God has demonstrated, and continues to demonstrate great amount of patience with his creation, decades and decades, but still, they refuse Him and get lost in frivolous things. In light of His coming, Paul strongly encourages people to wake up and be all the more vibrant during this time of struggle and hardships.
Praise the Lord; for Your Name is great, and greatly to be praised!
The Conviction to Lead - Albert Mohler
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This has been a personal, ongoing theme for me this past month or two. I'm not exactly sure since when this happened, but I caught myself feeling like I'm just a busy-body (both physically and mentally). I think I came to realize it when my body literally crashed on me. I honestly didn't feel or think that I was actually that tired, but obviously my body said otherwise. I realized it even more when I found myself complaining about little things in life more than usual. Complaints coming from frustrations that I honestly didn't want to deal with, and felt that it wasn't all that big of a deal. One overarching complain that I had in my head was "why does it seem like everything is happening all at the same time in my life?!; struggling setting up interviews, struggling to reach certain employers, mediating between my parents at home, making time for both parents and a brother, desiring to reach out to sisters within ministry, struggling through issues that are coming up within discipleship, etc." I got overwhelmed, therefore, I saw myself complaining a lot.
After that phase, it has come to "Are you just going to keep complaining and be filled with frustrations? Or are you going to do something about it?" Stepping back and looking at this current situation and all the struggles in it, I have been evaluating myself in how I am responding to it. It has compelled me to repent of my selfish ways and lacking a heart of gratefulness towards God who has supplied and blessed me with so many great things and opportunities in my life (quite ironic compared to the title of my blog title LOL).
With this state, I re-read my devotional book (1 Thessalonians) again, as a whole. I was already finished with it a week ago, but I thought it would be good to just recap on this book and reflect on it in its entirety. I don't think I saw it clearly while I was going through the book section by section, but after re-reading through the whole book, I see how Paul was very encouraging and firm with the people of Thessalonica.
Background of this letter: Paul had been ministering to the people of Thessalonica and great amount of people received the gospel message of Christ and turned away from their sinful lifestyle. However, rioters who were instigated by Jewish opponents dragged out some Christians and charged them with sedition against Caesar. This forced Paul and the missionaries out of Thessalonica prematurely. In the midst of that, Thessalonian Christians were persecuted and killed for this faith. Moreover, the remaining Christians, who were still pretty young in faith and not fully informed, were grieving over the dead because they thought that the Lord's day was already here and the people who were killed would miss out on the second coming. They were also thrown off with the whole persecution of the church because it's lasting for quite awhile. So, the main point of this letter from Paul was to reassure the Thessalonians of their salvation in Christ, that both the dead and the living were destined to be saved at the second coming. And also to encourage them of the hope that they have as Christians in the midst of unexpected deaths of people of their congregation.
I can relate to this in some ways. Not that I am going through this type of persecution (at least not yet), but as far as how they are responding to their current circumstances, I feel a little uneasy and at times thrown-off like them. But this book has made me reflect on my current circumstances in light of the eternal hope of Christ returning and making all things new in him. You cannot help but to think of this current struggles and situations as something that will eventually pass and momentary. So with this kind of solid hope in Christ, why do we so easily get swept away with our daily struggles and distraction.
Reflecting upon that, I have come to a conclusion that the more clearly and earnestly you long after Christ, really affects the way you live out your daily lives and how you respond to each and every situation. In other words, how REAL is this eternal hope that we say we believe in to us that it affects our daily lives, how we interact with people, how we engage in conversations, how we encourage the people of our ministry, how we bear witness of our Lord in our work places, how we take care of our responsibilities, how we make disciples, how we make decisive decisions, how we refrain ourselves from certain activities, how we spend our time and energy, etc? This is the question I keep asking myself lately. And honestly, I fall so short. My personal struggle is that I easily lose sight of my goal and my actual prize when I face more of my insecurities. But more worse than that, I find myself responding to these things by being more lost in that instead of actively seeking Christ. How very immature, foolish, and weak I am still. So this book has encouraged me to reflect on my self through the lens of the gospel and facing the reality of my sinful weaknesses.
At the same time, it has brought great joy, hope and peace because of God's steadfastness and unchanging character! I can only imagine how frustrated he would be at his people, seeing them constantly falling into sin numerous of times and allowing themselves to be distracted by things of this world that doesn't even matter! No wonder you see no more mercy when Christ does return! God has demonstrated, and continues to demonstrate great amount of patience with his creation, decades and decades, but still, they refuse Him and get lost in frivolous things. In light of His coming, Paul strongly encourages people to wake up and be all the more vibrant during this time of struggle and hardships.
"We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil." - 1 Thess. 5:12-22So Ann, because of this eternal hope that God has promised us through Christ, and because you know God is faithful to his own promises that he oathed onto His own Name, and because You are always reminded that He will accomplish what he says will do, be more active and respond to certain situations with assertiveness. Not that all these works will add up to anything, but you know in the end your labor would not be in vain for there is a greater purpose behind it, beyond myself. But at the same time, be more discerning in the midst of it all. Just like the quote from Albert Mohler, there's a time for everything. Do not confuse discernment with hesitancy. Work with joy in Christ, admonish and serve God's people with love and gentleness, be shrewd and sober through all hardships!
Praise the Lord; for Your Name is great, and greatly to be praised!
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