The Truth About Me

It dawned on me one day recently, that my sense of worth was tied up with a ton of "must do's" and "must not do's". It became clear to me suddenly that my sense of worth was intricately entwined with production / success / action. So when I did not produce something that I deemed "worthwhile" in a day (perhaps because I was tired, or because a few unexpected things happened) then I felt very badly about myself, in the sense of who I was as a person. I pulled up an amazing quote from Rev. P. Feenstra in his devotional "Unseen Footprints" that I had saved and realized then the real truth of his statement. “Our identity is not defined by what we achieve but by what we have become – a precious pearl in the necklace of Christ.” (Feenstra, 2021, p.212)

I have noticed in my life that criticism is unusually hard for me to take. Not because I don't believe the words being said, but because I am already thinking low of myself. So it's a double wammy, so to speak. l also noticed that as soon as I make a mistake I speak very negatively to myself. To others I am pretty gracious, but to myself very unforgiving. After a little inner self-reflection I realized there were some very negative things that I believed about myself, which I now recognize as lies! Satan wants me to believe them instead of embracing the truth. I began to wonder, "What does God actually say about who I am? What does God say about me?" Since I believe the Word of God to be the truth and the standard for living, I knew that's where I would find what I was looking for. This is what I came up with...   

THE TRUTH ABOUT ME:

v I was created in God’s image.

Gen.1:27: “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

v I was created for a purpose.

Jer.29:11: “’For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’”

v I am unique.

Ps.139:13: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

v I am beautiful.

Ps. 139:14a: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”

Ps. 45:11: “Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.”

v I am loved.

Jer.31:31: “The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.’”

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

v I am God’s workmanship.

Eph.2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

v I am forgiven.

Ps. 103:12: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

v I have Christ in my heart.

Eph.3:17a: “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…”

v I am the righteousness of God.

2 Cor. 5:21: “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

v I am a child of God.

1 John 3:1(a): “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

v I am precious.

I Cor. 6:20(a):“you were bought at a price…”

v I am holy.

I Pet.2:9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”

v I am valued.

Luke 12:7: “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

v I am chosen.

John 15:16(a): “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit…

v I belong.

Isaiah 43:1(b): “…’Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’”

v I am protected.

Ps. 121:3: “He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber.”

v I am a new creation.

2 Cor.5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

v I can do all things.

Phil. 4:13: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

I find it absolutely fascinating what happens in our subconscious minds, what can sometimes "lurk" there, without our fully being aware of it. It took me years to realize the negative things that were there, concerning who I am. When I searched in God's Word and found all the above statements I was floored and very excited! I knew all those statements individually as "knowledge" but I had not accepted them in my heart. Every day, when I open my eyes in the morning, and at night before I go to sleep, I now read these statements and verses OUT LOUD. It is making a world of difference. We often hear words like, "Think positive!" But you cannot just tell someone to be positive. If they think negatively about themselves deep down at the core of their being, they will not be able to think positive about their test, exam, job interview, marriage, kids, the weather, the future, and so forth. Thinking positive about life can only start when we think positive about ourselves. And fortunately, when we have been created by an awesome God, and the stain of our sins has been wiped away by the blood of a precious Savior, we CAN and MUST think positively about ourselves!!  

Semua Yang Indah

Pernahkah Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari sementara kerja dengan memakai internet, dan signal lemah? Bagaimana perasaan Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari? Pernahkah listrik padam selama delapan jam, dan makanan di kulkas menjadi rusak? Apakah Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari merasa stress waktu itu terjadi? Kalau saudara adalah pelajar, apakah pernah merasa cemas kalau tugas-tugas terlalu banyak? Sadar atau tidak, kecemasan (yang juga sering disebut "stress") adalah sesuatu yang mempengaruhi kita semua. Kecemasan itu bukan semata-mata hal yang buruk. Kecemasan itu bisa memotivasi kita untuk bekerja atau selesaikan sesuatu tugas "on time". Akan tetapi, kalau kecemasan itu terlalu banyak dan akibatnya kita menjadi sulit untuk membuat tugas-tugas seharian kita, atau pun kalau stress itu mulai mengganggu kesehatan kita, maka kecemasan itu sudah tidak menolong lagi. 

