NEW BEGINNINGS, January 1-31, 2022
We own
nothing, we owe everything... To our God that is, for the strength, the wisdom,
the capacity to make a living and accumulate wealth; and to the people He sends
our way, to make life joyful and worth better living for... So that there
should be no room for pride in taking credit with the work of our hands,
without acknowledging who enables us; and for greed and selfishness with
whatever little or much that we have accumulated; because in one breath, they
can easily be taken away and we cannot bring them with us beyond the grave, nor
be sure that whomever we entrust them to will take care of them well... May we
live each day in humble acknowledgment, in an attitude of humility and
thankfulness, in wisdom and tact, in joy and generosity, in peace and love...
Too tired
to think clearly... Is so real for many of us, who have to contend with a lot
of tasks and issues, and to address multiple concerns even just to stay afloat
and to survive, that we often forget some things because we are simply
exhausted and bewildered... Yet, it is also a very real experience, that when
we step back from all that overwhelms us, give time to pray and surrender to
the hands of our Maker, that help and alleviation comes, whether to solve our
problems, or to give us a better way of seeing, thinking and doing things...
May we learn to always hold on to this in faith, that for as long as our
journey entails, we will be given strength, wisdom, patience and endurance, peace
and joy...
In God's
time... A lot has been said about time... But one thing that never fails is
that with His timing, everything falls into perfect place, every need amply
provided for, a generous heaping of grace is given, along with strength,
confidence and joy... May we remember that life doesn't go as planned, that
people can do unexpected things and become who we thought they could never be;
yet our faith, directed to the proper being, in the proper honorable way, in
humility and wisdom, makes us see that nothing is ever delayed, but all work
together beautifully in His time...
Unscripted
joy... Giving should have this, regardless of the size, even the frequency...
For as the Word says, our God loves a cheerful giver... And when we give, we do
not announce for likes, nor do we seek for affirmation and validity or be
counted in the tallies and summaries, nor do we give only to those whom we like
and who we think would give us a favorable response... For generosity is not a
respecter of persons, genders, age, nationalities, beliefs, persuasions and
convictions... Just as our God causes heaven to bring down rain on everyone, so
is giving bound not only for our religious or charitable causes, nor to family
and friends, but even and especially to those who cannot give back, nor have
capacity to even say a word of thanks... Giving is the be-all and end-all, even
of our very own lives....
Before
anything else, awareness... The Psalmist tells us that God is merciful to those
who fear Him, or more likely, render Him holy respect... It is also an
outstanding mirror to our own relationships with one another... It's
unthinkable to ever have a good connection with someone who is too full of
themselves, who thinks only they know what's best, who is full of greed and
pride and selfishness... Yet, they too, are worthy of a second chance, but
probably only if they are aware of their need for it... For like one who fears
God out of love and consideration for Him, nobody can really reach out to
someone with a "stiff neck", unless they get "cured" and
make a "headturn"...
Life
works two ways... Can't say much about married life, but about relationships
with other people, we learn that there has to be humility for forgiveness to be
sincere, consistency of kindness and generosity, and a healthy respect for
boundaries for us to get along well with each other... It's radical, but even
many of us so-called Christians are just good about talking it, but not really
about practice; since subconsciously, being taught about individual salvation,
we value and only care about our worth more than others, regardless of how we
really make them feel, or treat them on the day-to-day... This is not the time
anymore to be selfish, for life is better worth living when we work and live at
peace, in collective good and kindness with each other, regardless of our
faith, beliefs, convictions and persuasions in life..
Trained
up well... A viral video the past week of a teen bashed for proudly proclaiming
a certain mid-tier but internationally popular brand as luxury for her and for
which she gratefully acknowledged as from her dad's hard work, and her
subsequent noble, wise and loving response to her attackers, teach us a lot
about how some kids are still being brought up in the right path, while some,
probably because of their affluence and station in life, have lost appreciation
for what truly matters: love and respect for family and others, understanding
and thankfulness, humility and wisdom... And the scripture today is always
timeless... Some kids have already succumbed to the temptations and vanities of
the world, that they think material things mark success; but the wise teacher
has shown us that what truly endures are humility, kindness, generosity, good values,
love and faith... May we make sure we raise our children up in these, that when
they mature, they will always feel confident and secure in our love and
support, and in the grace and provision of our God and Creator...
