One of my church friend’s cousin was just diagnosed of 2nd stage testicular cancer. We are all praying for him and the family who are terribly devastated.My morning thoughts as a result centered mainly on life and its purpose thereof. In line with what has been in my mind lately – some jumbled-up thoughts of why am I doing so much and being so busy but yet still feeling I am not doing enough – I began to list down what God would have us do with our lives as revealed to us in his word. So far, I managed to come up with these, in no particular order. I am merely listing out visible and outward acts of obedience; faith and trust are all regarded as given.
I am sure there are more; you can add on to it.
1. Give to the poor and those in need, wherever they are: feed them, clothe them, provide for them
2. Spread the good news of eternal life, make disciples of all men: the great commission
3. Meditate on his word day and night: know it, study it, defend it
4. Sing hymns and spiritual songs: in worship to our God, in edification and fellowship of the body
5. Teach and minister: teach the word, counsel and minister to the people
Life is fragile, life is short;
Make it worthwhile, waste it not.
Maeghan
Picture by Penelope Berger
Meaghan,
ReplyDeleteHere are some more I think God would have us do:
1) Raise our children to know and love God. It is our responsibility to do this, not society's.
2) Live a life reflective of God's gift of slavation. Make our life a living testimony of His presence in it.
3) Be a person of integrity: let your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no' be 'no'. Live a life where truth is at the foundation of all of your actions.
4) Love: show love to all around you. Love recklessly (without fear or concern of it being returned)... love the unloved. 'For in as much as have been given so to as much is expected'
5) Be quick to listen and slow to anger.
Okay I am feeling the great conviction as I am writing these and not doing so well on some of them. I need to stop and reflect a while. ;)
Have a Blessed Day
-Doug
Meaghan,
ReplyDeleteHere is a post you might enjoy, loosly on this subject:
14 Hours
This post alone is why this guy is on my Nice Blogs list.
God Bless
Doug
Hi Maeghan,
ReplyDeleteI would definitely add pray to that list. I like to think of Romans 12 as translated in the Message when I think of what we do for God because I think it puts it in to good perspective.
1 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 2 Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. 3 I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. 4 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. 5 The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, 6 let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't. If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; 7 if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; 8 if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. 9 Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. 10 Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. 11 Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, 12 cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. 13 Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. 14 Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. 15 Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. 16 Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody. 17 Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. 18 If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. 19 Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it." 20 Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. 21 Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.
Hope that wasn't too long of a comment for you!
ReplyDeleteI'll second Doug's # 4.
ReplyDeleteLove. Take the love chapter of 1 Corinthians (13) and apply love's characteristics to every relationship you have, including our relationship with our Maker, but also with our families, neighbors, brothers, and enemies. Apply it in your conversation, your actions, your writing, your memory, until it's a part of your thinking.
Sometimes I sound like a broken record about this, but my goodness, how much it would solve for everyone.
I did some of these things today at work and at home
ReplyDelete1. I gave a woman that was short on money my spare change so that she could pay for her items where I work. I try to put some change in my pocket for people. I had a boss who always felt people should do that because I was the right thing to do.
2.I spoke to a man about ministry work He too is trying to get the same thing that we are at my church. Maintenance work ,home repair stuff, they want to open a shop so that they can teach also.
3. My daughter is teaching my a new song from her Bible class. It’s great Heaven must have this on the sound track.
Great lists
Thank you.
I agree with Milly, you all have great lists and I will do justice by summarising and posting it all in one long list later for my post today.
ReplyDeleteDoug, I second your #1. More so, not only the church's responsibility (many parents in my church leave their kids' spiritual nurturing to Sunday School teachers) but first ourselves as parents.
And yes, I enjoyed reading 14 Hours - thanks!
Julia, haha ... i must admit it is a long one to digest, but a good comment nonetheless. Will transfer it into my palm and slowly take it in later ;) And know what? Romans 12 happens to be my other exegesis assignment due in November. It will do me good to really read your list.
Rich, I couldn't agree with you more. The greatest of these is love and there is so little of it around, the real unconditional kind.
I like you Milly, you are ever the practical one :) And because of what I have learnt and pondered on lately, with the help of some of you, I have been more actively blessing others with the little I have: i have sent out several cheques (to Wycliffe; to an orphanage; and to a gutsy good friend whom I really admire, who gave up her job to pursue a theological education), and I have given out a Gospel of John track to a Punjabi colleague today, bought the same friend a book (a NT Greek Guide no less!). God help us to be more generous with our selves and our love.
Blessings!
Maeghan
And thanks Julia for praying. Will let my friend know of your kindness. God bless you.
ReplyDelete