Bagaimana dengan Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari? Apakah Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari pernah mengalami atau sedang mengalami kecemasan yang cukup mengganggu? Apakah kadang-kadang stress itu mengganggu kualitas hidup Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari? Jangan salah paham, kadang-kadang orang-orang sembunyi hal ini. Ada banyak orang yang tidak pernah akui kalau dia hadapi banyak stress, tetapi mungkin tanda-tanda antara lain adalah: merokok berat, minum alkohol yang berlebihan, sering marah-marah, bahkan mengutuk orang. Ada juga banyak penyakit yang bisa muncul oleh karena tingkah stress yang kita hadapi terlalu berat. Penyakit itu bisa saja ada penyebab fisik tetapi sering juga penyebab fisik tidak ditemui. Itu karena sering kali penyebabnya adalah penyebab psikologi atau emosional. Penyakit atau kondisi itu antara lain adalah: sakit mah dan penyakit pencernaan yang lain, sakit belakang atau bahu yang tidak hilang, sakit kepala dan juga migren. Itu sebenarnya tanda bahwa mungkin orang itu sulit hadapi pemicu-pemicu stress di dalam hidupnya. 

Mungkin ada dari pembaca yang tahu kalau saya juga terkadang bergumul dengan sering merasa cemas. Sebelum Covid, saya merasa demikian karena mungkin sifat saya terlalu berhati-hati atau sedikit penakut :).  Saya tidak tahu dengan keadaan Saudara tetapi sejak adanya Covid, PPKM, dan lain-lain, saya mulai lebih cemas dari sebelumnya. Akan tetapi, sejak tanggal enam Oktober pagi, saya justeru merasa jauh lebih baik dan hampir tidak merasa stress lagi. Apa yang terjadi? Pagi itu saya merasa terinspirasi oleh Tuhan dan saya harus menulis inspirasi itu. Ini yang saya menulis di jurnal saya...

Tuhan memberi saya inspirasi pagi ini waktu saya masih berbaring di tempat tidur. Dan inspirasi itu mulai dari Filipi 4:8 yang berbunyi demikian: "Jadi akhirnya, saudara-saudara, semua yang benar, semua yang mulia, semua yang adil, semua yang suci, semua yang manis, semua yang sedap didengar, semua yang disebut kebajikan dan patut dipuji, pikirkanlah semuanya itu." Saya sadar sekarang bahwa saya dari kecil sampai sekarang tidak pegang konsep itu. Malah saya buat yang sebaliknya! Saya selalu berpikir banyak tentang hal-hal yang menakutkan, tentang apa yang orang-orang buat yang jahat, dan saya bayangkan kemungkinan-kemungkinan buruk yang bisa terjadi kepada saya atau keluarga saya.  Sekarang baru saya sadar betapa bodok kebiasaan itu! Tetapi saya tidak perrnah evaluasi kebiasaan itu atau bertanya diri saya sendiri apakah kebiasaan itu berguna untuk saya atau tidak. Suami saya pernah menyuruh saya dengan humor, bahwa saya seharusnya menulis buku horor, karena saya begitu pintar membayangkan hasil-hasil yang buruk.  

Dalam bahasa Inggris ada sepatah kata yang berbunyi: "Practice makes perfect" Arti ekspresi itu adalah: latihan menghasilkan kesempurnaan. Memang itu benar. Kalau kita berlatih dengan keras suatu skill maka kita akan lebih dekat dengan kesempurnaan. Dan saya sudah berlatih "skill" saya dengan keras. 😂 Sayangnya, skill itu tidak bagus! Saya sangat kecewa dengan apa yang saya sudah buat di dalam hidup saya. Tuhan sudah memberikan kepada saya kunci hidup yang lebih baik. Kunci hidup yang lebih penuh dengan damai sejahtera. Kalau selalu merenung hal-hal yang menakutkan kita sendiri menjadi orang-orang yang makin hari makin takut dan cemas dan stress menghadapi hidup. Jadi sekarang saya mau merubah hidup saya. Saya mau merubah kebiasaan saya dari merenungkan dan menghayal hal-hal yang buruk yang bisa terjadi, dan sekarang saya mau mengaplikasikan Filipi 4:8. Saya mau berpikir tiap hari yang benar, mulia, adil, suci, manis, sedap didengar... ya, semua yang disebut kebajikan dan patut dipuji! 