Different
sets of the same standards... In this day and age, it still amazes me how some
people can aggressively impose their own prejudices about life on others,
seeing others through their own limited visions of life, particularly when it
comes to material success, marriage and singlehood; and in not just a few
instances, rattling off that one should be doing or having this and that at
this certain age or stage... One wonders if life's realities have clouded some
minds to monologue like zombies or brainwashed druggies, just to make
themselves feel good and the choices they make seem justifiably worthwhile in
their eyes... But scripture, our Savior, and life itself show that each of us
take different paths in life, but are held up to the same standards: and it
measures how have we made life worth living for, not just for our loved ones
and friends, but for the rest of the world, even strangers and other people we
love to hate and pick on... We are not factory-made dolls and robots that must
conform to the same quality control specifications; but each of us made in the
image of our Creator, each one equipped with great creativity and potential,
and each one contributing a different, unique but no less great part in taking
care of and keeping our brethren, in replenishing the earth and being good stewards
of creation... And the more we acknowledge and respect that in each one will
bring us more security and peace, confidence and hope...
To walk
around in others' skins... Another side to the story of the lost sheep and the
lost coin is that the owner knows exactly of their situation, and was in the
best position to look for and find them... Unlike some of us who immediately
judge someone to be in a bad situation because we believe we are better than
them, then harshly judge them based on their appearance or our own limited view
of life, and worse still, to hypocritically wish and pray that they "come
to salvation and enlightenment"; because unless we are the owner of their
souls, we never really know anyone... That is, we cannot say a person is lost,
unless we are in their shoes and walk around in their skins, unless we
personally have spent some time with them in loving, honest conversation... May
we learn to bridle our tongue, withhold our prejudices, get humble and real,
and just do our best to do good, and treat each other with respect and
kindness... For it is not our words and fake efforts to convert others to what
we believe is the right way of thinking that convinces them we are on the right
path; but it is our actions, our generosity and honesty, our courtesy and tact,
our kindness and love, that shows them the God we serve is alive and true, and
that for all time, He seeks to bless and save the world through His message
that we live in our lives everyday...
To reach
out... Many people on the other popular micro-blogging site, often appeal for
hearts or likes, for a hello, in moments when they say they are depressed... And
unless one has experienced it, one cannot imagine how dark and lonely that
situation is... Yet, our God promises to always be there for us, no matter who
we are, no matter what we believe, no matter our preferences and situations...
And yes, like the Psalmist, we too can experience how He sends people along our
way who helps us affirm that life is still worth living for... May we be that
kind of person to others: to be encouraging, to be lovingly honest and
validating, not to make toxic or disparaging comments and rants, but to
enlighten others, to give them hope, (if they only give it time and no matter
the hardship or difficulty or how overwhelming life's challenges seem), and
make them see what a beautiful life this can be...
Walk your
talk... A leadership counselor once said that a leader does not tell people to
do things, but does it themselves as an example for others to follow...
Sometimes, many of us fail to learn the lesson on humility and rebuke... We
sometimes lack discernment to know that we have made unreasonable demands on
people, and that we need to change our ways in order to lead better, and for
life to work out more favorably and equitably for all... May we learn to be
honest with ourselves, be humble and respect even to our lowliest subordinates;
for they too are like us, made in God's image, undergoing through troubles and
issues, challenges and transformations; and the least we could do to each other
is be kind, be honest, be transparent and accountable, be humble and admit our
mistakes and failings, be courteous, be respectful and thankful...
Love is
true... Can't say much about romantic love though, since obviously I haven't
proven myself personally in that aspect, but as far as I can see and know from
the people I met, love is faithfulness and understanding, not caging or homing,
suppressing or lording over the other to make them subservient slaves, but to
let them grow to their full potential, and all the while giving them all the
support that they need... Love is stronger than death, unquenchable, eternal...
And the message seems to be that this same lavish love is what our God and
Creator has for all of us... May we unshackle ourselves from all the toxic and
limiting beliefs, emotions, and ties that we have in this life, and fully
embrace the greatest love this life and world could ever know...
Forgive
but don't forget... We laugh when we read memes that those who have been
indebted to us for money are living it up even when they haven't paid; yet, it
is also true that many of us resent those who have offended us but seem to be
having the grand times of their lives... Maybe some of the things our Savior
reminded us about is because of these, since unforgiveness robs us of the joy
of living and enjoying our own lives when we are still tied up with past hurts
and the sins and offenses of others... And forgiveness even when they don't ask
for it, or don't deserve it, is the beginning of love... We can forgive, but
not forget; for what we have learned from being the victim and abused are
wisdom, a better judgment of people, a clearer perspective on life... If the
other person insists they were in the right, or they have perfectly good
excuses for what they did, let us leave them up to it; for eventually, everyone
comes to an inflection point... And when that time comes, what determines our
ability to continue with the next phase of our journey is how we have acted and
reacted with what life and people have given and done to us in the past...
