Because souls are involved
How is it that we can be so careful with our worldly responsibilities but not as much for the work of God?
Students have study plans, schedules, purposes, aims. Teachers have lesson plans, schedules, aims, purposes. Other occupation also demands our meticulousness, carefulness, and attention. We do all these with fear and trembling
(of getting sack? of failure? or law suit?). We do all these with passion
(we love our subjects? we love what we study? we love the people we work with? we love money?????????????). We do all these out of necessity
(we do it as unto the Lord - since God do require our diligence in our secular responsibilities? we do it for our ricebowl? we do it to keep our grades?).
But why on earth would we not carry the same fear, trembling, passion, zeal, meticulousness, carefulness, diligence, sense of responsibilities
TO THE WORK OF GOD?!Today aunty theresa, while reminding someone that he/she ought to have passed his ministry to someone else (since he/she can't make it today), made this comment regarding why we should take God's work seriously:
"because souls are involved"
There is no bigger responsibilities to people around us than their souls. We are told not to stumble our brethren, not to anger them in ungodly manner etc.
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P.S. I can't really find a verse that says directly to work as diligently for God (if not more) as to our secular responsibilities. Anyone who can, please post a comment or tag. Thanks.
Tammy's Grandmother
Saturday morning 7 am, Tammy's grandmother (Mdm Tan) died. She has gone home to be with the Lord, after struggling with tubes inserted in her nose and a fall. She was around 90 plus when she left. The death released her from such suffering which she had to endure. Sis Tammy told me that seeing her suffer, the family had hoped for her to go back to the Lord, but when it finally came, there was an inevitable sorrow. But they do rejoice in her salvation and going back home.
Funerals are always a sobering event. When I go to the funeral of a saved person, there is much encouragement and gratitude to the Lord, albeit the inevitable sadness in the air.
It's a very different thing to go to the funeral of the unsaved. For example...my grandmother's. A year plus ago. The saddest is, of course, the knowledge that my grandmother is not in heaven as they think she is. She's in ... . It's not easy to utter that terrible name of the terrible place when someone you love is in it.
And now my grandfather is dying. He's reduced to skin and bones, fed through a tube, waiting to die. I have no memories of my grandfather, I don't talk to him when I was young. Unlike my grandmother. I have memories of her. Ouch... my left chest hurts.
My grandfather is not saved either. Ah... how am I going to share with my parents the gospel, and telling them that their loved loved loved loved ones is in ... . Ah...ouch.
I am a coward. Stinking coward who does not dare to tell my grandparents about the Lord Jesus Christ. I did not even try.
Blinking stinking coward.
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Anyway, my intended blogpost is about the hymn "Jesus Loves me This I Know". This hymn is loved by Mdm Tan before she died. Simple children hymns are the hymns that captur very basically the heavenly truths. So this is, in its very obvious words, "Jesus loves me" to Mdm Tan, telling her and affirming to her how she is saved and loved and accpeted by the Lord Jesus Christ because she has faith in Him.
Pastor said this regarding this hymn: that someone who has not tasted the love of God will never be able to understand the depth and width of what this hymn is about. I agree. "Love" is a really beautiful and deep word, but also perverted by the world. The "Love" of God is a love that kept Him from destroying us altogether, but will choose some to be saved from the fiery depths of hell (ah...there...I've said that word.). The Love of God: that is what makes God so wonderful and powerful. Love...oh man...I cannot write. Words fail me to describe the Love of God.
Here is the lyrics for the hymn.
Jesus loves me, this I know.For the Bible tells me so.Little ones to Him belongs, They are weak but He is strong.Refrain:Yes! Jesus loves me!Yes! Jesus loves me!Yes! Jesus loves me,The Bible tells me so.Jesus loves me, loves me still, though I'm very weak and ill;That I might from sin be free,Bled and died upon a tree (it's refering to Jesus here).Jesus loves me! He will stayClose beside me all the way.Thou hast bled and died for me,I will henceforth live for thee.And I found a German version...haha.
Jesus liebt mich ganz gewissDenn die Bibel sagt mir dies,Alle Kinder schwach und klein,Lad't Er herzlich zu sich ein.Ja, Jesus liebt mich!Ja, Jesus liebt mich!Ja, Jesus liebt mich!Die Bibel sagt mir dies.