Saya tidak mau menulis cerita horor. Saya mau menulis cerita yang penuh kebahagiaan dan damai. Saya mau menulis, berpikir, dan menghidupkan cerita kebenaran Tuhan. Saya akan mengisi otak saya dengan semua pikiran yang indah seperti tertulis di Filipi 4:8. "Jadi akhirnya, saudara-saudara, semua yang benar, semua yang mulia, semua yang adil, semua yang suci, semua yang manis, semua yang sedap didengar, semua yang disebut kebajikan dan patut dipuji, pikirkanlah semuanya itu." Kata-kata itu yang ditulis oleh Paulus dan Timotius dari Tuhan memang sederhana tetapi juga sangat dalam! Kata-kata itu akan merubah hidup saya. Sebagaimana Paulus dan Timotius menulis di ayat yang berikut, ayat 9: "Dan apa yang telah kamu pelajari dan apa yang telah kamu terima, dan apa yang telah kamu dengar dan apa yang telah kamu lihat padaku, lakukanlah itu. Maka Allah sumber damai sejahtera akan menyertai kamu." Kalau kita melakukan itu, maka kita akan mendapat damai sejahtera dari Tuhan.

Itu, Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari, yang saya menulis di jurnal saya sekitar dua minggu yang lalu. Itu cerita pribadi saya yang sebenarnya saya tidak membuka dengan orang lain. Tetapi saya tahu bahwa saya tidak sendiri. Ada banyak orang lain yang juga sering merasa stress, cemas, dan takut. Kadang-kadang mereka tidak terbuka, tetapi kita melihat tingkah laku mereka sering tegang, atau marah-marah. Kalau mereka jujur, sebenarnya mereka mengalami stress. Jadi saya sharing tulisan saya ini agar supaya bisa menolong orang-orang lain yang membutuhkannya. Mungkin Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari bukan orang yang tipe ketakutan dengan apa yang ada di depan, tetapi bisa saja saudara sering merenung dan merasa depresi dengan apa yang sudah terjadi di hidup saudara. Atau mungkin Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari menghadapi sesuatu yang berat misalnya ada suami / istri / anak yang sakit berat, atau Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari punya masalah di dalam pernikahan atau di dalam relasi keluarga, atau apapun yang Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari hadapi, kiranya strategi sorgawi yang luar biasa di Filipi 4:8 bisa menolong Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari. Akui dulu kesulitan yang Saudara hadapi, dan perasaan sedih / takut / duka yang Saudara rasakan. Lalu minta Tuhan menolong Saudara supaya mampu mengisi otak dengan semua yang benar, mulia, adil, dan manis yang Tuhan berikan. Pasti Saudara akan merasakan kedekatan Tuhan dan otak Saudara dan hati Saudara akan diisi dengan damai sejahtera Tuhan.   

Kalau Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari merasa diberkati Tuhan dari Filipi 4:8, silahkan share di bagian comment di bawa. Dan Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari kalau belum buat, silahkan "follow" atau "subscribe via email" agar bisa membaca artikel-artikel lain yang akan datang. Charis dan Syalom. 

Beautiful Things

Please Note: In this article I am not suggesting that people who are dealing with hard things should just "think positive" or "put a smile on your face". On the contrary, that would be insensitive of me to suggest, and besides that approach would probably backfire. The following article is a story of my personal struggle and my particular bad habit of letting my mind dwell on possible negative outcomes and on evil that is in the world. Please keep this in mind as you read this article. 