Our
priorities prove us... Because no matter how far or how high in life we may
have come, it is who we are when alone and down, when we are in danger or the
midst of calamity and difficulty, when we are in company with those who have
more need than us or in even worse condition, or even when we have accumulated
much and are at the proverbial top of life, that reflect what is in our hearts,
and what we most value... May we learn to value people and life above
convenience, the environment and the future of our generations over greed,
peace above pride, love above vain luxury, truth over fame, our God more than
our own selfish desires...
It cannot be stressed enough: our God is always on
time... And for perennial late-comers like me, who have never seen God remiss
in His promises, nor in the things He has blessed and graced us with, we
realize the depth of His bounty and mercy... Yes, life is too short not to rush
and make the most of things; but it is also too short not to give time for Him,
and wait for His leading and inspiration... May we always give time to listen
to our Creator, even as we meditate upon His works; for all the things that we
are hoping and working for now, while in the physical and material form, will
pass away; but His goodness and mercy, His Word and love, never fails, and
lasts forever...
Repairer of the breach... Faith does not exist in a
vacuum, and living it means being among the world, not a supporter of its evil
and cruel ways, but one that upholds justice and right, one that promotes peace
and love, one that brings hope and joy... We cannot all the time wallow in the
bliss of religiosity and closeness of family, but in believing, we face every
day's challenges and demonstrate our faith by helping the needy, by reaching
out to those who have less means, by making sure that right and justice,
fairness and truth prevail...
Even doubt is an act of faith... Truly, one cannot have a
greater grasp of life without deconstructing it, without examining every minute
detail seeking for the hand of God, without asking God why, of all people,
troubles come even if we believe we are good, that we are faithful and diligent
in service, even if we think we are religious and righteous... Because indeed,
our God is in every aspect, every moment of our lives; and even through pain and
sorrow, when the answers to our prayers are a resounding No!, we can still
rejoice and praise, simply for being alive, simply for believing, and simply
for being sane and hopeful... May God bless us today and always with humility,
honest introspection, discernment, and more growing faith...
Not guilty enough... A fundamental principle of Christian
evangelism throughout the whole of its history is to make people understand how
each of us are so sinful and unworthy of a perfect God who in human form, gave
His life for our sins, to accept Him and what He stands for, and live the rest
of our days paying back such insurmountably and impossibly huge debt of
gratitude through our daily living, especially in active participation of
whatever church community or denomination we belong... Yet, such has also
caused deep lifetime trauma and PTSD to many in the faith, who had to pretend
to be good outside and to conform to traditions, ordinances, repeated acts of
penance, endless prayers either to saints for Catholics and semi-monastic
double lives for other denominations, obsessive-compulsive church attendance
and participation, with some even giving up their lifetime savings for the
cause of church, most often to the bigger ones who cry out for more, as they
also must abide by the mantra of "the more you give, the more you
receive"... There is nothing bad with being generous and supportive
though, and there is also nothing inherently wrong with such a passionate
display of faith, except the Psalmist tells us that such guilt-washing falls
off the mark of what really matters: an aversion to an unjust, destructive,
cruel, abusive, oppressive and evil lifestyle and ways, and an adaption to
upholding truth, peace, understanding, love, justice, fairness and right...
Because yes, we might say we are less evil because we are faithful and beatific
believers, but it is our actions and reactions to life's issues and challenges,
and our interactions with other people that validates the faith we profess...
Consistency of convictions... Perhaps none validates the
faith and principles we profess more than our deeds and reactions, and as they
say, who our friends are... And one of the strongest validation is our reaction
in the face of hardship and persecution, in abandonment and missing out... Can
we remain strong and steadfast even if others have already moved on and are
enjoying their life's milestones while we wallow in the drudgery of daily
chores and accountabilities?... Can we remain hopeful and confident even when
the grass is greener everywhere else but ours?... Can we keep our peace and
security even when life seems to give us no breakthroughs while others are
proudly claiming over social media how perfect their life is?... Only time will
tell, only history will prove right even if smokescreened, and only the Great
Judge will tell us the answers at the end of our journey, as we soon all face
our ultimate reward... Meanwhile, may we remain humble and generous, kind and
gracious, that our lives bring light and hope, peace and joy to those who need
it most...
