|
from the pastor's desk | beyond our shores | nl-voices | past events-home
Our dear friend, Ps June, shares her heart here with us. She and her family are missionary-pastors in Uruguay; reaching out to the homeless, needy and street kids; rehabilitating drug addicts; and restoring the lives of many who face hopelessness. Your pursuit is the proof of your passion By Pastor June Chuah, New Wine Church, Montevideo, Uruguay
What does the above statement mean? I have a very real example to share with you. We often receive young men and women into our home on the mission field in Uruguay. They come for varying periods of time, ranging from a month to a year. Most come because they desire to serve God and be a part of what He is doing in Uruguay.
One particular young man came to us for 6 months. From his time with us, one thing really stood out: his passion for soccer. Looking back now, coming to Uruguay for him was probably a way to get cheap accommodation for 6 months so that he could enjoy South American football at its best.
What made me think that his passion was soccer? From the way he lived and breathed football… he spent his time attending every possible live match and watching every match on television. He used his money to buy more football shirts and jerseys than we ever bought in the 8 years we have been there. Finally, his conversation revolved around football.
So, my question today is: What are you pursuing in your life? By your pursuits, what would someone say about your passion in life? I am going to share here three main things that a born-again Christian should be actively pursuing in his life:
1. Pursuit of the presence of God It says in Proverbs 16:26 that a workman’s hunger works for him. The problem these days with many of us is that often, our souls are satisfied outside of the presence of God. We can even be so satisfied with the blessings He bestows on us that there is no hunger for Him, intimacy or to seek His face.
If you find yourself in such a place, repent before God and cry out to Him that His Holy Spirit would stir up in you a thirst and a hunger for Him. Ask Him to shake your life and to move you out of the zone of complacency and comfort and pray that your soul would not be satisfied with anything outside of the presence of God.
2. Pursuit of eternal returns on your earthly investments The question here is: where are you investing your earthly resources, i.e. your finances, your time and your energy? In Matthew 6:21, it says ‘for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’. Our hearts will follow after our treasure. Are you plugging into God’s work and His Kingdom? Are you making His interests a priority in your life? Are you sowing for eternity?
I personally believe that as Christians, there are hindrances or encumbrances in our lives which are not necessarily sin issues, but that are not helpful and that can entangle us in our walk with Jesus ( Hebrews 12:1). These could be hobbies, distractions or interests that simply take away our resources from the Kingdom of God. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal these areas to you and ask Him to help you put them away and to rearrange the priorities in your life.
3. Pursuit of souls A passion for Jesus will always be marked by a passion for the lost. It will be accompanied by a love for the ones whom He purchased with His own blood. Actively place yourself in the gap through intercession for the lost --- pray for your unsaved family members, colleagues and friends on a daily basis and ask God to provide the opportunities to be a witness and blessing to them.
I am convinced that if we were to pursue the abovementioned, a passion for Jesus would be birthed in our hearts that would be unquenchable. Pastor June Chuah
________________________________________________________________________________
We are honoured to have our beloved friend and father in the Lord, Pastor Eric Dooley, featured in this season’s Beyond Our Shores. How to Make Good Decisions: some useful tips All of us, throughout our lives, need to constantly make choices and decisions for our own lives and sometimes, even for others. Some of these decisions are simple to make and yet there will be those significant ones which can get us pretty knotted up or anxious. Here are some tips to help you along as you seek to make good decisions for such times. May God bless you and guide you. 1. As the saying goes, you become successful by making good decisions. You make good decisions based on experience. You get experience from making bad decisions. Don’t be afraid of bad decisions – that’s not the same as sin! 2. Don’t make important decisions in a rush, when pressured, or when under financial strain. If you rush to make a decision you increase your chances of making a bad one. 3. Don’t make important decisions when you are tired. In the weight-lifting room at my college/university there was a saying painted on the wall: “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” There is truth in that. Fatigue and tiredness will hinder good decision-making. Tired people look for short cuts and an easy way out. 4. If you feel “funny” about something (meaning uncomfortable, but you aren’t exactly sure why), don’t do it. Inner peace about something does not necessarily mean it’s from God, but lack of peace is a clear sign something is wrong. 5. Be careful whom you ask and receive counsel from. Keep these factors in mind: a) Does this person have experience, or are they less informed or experienced than you are? ideas, doubts, and feelings? threatened and perhaps doesn’t really want you to succeed. their own experience, expecting that God will only work in your life in the same manner He has worked in their own life? 6. Good decisions are often based on a blend of wisdom, “common sense”, and faith. I once explained a plan to a friend and he said, “That sounds like natural reasoning to me” as though that were in itself a bad thing. By inference, this person was communicating a very dangerous belief: an idea that doesn’t make sense is more spiritual in nature! Not surprisingly, I have watched this unfortunate individual struggle through the consequences of many bad decisions. 7. Timing is everything. There is a time to be bold and decisive in making a decision, and there is time for caution and prudence. Being wise is to know when to move quickly and when to take more time. Wisdom comes by asking God for it, as well as by seeking for it in His Word and from wise counselors. 8. You can afford to make a few bad decisions along the way. It is worse to make no decision and “see what happens” than to make a decision and have it be wrong. 9. In general, the bigger the decision the more time needed to consider it and the more counselors involved. This isn’t always the case, however. Moses made the decision to cross the Red Sea immediately when God said to with God as His only counselor. I made a fairly quick decision to move to Cambodia, but I didn’t act on the decision for almost a year, and during that year I got plenty of counsel. 10. Observe others who have a track record of making good decisions. One thing you’ll notice is that people who succeed find one or two things to do, and then tenaciously stick with it until they succeed. If you find yourself flip-flopping on decisions every few months or years, something is wrong. The bottom line: Pray. God wants you to make good decisions. Ask Him about it. |