Anxiety is something that affects all of us. Most people get anxious when they find themselves driving in congested traffic or when they have too much work to do and too little time in which to get it done. Students often get anxious when they have been given a lot of homework or when facing exams. Anxiety can be a good thing when it motivates us to get things done, but it can also be a bad thing when it affects our ability to perform every day activities or when it affects our health. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, over 40 million adults (19.1% of the population)  in the United States experience an anxiety disorder. Approximately 7% of children also have anxiety issues. And those figures are only referring to anxiety disorders. There are also many people struggling with depression, others with eating disorders, and the like. How about  you? Do you struggle with anxiety or any of the related issues? Are you looking for answers? I hope this article might be of some help to you in your personal struggle or as you try to help a loved one.

 As some of you may know, I have also struggled with anxiety. I guess it was already a problem before Covid, but with the pandemic, lock downs, etc. my anxiety rose to uncomfortable and disruptive levels. However, about two weeks ago I reached a culminating point in my struggle with anxiety. From the morning of October 6 I have experienced much less anxiety. What happened you may ask? That morning I felt very much inspired. So much so, that I just HAD to get up and write. This is what I wrote in my diary that morning....

God gave me inspiration this morning as I lay awake on my bed. It started from this verse: Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things."

From my childhood until now, I have not put this concept into practice. In fact, I have done the exact opposite. Yes, I love to think about and dwell on such things as: frightening or scary ideas, bad / corrupt things that people (or governments) are doing, possible bad outcomes that could take place, etc. I let those thoughts play over and over in my mind. I have a vivid imagination, too, so as they play out in my mind, they become scarier, darker, and more evil. Basically, I freak my own self out. If I think about it, what a dumb thing to do! But I adopted this practice, trained myself in it, and never stopped to evaluate if it was a good habit or not. And indeed, at age 44 I have perfected my art. I am a professional. As my husband has often jokingly suggested, I should write a horror story -- it would probably be a best seller! 😂

As with most things in life, practice makes perfect. But I am horrified to think where this practice has taken me. As I have said, I have ruminated so much on negative possibilities and ideas, that I have often freaked my own self out! As a result, from time to time I experience high levels of anxiety, panic attacks, digestion issues, and insomnia.. But now I want to put on the brakes. I want to change this bad habit of mine! 

I feel like God has given me the answer in the early hours of this morning. He has given me the clue to my problem.in that verse above -- Philippians 4:8. I need to stop thinking about negative things and instead spend lots of time thinking about true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable things! Excellent and praiseworthy things! Cuz I don't want to write a horror story. I want to write stories of joy and peace, stories that inspire and motivate. I want to write about, think about, and live out God's story. 

I realize it's not going to be easy to change a habit that has been perfected over many, many years. How will I stop the negative thoughts from coming into my mind? Well, I have come up with my own strategy. It is an illustration that will help me stop the negative thoughts from coming. I know that I am good with my imagination, so I will put that talent to good use. 😊 Here's my strategy. Once I have thought something through or made a decision about something, I will not allow myself to take it out and stew over it again. I won't allow myself to ask, "But what if ... ?" or "Maybe ... will happen." How will I do that? I will imagine that I am going on a trip. I have already packed my bags, so that would be stupid to unpack again or to even pull some things back out. My things would get all messed up and I would have to stop, open the suitcase, and re-pack everything! So every time I think, "But what if...? or simply imagine the worst case scenario, I will tell myself, "No! Put that back in. You're already packed!" 

And then, I'll remind myself again of Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things." What simple yet profound words from God, through Paul and Timothy! For me, life-changing words! I don't think my life will be quite the same again. As Paul and Timothy say in the next verse, Philippians 4:9: "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

That is what I wrote in my diary on the morning of October 6. My personal struggle in life has been dealing with anxiety. Perhaps you can identify with that and my diary entry can be of great help to you. But perhaps you have other difficult things on your plate. Perhaps there is depression. Perhaps you are dealing with marriage problems, a loved one that is sick or dying, or something else that is stressful. It is my hope that Philippians 4:8 will be a great source of inspiration and hope for you too. It doesn't mean that we gloss over our struggles. Of course not. They are painful and they cause us to have many "negative" feelings (sadness, anger, grief, etc.) We must acknowledge the pain that is there and the feelings that we are having. But at the same time, after we have acknowledged those feelings, we can then choose to "think about such things" as the beautiful aspects of our life in Christ. Then, despite the fact that the difficulty might still be there, God's peace will fill our lives.