The ultimate triumph... Whatever faith one
professes to have, there is always that undying hope that in our last days and
beyond, we would have achieved and be given what is due us as we struggle to
live on earth... And that should provide us enough motivation to do good to our
fellowman, and not just to push forward with our own selfish agenda at the
expense of others... Because no matter how great, how powerful, how wealthy we
may be, we are not as the Lamb of God, we are not worthy to hold the key and
open the seals of history, and we are not in control of our lives and
circumstances... May we always be humble, generous, tactful and courteous,
seeing and upholding what's good and just and right; for the mere lifetime and
daily effort to do so is worth far more than all fame, gold, and status this
world can offer...
The extent of faith... An American author
writing articles online recently observed that with the great upheaval in the
evangelical and other Christian churches these days, the only ones remaining
regular church attendees are those in the comfortable middle class... Maybe
that's applicable in much of the western world, but everywhere else, even in
our side of the globe, many still persevere in faith even in persecution and
hardship... Can't blame those who stopped attending regular church services
though, as indeed, worship and service to God is a personal thing, and one can
and must do it, not only in church, but primarily more in our everyday dealings
with other people--family, neighbors, colleagues, the greater part of
humanity--and most of them are not attending our very own little congregations
and parishes... It seems that nowadays, Daniel's lion's den is not just the
physical threat to life and person because of our faith and convictions, but
the real and though invisible, but stronger battle for our minds and
emotions... For even while we attend whatever church, congregation, and
denomination we prefer, we are still subject to the nature and strength of our
relationship and fellowship with each other, especially when envy, insecurity,
greed, pride, and selfishness, are allowed to come into play... One can only
think how far can we go and to what extent can we say we serve God if we can't
even respect and consider the boundaries and issues of the one next to us in
Sunday pew; or how can we say we truly worship and serve God if we only want to
take all the spotlight, and believe that the world revolves around us, instead
of manifesting our God's grace, mercy, non-discriminatory and non-judgmental
love and consideration for all, regardless of who they are, and what their
beliefs, convictions and persuasions may be... That's something we need to
think about too...
Order out of chaos, beauty from the ruins...
Human nature, by its greed to have more at the expense of others, will always
only bring ruin and destruction (much illustrated by a controversial recent
online article that says a study has found out that traffic cannot be solved by
wider highways but less cars, because wider roads only encourage people to drive
more vehicles even if it means only a few are conveyed in each ride, as opposed
to the more feasible public conveyances that ferry more people to various
destinations in proper regulated stops)... Yet, out of the daily nightmare that
is congestion and heavy traffic, out of the confusion a mob of people and life
circumstances brings, our God can indeed bring wisdom and peace, and He can
touch and renew our hearts to be less selfish and proud, to be concerned more
of others and of the greater good, rather than our own misguided and delusional
worship of what is convenient and of what makes us look good... May we learn to
live His love and truth, and truly fulfill our role as His children by bringing
peace, order, grace and light to all...
Knowing whom to believe and follow is
paramount to a life lived in the right path... Yes, the world needs more
tolerance and understanding now more than ever; however, there is also no
better time to uphold truth and right... And though it might be painful and
earth-shattering to realize that some of our pet traditions, long-held beliefs,
prejudices and preconceived notions are wrong or simply outdated and lacking in
wisdom, yet, for a better future, we might have to let go of some of them; not
the least of which the principles we espouse, and the tenets of the faith we
profess... May the message of the gospel and the kingdom be not lost on us, as
it drives us to reorder our priorities, ground and vertically align our thinking,
and encourage us to live on in truth and light, in hope and faith, in humility
and wisdom, in generosity and grace...
Ultimately victorious... Each of us have our
own issues and struggles; yet, eventually, we all give up the ghost, as they
say, and no one stays on earth in our current form forever... But those who
believe in a life after have this confidence: that through all our triumphs and
troubles, we have a God who guides and leads; and that all we experience,
whether good or bad, are developing us to become better than we were before,
until we reach our full potential according to His will... May such faith keep
us from envy, pride, selfishness and greed, from comparing ourselves with
others and finding validation and worth in their acknowledgement and approval;
and may such give us peace and strength, as we strive to give our good and
best, to God, to our loved ones, to community and country, until our very last
breath...
