by Admin | Feb 28, 2015 | Pauline Mok, • Timely Word •
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said “There is meaning in every journey that is unknown to the traveler.” And as believers in Christ, we find our meaning in Him, for “in Him, we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) But sometimes life throws us the unexpected or the unknown and we resist especially if it is some form of suffering.
The past month has been difficult for me as I wrestle with the fact that my parents’ health is declining and there is so much responsibility and caregiving to be involved in. In the midst of the confusion and the exhaustion of balancing their needs and my work responsibilities, I have sought the Lord for strength. These are some lessons I discovered.
Remember God’s Presence and Who He is
God who created me and knows me even when I am in my mother’s womb loves me and knows how I will be refined through this period. 1 Corinthians 3:1-5 says that God is the God of comfort and in our afflictions, He has a purpose, to make us more like Jesus.
In difficult times, choose to exalt the Lord our God and proclaim, “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” (Ps 3:3). We need not fear for He is with us, He is our God and He will strengthen, help, uphold us with His righteous right hand. Here are some attributes of God we can meditate on.
God knows everything (Dan 4:35, Job 12:13-25, Eph. 1:4, 2 Thess 2:13, 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15)
God is love (Rom 8:35,37-39, Ps 37:28, I Jn 4:7-8, 20-21, Jn 3:16)
God is faithful (Ps. 36:5, 119:90, 1 Cor 10:13, Heb. 10:23)
God never changes (Lam 3:22-23, Mal 3:6, Ps. 102:25-27, Heb. 1:10-12, James 1:17)
Rejoice in His promises
The writer of Habbakuk says “…yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.” (Hab 3:18-19) He will turn our moaning into dancing.
Philip Yancey, in his book Where is God When It Hurts says, “The suffering person faces choices. She can recoil in anger and despair against God. Or she can accept the trial as an opportunity for joy. I do not mean to imply that God loves one type of sufferer and rejects the other, or even that one is more “spiritual” than the other. I believe God understands those people who kick and struggle and scream as well as those who learn that suffering can be a means of grace, of transformation… Indeed, the path of joyful acceptance is self-healing: an attitude of joy and gratitude will reduce stress, calm nerves, allay fears, help mobilize bodily defences.”
Release everything to Him
And because we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose, (Rom 8:28), there is definitely good even in the midst of confusion, loss and pain.
We can release it to Jesus and ask Him to give us the strength to cope and to embrace the unexpected.
Philip Yancey adds: “The fact that Jesus came to earth where He suffered and died does not remove pain from our lives. But it does show that God did not sit idly by and watch us suffer in isolation. He became one of us. Thus, in Jesus, God gives us an up-close and personal look at His response to human suffering. All our questions about God and suffering should, in fact, be filtered through what we know about Jesus.”
As we learn to lay it all at the feet of Jesus, we learn surrender and we learn faith.
Finally, “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer). Thus wrestling with where God is when life hurts is a significant part of a discipleship journey.
By Pauline Mok, Deaconess (YCKC Bulletin 28 February & 1 March 2015)
by Admin | Feb 22, 2014 | Pauline Mok, • Timely Word •
That day, after a therapy session with a 12-year old student, I was appalled at how greatly students are influenced by the media such as YouTube, movies, TV programs, books, magazines and secular songs, and their hold on us. The visual images, words and lyrics can be deeply lodged in one’s heart and mind. On another note, in the context of a school, teachers and peers are also persons of influence too and have to exercise their influence wisely.
Figures of influence in our lives are necessary. They mentor, guide, support, counsel, teach and open doors to our growth as a person. Worldly influences however good and positive they are, even if God can use them, can never be compared to the Word of God which is our ultimate light and guiding path.
As I examined my own life, my heart was assured and found great delight to know the answer is in grounding oneself in the unchanging WORD. The LIVING WORD (TRUTH) prevents us from being squeezed into the mold of these influences if they are negative and to help us determine what is right and wrong. God’s Word is the light unto our path and we can get life’s directions from Him.
I would like to share some examples of where some influences can lead us to go off truth’s centre if we embrace these thoughts:
Our thinking says: Things will make me happy because having things in abundance proves I am fulfilled, successful and blessed.
Consider what God’s Word in Luke 12:15 & Eph 1:3 says.
Our thinking says: My spouse is not meeting my needs. I can seek love and a better relationship elsewhere.
Consider what God’s Word in Heb 13:4 says.
Our thinking says: Because God loves me, He won’t allow me to suffer.
Consider what God’s Word in Rom 8:35-37 says.
Our thinking says: If certain challenges were to come into my life, I know I won’t be able to handle them.
Consider what 1 Cor 10:13 & Phil 4:13 says.
Our thinking says: Now that I’m saved, I’m safe and on my way to heaven. I can live any way I want.
Consider what God’s Word in Matt 7:19 says.
The list of examples can go on but my point is we need to keep our thoughts pure and focused on Christ and not on what the world teaches or what we personally desire; then only can we be transformed by the renewing of our mind. And the only way to renew our mind is to get into the Bible and meditate upon it day and night. Let us esteem God’s Word as more precious than the physical food we eat – because it is! It is our bread of life and the light of our path! (Rom 12:2; Ps 119:9,11)
By Pauline Mok, Deaconness (YCKC Bulletin 22&23 February 2014)
by Admin | Sep 21, 2013 | Pauline Mok, • Timely Word •
In the movie “The Pursuit of Happiness”, Will Smith played a character whose wife walked out on him when everything went wrong in his life. A series of unfortunate events left him and his son homeless. They ended up staying in a shelter. A memorable scene from that portion of the movie was when he was at a chapel service in the shelter, listening to an inspiring song from the choir:
“Lord don’t move that mountain,
Give me the strength to climb it.
