Month: August 2015

Summary

We all want to know our lives matter. So did the Teacher in Ecclesiastes. He invested time and energy in every activity he could think of that might bring meaning and purpose to his life but found only disappointment, frustration, hopelessness. In our thirst for significance we, like the Teacher, give our lives–our time, talents, strength, heart–to anything we think will give us worth and purpose: Power. Relationships. Money. Pleasure. Work. But worshiping these idols has a high cost–and still doesn’t bring the fulfillment we long for. In Breaking the Idols of Your Heart Dan Allender and Tremper Longman illuminate for us the Teacher’s warnings and, after all his activities, his final radiant conclusion: Meaning and purpose come only when God is truly the center of our life and the object of our hope. Using a compelling fictional narrative at the start of each chapter to encourage reflection on our own life and the lives of family and friends, the authors lead us through Ecclesiastes to help us recognize and exchange cheap pursuits for the only One worth pursuing. Ecclesiastes is not an easy book to read, because transferring our worship from money, power and fame to God is not an easy road to travel. But as the Teacher discovered and wrote down for us, it leads to one conclusion: life lived abundantly, in freedom, hope, purpose, meaning.

It is because of this reason that I decided to buy and read this book. I realized that my heart is starting to get hardened because of the idols that I have set up in my heart. It was so hard that I need to ask God to break it for me so that I will be able to get out from the trap of idolatry. The title has really got my attention and I thought that it is the book that I needed to read at the moment. I want to understand or know what idols of the heart that I need to avoid or destroy as early as possible.

I’m glad that the author has discussed these different idols in the context of the book of Ecclesiastes. The book has been helpful in providing me a deeper insight and new perspective on the message of the Teacher in Ecclesiastes that ‘everything is meaningless and chasing after the wind under the sun’:

• control will always slip out of grasp
• relationships will always disappoint
• work will leave us frustrated
• pleasure is always fleeting
• wisdom is never an  adequate guide
• spirituality usually gives in to legalism
• life ends in decay and death

The above-mentioned reality of life in this world can be frustrating but the book also offers an alternative perspective – that is to view life through above-the-sun perspective. In order to have an above-the-sun perspective, we need to submit our will and desire to God and allow Him to accomplish His pleasing and perfect will for us. We need to renounce these former idols and allow Christ to redeem our hearts. With this perspective, all aspects of our earthly life will have a new and everlasting significance;

• control leads to surrender to God’s will
• relationships lead to trust in God’s love
• work leads to laboring for God’s kingdom
• pleasure leads to a hunger for Christ’s coming
• wisdom leads to a humble curiosity to know God
• spirituality leads to embracing God’s wild heart
• life leads to a joyous celebration of death and resurrection.

This book is indeed helpful for those who want to understand and know how to protect their hearts from the danger of chasing the things offered by this world.

Favorite Quotes

It’s the paradox of the Gospel: Strength is found in weakness, control is found in dependency, power is found in surrender. 

Above the sun,  we find wisdom in the Word – and the Word is first of all a person, Jesus Christ. Wisdom, in other words, is a relationship.

The trouble is, for many people, religion becomes a way for people to cope with life without actually knowing God.

I know I already mentioned before that this blog is not my first but my third blog already. The first blog I made was entitled Ideaelectra (a very corny and not-so-creative title, really). Because I was really too shy and embarassed to reveal my real identity back then, I consider it as an anonymous blog.

I tried to retrieve my old posts and transfer it here and this is what I’ve found:

This post was entitled A New Diversion written on July 5, 2015 and it was written in Filipino. Imagine that, I’ve been blogging for five years already! The reason why I decided to make a blog back then may still be true today but now, I’m sure that I made this blog for a higher purpose: to glorify God by sharing to the world what He has done for me. I also meant this blog as one of my platform to minister to others, so that by all possible means, I might save some.

Finding my old blog post made me realize that it’s really good to be reminded of why I am doing these things, sometimes. 😀

Last thursday, when I was on my way to meet my bible study leader for our regular bible study, a random thought suddenly came into my mind.

I don’t know what triggered that thought but while I was inside the MRT, I suddenly blurted out to God (only in my mind, of course!) that if faith through my personal relationship with Christ  is the only thing that matters, then why do I need to keep doing all the things that He wants me to do (i.e. sharing the gospel, doing my quiet time, attending worship service, serving and loving others)?
God answered me in an instant when He impressed to me these words: practice spiritual discipline for the purpose of godliness.

