You have my heart..
Hi people,
just in case you were wondering. No, i haven't got a complete resolution to my previous posts about pursuing God and riches and if there is a dichotomy, or its merely a use of God-given talent to be who i was made to be. Well, i guess that's part of the spiritual walk, you don't have all the answers all the time. God is not a fairy God-mother
, that has to appear everytime you call on His name in the fashion we imagine, perhaps saying, "Yes, my master, what can i do for you today?" Nor is he a mirror on the wall who answers all our questions or tells us we are 'the fairest of them all'.
Like in Mark 10:17-30, about the rich young man, who asked Jesus, "Good teacher, what must i do to inherit eternal life?" and Jesus answered, telling him, to know the commandments, do not murder, steal, honour your father n mother...and in our modern context, it probably would be things like, living in a Christian community, actively serving in ministry, seeking the Lord at the sacraments, mass and reconciliation, not gossipping about others, and the list of things we would often hear speakers of church leaders speak about.
Though most of us would pale by far in saying we achieved all of those things, the young man DECLARED, "Teacher, all these i have kept since i was a boy." Wow.. Impressive huh, this man. If he was living in our days, he'd probably be labelled some "Holy Moley", someone who seems to have it all-together.
AND, Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. " At this, the man's face fell. He went away sad, for he had great wealth.
Why was Jesus so demanding of this poor man? They always say that God looks at the heart, not at the actions, so this man WAS trying his best to obey the commandments and all, to be in union with God, even coming up to Jesus personally to ask for directions. So why?
Indeed, looking a step deeper, it is precisely that Jesus was looking at the heart, He wanted this man's heart, not his compliance.
Are we willing to part with our most treasured and prized possession so that Jesus may possess us?
Other than just money or material possessions, we all have something we hold of great 'wealth' in our eyes. It may be our car, our parents, our bf/gf, our pride, our popularity amongst friends, our acceptance by people around us, our need to feel important, our future dreams and aspirations.
The crux of this reflection is: "Am i struggling with the thought of thinking i can do everything God asks of me, yet remain in control of my own life?"
Is the Christian life primarily a matter of doing the 'right' things? I realise that through the last weeks, it was about trying to "Balance"God and the other things in life which were important to me. God being one of the other 'things' i can juggle and manage in my life. Though i've gone through this lesson of God being priority in my life, how many of us can truly and sincerely decide to be single-minded, and i mean single. i don't think there's space for twin-sharing or deluxe in the rooms of our heart.
Suddenly, everything makes more sense. Simple lines like "Lose youself in Me and you will find yourself", or lyrics from songs "Everything is clearer, from Your point of view" take on a renewed meaning. As i'm sharing these, i feel as if i have shared them before, on a few ocassions in fact, but each time with a renewed understanding.
Us realising and learning more about God is not like a education system, whereby you pass one subject or topic, then you progress to the next. In fact, down the journey, you may find yourself revisiting and encountering lessons you thought you had learnt right at the beginning, but it only makes so much more sense now.
Everytime we open our mouths to utter praise and worship through song, do we realise what we are singing?
Popular tunes like "Unfailing love" by Chris Tomlin. it's little wonder why everything else becomes nothingness in the presence of God, all skill of playing an instrument, all ability in worshipping the line in the perfect tune, of raising our hands in worship...all fade...when we truly proclaim and mean, the first words.. "You have my heart.."
Rhino No. 7
just in case you were wondering. No, i haven't got a complete resolution to my previous posts about pursuing God and riches and if there is a dichotomy, or its merely a use of God-given talent to be who i was made to be. Well, i guess that's part of the spiritual walk, you don't have all the answers all the time. God is not a fairy God-mother
, that has to appear everytime you call on His name in the fashion we imagine, perhaps saying, "Yes, my master, what can i do for you today?" Nor is he a mirror on the wall who answers all our questions or tells us we are 'the fairest of them all'.Like in Mark 10:17-30, about the rich young man, who asked Jesus, "Good teacher, what must i do to inherit eternal life?" and Jesus answered, telling him, to know the commandments, do not murder, steal, honour your father n mother...and in our modern context, it probably would be things like, living in a Christian community, actively serving in ministry, seeking the Lord at the sacraments, mass and reconciliation, not gossipping about others, and the list of things we would often hear speakers of church leaders speak about.
Though most of us would pale by far in saying we achieved all of those things, the young man DECLARED, "Teacher, all these i have kept since i was a boy." Wow.. Impressive huh, this man. If he was living in our days, he'd probably be labelled some "Holy Moley", someone who seems to have it all-together.
AND, Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. " At this, the man's face fell. He went away sad, for he had great wealth.
Why was Jesus so demanding of this poor man? They always say that God looks at the heart, not at the actions, so this man WAS trying his best to obey the commandments and all, to be in union with God, even coming up to Jesus personally to ask for directions. So why?
Indeed, looking a step deeper, it is precisely that Jesus was looking at the heart, He wanted this man's heart, not his compliance.
Are we willing to part with our most treasured and prized possession so that Jesus may possess us?
Other than just money or material possessions, we all have something we hold of great 'wealth' in our eyes. It may be our car, our parents, our bf/gf, our pride, our popularity amongst friends, our acceptance by people around us, our need to feel important, our future dreams and aspirations.
The crux of this reflection is: "Am i struggling with the thought of thinking i can do everything God asks of me, yet remain in control of my own life?"
Is the Christian life primarily a matter of doing the 'right' things? I realise that through the last weeks, it was about trying to "Balance"God and the other things in life which were important to me. God being one of the other 'things' i can juggle and manage in my life. Though i've gone through this lesson of God being priority in my life, how many of us can truly and sincerely decide to be single-minded, and i mean single. i don't think there's space for twin-sharing or deluxe in the rooms of our heart.
Suddenly, everything makes more sense. Simple lines like "Lose youself in Me and you will find yourself", or lyrics from songs "Everything is clearer, from Your point of view" take on a renewed meaning. As i'm sharing these, i feel as if i have shared them before, on a few ocassions in fact, but each time with a renewed understanding.
Us realising and learning more about God is not like a education system, whereby you pass one subject or topic, then you progress to the next. In fact, down the journey, you may find yourself revisiting and encountering lessons you thought you had learnt right at the beginning, but it only makes so much more sense now.
Everytime we open our mouths to utter praise and worship through song, do we realise what we are singing?
Popular tunes like "Unfailing love" by Chris Tomlin. it's little wonder why everything else becomes nothingness in the presence of God, all skill of playing an instrument, all ability in worshipping the line in the perfect tune, of raising our hands in worship...all fade...when we truly proclaim and mean, the first words.. "You have my heart.."
Rhino No. 7
posted by Rhino for God! at 4:34 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home