If you feel blessed in some way by Philippians 4:8, feel free to write about it in the comment section below. And, if you haven't already done so, please either "follow" or "subscribe via email" so that you can read more of my articles in the future. Grace and peace to you all!   

(To see the original article from the National Alliance on Mental Illness referred to in my first paragraph you can go to: https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Anxiety-Disorders) 

"Positive Thinking" Yang Sejati

Ijinkan mengawali artikel saya ini dengan pertanyaan ini: Bagaimana Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari melihat dunia ini? Apakah Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari melihatnya dengan perspektif bagaikan gelas yang setengah penuh atau dengan perspektif gelas yang setengah kosong? Saya harus jujur, saya terkadang melihat kehidupan ini dengan perspektif yang sedikit negatif. Jikalau benar-benar ada hal yang negatif, otak saya membuatnya lebih negatif lagi. Otak saya sering menganalisa secara mendalam dan melompat lalu berpikir sambil mengandai-andai tentang yang paling buruk, atau worst case scenario. Ini pergumulan pribadi saya yang sering saya pikirkan yang membuat saya makin mendekati diri saya ke Tuhan untuk mencari kekuatan dari Tuhan.

Tatkala saya melihat dengan perspektif gelas yang setengah kosong itu, di pihak lain suami saya justru berpikir yang berlawanan dengan cara pikirnya saya. Dia tidak berpikir gelasnya setengah kosong atau pun setengah penuh. Dia selalu melihatnya gelas itu sudah penuh! Suatu kali saya mengkritiknya dan menuduh dia bahwa dia terlalu positif atau idealistik atau over-optimistik. Tetapi dia membalas kritikan saya dengan berkata, "Ya, tetapi orang-orang ahli matematika menyuruh kita untuk estimasi ke nomor yang lebih besar tatkala angka persis di tengah kan? Jadi saya tidak salah." Saya pun kaget dan tertawa. Tetapi saya merasa bersyukur karena saya mendapat seorang partner yang bisa menolong saya untuk menjadi lebih balance. Suami saya sering menyuruh saya untuk "berpikir positif". Menurut saya, itu gampang untuk bicara, tetapi sulit untuk mempraktekannya. Itu membutuhkan perubahan pola pikir yang sungguh-sungguh radikal dan drastis. Bagi saya itu bukan hal yang gampang.

Akan tetapi, saya bersyukur karena minggu lalu saya membaca satu ayat Firman Tuhan yang luar biasa. Ayat itu sangat menolong saya untuk bagaimana mulai berpikir lebih positif. Ayat itu adalah Mazmur 119:64 yang mengatakan, "Bumi penuh dengan kasih setia-Mu, ya TUHAN, ajarkanlah ketetapan-ketetapan-Mu kepadaku." Bayangkan Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari -- bumi ini penuh dengan kasih Tuhan! Saya suka sekali kalimat itu! Tiap hari saya berpikir tentang kebenaran itu. Sekarang dari pada saya melihat sekitar saya yang membuat saya kawatir, sedih atau marah, lebih baik saya mencari kasih Tuhan itu. 

Beberapa hari yang lalu, saya merasakan kasih Tuhan waktu seorang teman mengirim saya pesan yang menguatkan. Saya juga sadar tentang kasih Tuhan tatkala saya membangun pagi setelah tidur yang enak dan melihat matahari bersinar lagi. Waktu saya membaca ayat-ayat Firman Tuhan yang memberikan jawaban untuk pergumulan saya, saya sadar bahwa itu juga bukti kasih Tuhan. Memang, saat ini saya sedang duduk sambil menulis blog ini di depan sebuah air terjun yang indah sambil mendengar bunyi suara alunan jatuhnya  air terjun itu yang begitu dahsyat. Itupun kasih Tuhan terhadap saya dan terhadap anak-anak saya yang sudah bosan di rumah karena peraturan PPKM yang masih berjalan terus. 