As if God really wants this point to become very clear to me, the main text for our bible study that night was surprisingly 1 Timothy 4. I know God has spoken to me directly through these following verses:

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (v.7-8, 15;16)

Though I’ve already read this before, and I’ve learned that godliness has both present and eternal value, it was only this time that I realized that the eternal value of godliness is far more important. It was also only this time that I learned that the practice of spiritual discipline for the purpose of godliness has benefits not only to me but also to the people around me who are watching how I walk closely with God. Therefore, I need to pursue godliness more and more because my life could be the only means that God will use to save other people.

Then yesterday, while I was walking on my way to our office meditating on these new insights that God has revealed to me, I was reminded of the truth about eternal life I learned last year. My life here on earth is just a training ground
for my life in heaven. This life is just a preparation of my life in eternity so to prepare for eternity is to start practicing spiritual discipline now. As what I’ve learned from the author of the book I’ve read last year, worship is the main business in heaven. If I will not learn how to enjoy a life of worship here on earth now, then heaven will be a very boring place for me.

So starting today, I’m renewing my commitment to train myself to be godly. Please pray for me too that I will be able to appropriate God’s grace as I fulfill this commitment.

Very well-said!

Read This If You’re The Eternally Single Friend – http://thoughtcatalog.com/johanna-mort/2015/08/read-this-if-youre-the-eternally-single-friend/

My close friends know how allergic I am to the word Dating. I always tend to avoid using this word even if it is used in a friendly sense. And believe it or not, I literally shudder whenever I hear this word. Blame Joshua Harris and his book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, I have build in my mind a negative connotation of the word dating. ‘I Kissed Dating Goodbye’ has somehow became my life mantra.

That said, I believe you now have an idea that I don’t really go on dating so writing this post is truly quite a challenge. In fact, I’ve been meaning to post this for months but I just simply can’t finish it. I must confess that I am not really comfortable hanging out with a guy alone even if I know we’re just friends so I really don’t have much dating experience to share.

Fortunately, I still have something to share. This has happened several years ago and I am confident to say that it was really a date. Actually, it’s not something embarassing but rather awkward since the guy who asked me out was a friend. I consider him as one of my closest guy friend from high school. We became friends because he was my seatmate in 3rd year and then for some reason, we got closer as friends after college and we used to text more regularly back then. Because he was brokenhearted that time, I became his confidante. In all honesty, I never thought of any possibility of being romantically involved with him so I was surprised when he suddenly asked me if I would want to go out and watch a movie with him. Since I have this auto-friendzone feature, I thought it was a friendly hangout so I said yes. Then he told me later that it’s a date so yeah, it’s technically a date.

He asked me what movie I want to watch so I told him Alice in Wonderland and he agreed. So we watched Alice and he paid for it. Then after the movie, we ate dinner (I just can’t remember where). Looking back, I think it didn’t went well. Yes, we talked a lot but I admit I was really feeling awkward the whole time. It’s maybe because I can’t shake off some questions running at the back my mind during that time.

‘What are we doing?’
‘Why did he asked me out?’
‘What if our high school friends find out about this meeting and what would they say?’
‘How would I answer them?’

Because I don’t have the courage to voice out my questions back then, I chose to remain silent and tried to ignore those questions.
We still remained friends after that but no one dared to mention that ‘date’ once again. Then life happens and we lost communication. Though we are still friends in facebook, we don’t communicate anymore (same with my other high school friends). The last thing I’ve heard about him is that he’s already married.

So there goes my non-existent dating life.

I’ve always wanted to write more regularly in this blog, regardless of my mood but writing is starting to become a challenge lately. I don’t know if it’s because I’m more emotionally stable now or it’s because I just really don’t know how to put my emotions and thoughts into writing. To help me get some writing prompt, I want to list down some posts that I really wanted to write about but I just can’t find the will and energy to write it.

1. My Life Verse
2. My Wedding Song playlist
3. My favorite fictional character
4. Review of my favorite movies
5. This year’s playlist
6. Single Woman Blogging Questions

There. I hope I make time for it soon.