Maybe next time
Now that the World Cup has ended in an unexpectedly yet disappointing way, I decided to take some time to reflect on some issues that are unrelated to the World Cup. After all, it's over and my mind can focus on other stuffs.
That day I was sharing my conversion story with another helper in the MPS, after we dwelled into the topic of Christianity. Just now I was reading a booklet called 'Why Jesus' by Nicky Gumbel and came across this section which talks about the excuses people made when other people shared the gospel with them. Practically speaking, it's something like people giving you a free gift and you come out with all sort of reasons to reject the offer.
'I dun need God' A lot of people will tell you that they dun need God in their life. That they are happy with their life and they dun see a reason why they need God. Some felt that they can make it thru their own. I used to think like that too. In fact, although I can readily accept that there's a God, I could not really accept the fact that I need Him. I thought I can do it by myself. Then I realised I couldn't. What I failed to realise and what a lot of people who said the same thing failed to see is that we are just mere human beings. If we follow the principle that whatever the mind can conceive, we can achieve, and began thinking that we can conquer the universe, then we are deluded into thinking that we are more than human. The fact remains that we have weaknesses, no matter how good we are, and we are definitely finite beings. As God told Paul that His grace is sufficient for him and His power works perfect in his weakness, we have weaknesses and we need God. Furthermore, we are sinners as human beings. Our greatest need is not happiness, it's forgiveness and without it, we face penalty one day for our sins (c'mon, who can say that he has never done a single wrong in his entire life before). Without God, tell me, where is the forgiveness going to come from?
I'm not ready to get committed to a religion I have to admit that I wasn't convinced that I needed God and I was confident that I was not ready to give up what I had and get myself committed to something I dun think I needed. Some people saw religions as a set of committments. As buddhists, you have to chant scriptures and accumulate merits. As taoists, you have certain rituals which you have to do at certain dates in order to please the certain gods. As Muslims, there are certain timings which you have to pray to Allah. As christians, apparently, going to church services is a complusory committment weekly, reading bible is a must blah blah blah. Then I gradually discovered that things are not what they seem. Christianity is not about going to church and reading a bible. I can go to church every week and i dun have to be christian. I can have a bible but it can be because I happen to be bible salesman. Christianity is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and we do understand that everything we do is to develop the relationship. Rather than a committment to religion, you are actually committed to a relationship. Let's ask yourself this question, if you have a gf or a bf, dun tell me you won't be committed to the relationship. Dun tell me that you are not committed in meeting your boyfriend as frequently as possible, dun tell me you are going to get the girl as your gf and that's it. Every relationship calls for a committment and a relationship with God is no exception.
I'll do it later, next time maybe. Now is not the time to talk about it Dun feel like talking about it? Dun think now is the time to think about it seriously? Felt that you are not ready? This is one of the biggest excuses people can pull off when it comes to the truth. But the longer we put it off, the harder it becomes and the more we will miss out. Sometimes, we will say that we dun know God enough to accept Him into our life. But the reality stands that we can never know Him enough. Even those who claims to have a personal relationship with Him, mainly people like me, dun know God enough also. In short, a finite mind can never understand an infinite being. In fact, (and I think a lot also feels this way) speaking for myself, my one greatest regret is not accepting Christ into my life earlier. It took me too long...
Excuses after excuses, but one day, we have to face the truth... are you to do that? Or maybe next time?
That day I was sharing my conversion story with another helper in the MPS, after we dwelled into the topic of Christianity. Just now I was reading a booklet called 'Why Jesus' by Nicky Gumbel and came across this section which talks about the excuses people made when other people shared the gospel with them. Practically speaking, it's something like people giving you a free gift and you come out with all sort of reasons to reject the offer.
'I dun need God' A lot of people will tell you that they dun need God in their life. That they are happy with their life and they dun see a reason why they need God. Some felt that they can make it thru their own. I used to think like that too. In fact, although I can readily accept that there's a God, I could not really accept the fact that I need Him. I thought I can do it by myself. Then I realised I couldn't. What I failed to realise and what a lot of people who said the same thing failed to see is that we are just mere human beings. If we follow the principle that whatever the mind can conceive, we can achieve, and began thinking that we can conquer the universe, then we are deluded into thinking that we are more than human. The fact remains that we have weaknesses, no matter how good we are, and we are definitely finite beings. As God told Paul that His grace is sufficient for him and His power works perfect in his weakness, we have weaknesses and we need God. Furthermore, we are sinners as human beings. Our greatest need is not happiness, it's forgiveness and without it, we face penalty one day for our sins (c'mon, who can say that he has never done a single wrong in his entire life before). Without God, tell me, where is the forgiveness going to come from?
I'm not ready to get committed to a religion I have to admit that I wasn't convinced that I needed God and I was confident that I was not ready to give up what I had and get myself committed to something I dun think I needed. Some people saw religions as a set of committments. As buddhists, you have to chant scriptures and accumulate merits. As taoists, you have certain rituals which you have to do at certain dates in order to please the certain gods. As Muslims, there are certain timings which you have to pray to Allah. As christians, apparently, going to church services is a complusory committment weekly, reading bible is a must blah blah blah. Then I gradually discovered that things are not what they seem. Christianity is not about going to church and reading a bible. I can go to church every week and i dun have to be christian. I can have a bible but it can be because I happen to be bible salesman. Christianity is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and we do understand that everything we do is to develop the relationship. Rather than a committment to religion, you are actually committed to a relationship. Let's ask yourself this question, if you have a gf or a bf, dun tell me you won't be committed to the relationship. Dun tell me that you are not committed in meeting your boyfriend as frequently as possible, dun tell me you are going to get the girl as your gf and that's it. Every relationship calls for a committment and a relationship with God is no exception.
I'll do it later, next time maybe. Now is not the time to talk about it Dun feel like talking about it? Dun think now is the time to think about it seriously? Felt that you are not ready? This is one of the biggest excuses people can pull off when it comes to the truth. But the longer we put it off, the harder it becomes and the more we will miss out. Sometimes, we will say that we dun know God enough to accept Him into our life. But the reality stands that we can never know Him enough. Even those who claims to have a personal relationship with Him, mainly people like me, dun know God enough also. In short, a finite mind can never understand an infinite being. In fact, (and I think a lot also feels this way) speaking for myself, my one greatest regret is not accepting Christ into my life earlier. It took me too long...
Excuses after excuses, but one day, we have to face the truth... are you to do that? Or maybe next time?
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