God is neither an inconvenient truth, nor a
part of our resume... He is real, powerful and near, if we have the heart to
believe so, less the mind that needs to grasp such scale within... Believing in
Him can change lives, particularly from one that promotes only selfish agenda
and greed to one that considers others of equal and more merit, from one that
only employs the tapestry of being religious to hide a wicked and cruel persona
to one that genuinely cares, supports and respects... It delivers one from
hopelessness insecurity and fear; so that bragging about having faith and being
good won't cut it; because true faith is manifested in tact, in understanding,
in wisdom, in tolerance of personalities and issues in favor of the potential
for maturity and growth... In short, understanding and knowing God is not
words, but actions, and a life fruitfully lived...
A life well-lived is poured out... The latter
generations believe that true wealth is not material nor financial, but one
that is enriched with experience; because by exploring, one knows more, one
understands much, and one becomes better... And so, whether we choose to travel
extensively through a fast, jetsetting lifestyle, or we simply get to spend our
days at our hometowns yet get to know and become a bigger or more impactful part
in the lives of loved ones, friends, neighbors and even guests and strangers,
we thank our God for the gift of creativity and friendship, and the freedom to
choose humility, courtesy, respect, understanding, generosity and kindness...
A very good friend of senior age said she
prayed to live only until 70... And that makes us sad, because we would have
wanted our loved ones and friends to live a good old age, that we might spend
more good times with them... But we ponder too, the reality that death awaits
for each one of us, no matter how much we try to keep it at bay; and that if we
should live long, we do so in diminished capacities, whether on strength or
mental faculties... And so we realize the vanity of accumulating so much wealth
that we can't bring beyond the grave nor be sure to leave to anybody
trustworthy; and we learn the uselessness of trying to be famous, knowledgeable
and acknowledged widely, when we cannot be sure our memories and legacies be
not forgotten when we pass away... But there is hope though, in that when our
time comes, we who believe in a life after, are closer to being reunited with
loved ones long gone, and declaring victory over our troubled existence and
miserable physical sufferings... May we gain hope and confidence, that beyond
this life, as our Savior promised, good places await us, good spaces in His
heavenly kingdom...
A new perspective... Behaviourists observed
that in the past few years, where we have started to feel the fallout of the
pandemic and the succeeding economic and political crises, it is usually those
who have a different perspective in life--particularly the more hopeful ones,
who have come out more positive, sane, joyful and resilient... And rightly so,
as even the Word reminds us to look at things from an eternal view, to look at
the forest rather than the trees, to believe and be confident that in spite of
our daily struggles, our God is making something good, and He is doing
something great, and once we realize and receive it, would prove to be for our
best... May we not be blinded with what is happening in the moment and always
have faith that everything will always work out for good...
Paying it forward... For many of us, life's
daily realities often weigh us down... Yet, we cannot deny that for as long as
we can remember, the fact that we are still writing and reading this means that
somehow our God as been faithful enough to provide and rescue... And for that,
we also must share what we have and what we have learned; so that others might
feel hope and be encouraged too... May we pay forward the grace that we have
received; so that our journey in life be more joyful, meaningful and
worthwhile...
The little people... In our world today that
is undergoing a multi-crisis, some economists and statisticians observed that
the richest have become richer, a vast majority of those considered middle
class before have become poor, while stating obviously that the former poor
have become poorer... Not helping are corrupt governments spreading lies and
smokescreens to tighten their grip on power, protecting the greed and selfish
interests of their cronies and allies, while steadily undermining the tenets of
democracy by violating the ordinary man's freedom and rights... And according
to some, such is the recipe of a world whose systems are ultimately going to
collapse, in the place of which will rise a brutal new world order pitted
against a new way of thinking trying to fight desperately for a better,
peaceful and more equitable existence... However, one need not fear or be
anxious, for as we learn today, it is not the rich and powerful who will have
the last say; but the One Who came from the small and lowly, He who despite
being Creator and Ruler of all, humbled Himself from birth to death, to bring
salvation to all... May we be encouraged that despite all our hardships now,
even if opportunities are all the more limited especially due to our lack of
patrons and resources, out of the little that we have and give, our God still
can produce something great and with big eternal impact... May we not lose
sight of our goal in eternity, and so strive to live each day in hope and
courage, in generosity and grace, in love and faith...
"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die
is gain." (v.21)
It's the start of a new Gregorian year; and
after all the pomp and pageantry, we again go back to the daily grind, the
usual issues, the ongoing burdens... Yet, being alive even if economically
challenged, having something to pour our efforts on to even if the income or
pay is lacking, being sane and at peace even if the world is in chaos, whether
surrounded by people we care about or alone through life, and still believing
in a God who cares for our daily needs and our future, are reasons enough for
joy...
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