Please don’t move that stumbling block,
But lead me Lord around it.”
This year, the Lord had in store for me to spend my birthday on 15th September in an unusual manner and this week has been very different from the norm. Instead of being able to continue with the initial celebration plans with friends and family, I received news of my uncle passing away on the 14th September night, followed by our dear Elder Chai Kee who was called home to the Lord on 17th September morning. As I made the choice to be thankful to spend my birthday this way by being there for my loved ones, I remember God and His reassuring hope for me and those who need Him in every situation.
In 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 we learn about “true comfort”.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God
of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles,
so that we can comfort those in any trouble
with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
For just as we share abundantly in the
sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort
abounds through Christ.”
True comfort comes from God. He is called the God of all comfort and mercies. Sometimes, we seek comfort from food, from people, from activities that may distract us from our grief and loss. Yes, God can use all these but we have to recognise first that He is the only source of true comfort.
There is no limit to the comfort He provides. When we seek comfort from men or from other areas, they can disappoint us. But the comfort God provides is limitless simply because He is our Creator who knows us and He is the God of patience and encouragement (Romans 15:5).
He promised to never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5). We can therefore be assured that He is always present with us in the midst of our pain and grief. Even in the valley of the shadow of death, His presence goes with us and comforts us. We need to learn to be still and know that He is God in the uncertainties and the unpredictability of life. He is our rock and fortress, a very present help in times of trouble.
Finally, God comforts us so we can comfort others! This is living out the “one another” injunction in the Bible. God strengthens us so we can strengthen the hand of a brother or sister in-Christ. As we have experienced His love so we share His love with one another. As we have embraced His comfort so we share His presence with one another. As we have witnessed His grace in our lives so we shower it on one another.
The sufficient grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all as we grieve or go through any situation.
By Pauline Mok, Deaconess (YCKC Bulletin 21&22 September 2013)
by Admin | Feb 23, 2013 | Pauline Mok, • Timely Word •
One of the discipleship themes we can consider during this season of Lent is that of surrender – letting go of the desires and earthly attachments that have a grip on us and are not of God.
The book ‘Celebration of Discipline’ by Richard Foster has challenged me to consider intentionally placing these spiritual disciplines of surrender into my life as I prepare for Easter.
Fasting – The voluntary denial of an otherwise normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity. Foster says that biblical fasting centers on spiritual purposes. It is God-ordained and God-centered. In my fasting experiences, I am always humbled to uncover the ‘many’ things that I am attached to and which control me. When we fast, we are reminded that God is the One who sustains us. We often let non-essentials dominate our lives. We crave for things when we are enslaved by them, but through fasting we re-learn to put our dependence on God and not on things or people.
The question we can ask, “How will I fast? What do I need to abstain from in order to create more space for God?” (Matt. 6:16-18).
Prayer – The interactive conversation with God about what we are doing together. Prayer is one of the most central of the disciplines as it ushers us into communion with God and it is in praying that we learn to see things from God’s perspective and not ours. Richard Foster describes two kinds of prayers – the Prayer of Guidance, where we ask “What would please you?” and “What is your will?”, and the Prayer of Relinquishment, letting go of wanting things our own way and following God’s way instead. Prayer is essentially learning to think God’s thoughts and His ways.
The question for us to consider therefore is “How then will I pray?” (Matt. 6:5-13).
Self-Examination – Here are some questions that can guide us as we examine our own lives in light of God’s Word: What earthly treasures am I attached to and how will I “let go” in order to invest in God’s kingdom? (Matt 6:19-21).
Who do I need to forgive and from whom do I need to seek forgiveness? (Matt 6:14,15).
How will I be reconciled to God and how will I engage in the ministry of reconciliation this season? (2 Cor 5).
Confession – Experiencing the grace and mercy of God for healing the sins and sorrows of the past.
Confession leads us to stop pretending as we come before our Father in repentance and seek grace and forgiveness. It begins in sorrow but ends in joy and freedom as we experience His love and grace in our lives. Foster encourages us to practise not only individual but corporate confession.
One question that can guide us, “How will I practise self-examination and confession in order to facilitate the truth in my inward being that God desires?” (Psalm 51:6).
It will not be easy to practise all these disciplines. What we can do is choose one or two we can focus on that will help us return to God with all our heart and mind. We can ask the Holy Spirit to direct us as we seek to create space for God and grow our relationship with Him during this Lenten season. I was so blessed and encouraged, some weeks ago, when I read in the bulletin how God led sister Cheryl Yap to set aside Tuesday evenings to retreat with Him, because this extended time matters to her relationship with the Master. How about you? Where and how would you like to begin?
May our prayer for this season be “Christ be with us, Christ before us, Christ behind us, Christ in us, Christ beneath us, Christ above us, Christ on our right, Christ on our left, Christ where we lie, Christ where we sit, Christ shine through us.”
– Article by deaconess Pauline Mok, YCKC bulletin 23 & 24 Feb 2013