Memang, Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari , bumi ini penuh dengan kasih setia Tuhan! "Membuka mata-ku ya Tuhan, agar saya terus mencari bukti kasihMu di sekitar saya. Dan ajarlah saya, Tuhan, tentang ketetapan-ketetapanMu agar saya mendapat perspektif yang lebih jelas dan lebih benar supaya saya bisa melayaniMu dan melayani sesamaku dengan lebih semangat."

Kalau Bapak / Ibu / Saudara / Saudari ada teman atau saudara yang bisa diberkati dengan artikel ini, silahkan dishare linknya ya. Terima kasih atas dukungannya untuk tulisan saya di blog ini. Tuhan memberkati kita semua.... 

True Positive Thinking

When you look around you, do you perceive the glass to be half full or half empty? I have to be honest, I often look at life through negative-tinted glasses. I can assume a situation is negative, when it is really not. When I see or hear something that is negative, I often blow it up to catastrophic proportions in my mind. I often think of worst case scenarios. It is something I struggle with.

While I often have a "glass half empty perspective" of life, my spouse has the opposite tendency. He does not view the glass as "half empty" or even "half full", but rather as "full". Once when I questioned him about this, and accused him of being idealistic and over-positive, he reasoned that his way must not be wrong since mathematicians also round up when estimating a number that is exactly in the middle. I had to chuckle at his way of looking at it. I am truly thankful, though, to have a partner who helps to balance me out. He often encourages me to "think positive". It's hard though, to change a whole way of thinking. If, for example, you see a person and you believe in your mind that the color of her hair is "dirty blonde", it is hard to just say with any conviction that she has golden hair. 

However, last week I was reading my Bible and found an absolute gem of a verse. It literally stopped me in my tracks. It was Psalm 119:64 which says, "The earth is filled with your love, Lord; teach me your decrees." Think of that -- the earth is filled with God's love! I am now holding on to that verse every day, to keep myself from getting into the trap of negative thinking and to help me think more positively. Instead of letting my thoughts dwell on the sad, scary or annoying things happening in my life, I find myself looking around now to find evidence of God's love. For example, the other day I felt His love for me when a friend sent me an encouraging message. I also saw God's love when I woke up after a good sleep and saw that the sun had once again risen and was shedding its warm rays on the street in front of our house. When I read a passage of Scripture that just "so happened" to touch on a specific issue that I was facing, I was acutely aware that that was another evidence of God's love for me. In fact, I can see God's love right now, as I sit before a beautiful waterfall and hear the roar of its cascading water. I am aware that it is because of God's love that my kids and I were able to find this peaceful spot in nature only 45 minutes from our house and have a time of refreshing during this lock down our country is experiencing. 

Indeed, this world is filled with God's love! "Open my eyes Lord, that I would continue to look for and see your love all around me. And teach me Lord, your decrees - more truths from you Word - so that I will have a better and more clear perspective of life and ultimately serve you and my neighbors more effectively.

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Bersinarlah Yesus, Bersinarlah

Kira-kira satu bulan yang lalu, saya menulis tentang Firman Allah sebagai sebuah lampu yang menerangi jalan yang gelap. Firman Tuhan bisa menjadi penolong untuk kita, bisa membawa kehidupan untuk kita, dan bisa menguatkan hati kita, asal kita membacanya dan menghargainya sebagai sesuatu yang sangat berharga di dalam hidup kita. Tetapi, setelah itu, apa yang akan kita buat? Apakah kita akan memegang terang itu dengan erat dan hanya memakainya untuk diri sendiri? 

Firman Tuhan di dalam Lukas 11 ayat 33 katakan bahwa, "Tidak seorangpun yang menyalakan pelita lalu meletakkannya di kolong rumah atau di bawah gantang, melainkan di atas kaki dian, supaya semua orang yang masuk, dapat melihat cahayanya." Ini adalah tantangan bagi Saudara dan saya. Apakah kita ingin agar lampu terang itu menerangi kehidupan kita sendiri saja, atau kita juga siap bercahaya untuk kehidupan orang lain?

Tanggung jawab kita pertama adalah terhadap keluarga kita sendiri. Di dalam Ulangan 11 ayat 19 katakan bahwa "Kamu harus mengajarkannya kepada anak-anakmu  dengan membicarakannya, apabila engkau duduk di rumahmu dan apabila engkau sedang dalam perjalanan, apabila engkau berbaring dan apabila engkau bangun". Itu bukan tugas yang ringan saudara-saudara. Saya berbicara dengan anak-anak saya tentang kebenaran Firman Tuhan di siang hari tetapi saya tahu pasti saya tidak bicara dengan mereka di malam hari. Malah, kalau saya sudah siap diri untuk berbaring, lalu anak-anak datang mengganggu saya, saya biasanya bukan bicara dengan mereka tentang kebenaran Firman Tuhan tetapi saya bicara dengan kata-kata agak marah!

Kita harus bercahaya di dalam keluarga kita masing-masing. Tetapi kita harus bercahaya lebih jauh lagi dari pada hanya kepada keluarga kita. Di dalam Firman Tuhan yang sama, di ayat yang ke-18 dikatakan bahwa kita harus mengikat Firman Tuhan di tangan kita dan menaruhnya di dahi kita. Bahkan, ayat 20 menyuruh kita agar kita menulis kata-kata Firman Tuhan di tiang pintu rumah dan di pintu gerbang kita. Artinya, siapa saja yang kita bertemu dan siapa saja yang datang ke rumah kita, mereka harus mendengar dan melihat kesaksian atau contoh hidup tentang Injil Tuhan Yesus. Kalau mereka percaya atau tidak, itu bukan masalah kita, tetapi orang-orang harus dengar tentang Firman Tuhan lewat kita. 

Saya teringat tentang lagu Kristen yang sangat terkenal di dunia barat. Lagu itu, ditulis oleh Graham Kendrick di tahun 1988, berjudul "Shine, Jesus, Shine". Refnya seperti ini:

Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word

Lord, and let there be light

Kalau kita menyanyi lagu itu kita meminta Tuhan Yesus untuk bercahaya di dunia, dan meminta Roh Kudus untuk bersinar agar hati kita masing-masing menjadi seperti api yang menyala-nyala. Kita meminta Firman Tuhan keluar dari kita dengan kasih dan anugerah Tuhan kepada semua bangsa di dunia. 

Doa saya hari ini adalah: "Tuhan, tolong bekerja di dalam hati kita masing-masing dengan Roh Kudus dan membuat kita dengan tujuan yang jelas dan dengan rencana yang baik, memancarkan terangMu ke dalam kehidupan siapa saja yang melintasi jalan kita. AMIN"

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Shine, Jesus, Shine

About a month ago, I wrote about God's Word guiding us through life just as a needed lamp lights up someone's path in the darkness. That Word of God can be so helpful, life-giving, and encouraging but in order to reap the benefits, we will need to read it and treasure it as something that is very precious. But after that, what do we do with it? Will we hog that lamp and use it only for ourselves?

God's Word says in Luke 11 verse 33 that "No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead, he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light." This is a challenge for you and I. Are we letting this lamp not only light up our own life, but also shine into the lives of others?

Our first responsibility should be towards our own families. For example, in Deuteronomy 11:19 we are commanded to "Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you lie down and when you get up." No easy task! I talk to my children about God's Word, but I am not sure I do it to that extent. Especially when I lie down at night; I don't think I share Biblical truths with my children while I'm lying down. In fact, when one of my children happens to interrupt my going to sleep, I can get quite grumpy! 

But it doesn't stop with just our families. In verse 18 of Deuteronomy 11 it says we need to bind the Word on our foreheads. Verse 20 even says to write God's Words on the door frames and gates of our houses! I think that means that wherever we go, and whenever people come over to our houses, people should hear about and see evidence of, the gospel in us and our families. Whether or not they accept it is not our problem, but they should be getting to know about God's Word through us. This is a humbling thought.

I am reminded of the refrain of the well-known Christian song, "Shine, Jesus, Shine" (composed by Graham Kendrick in 1988). It goes like this:

Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word

Lord, and let there be light

My prayer today is this: "Lord, please work in our hearts with your Holy Spirit, and enable us to be more intentional and purposeful in shining your light into the lives of those we love and to all those whose lives are intertwined in some way with ours."  

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