by Melissa Yeoh
Have you ever asked yourself this question? Can you possibly list down what you value most?
These are questions that we somewhat less ask ourselves or somehow we are just too caught up with the world and we forget to pause and ponder about.
Do you only value beauty?
Do you only value victory?
Do you only hang out with cool people?
Do you only value what’s the latest fashion in the season?
Do you only value what’s in your Ipod?
Do you only value how much you have achieved?
Do you only value what sort of cars you drive and what type of house you are staying in?
Do you only value your career/jobs and which universities you go to?
Do you only value good times?
Do you only value the best?
But what’s the best in life? What we often see as the best in life is not always what God sees as the best for us. Yes there is nothing wrong to value all the things listed above and you may well say that yes it is God that has blessed us. Indeed He did and He would love to bless us abundantly. He is a Father that loves to see his children happy and blessed. Yet above and beyond that, He is a Father that is interested in our growth just like every other dad on earth does.
Do you not value the norms?
Do you not value the less beautiful?
Do you not value loneliness?
Do you not value hanging out with the ‘uncoolest’ people?
Do you not value failures?
Do you not value hard times?
Do you not value the problems that occur in life?
Do you not value your loved ones?
Do you not value God and His given love?
We love to pray for failures not to come and problems not to occur. Instead failures and problems are the ones that sharpen our characters and strengthen us. Micah 7:8 Though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord himself will be my light.
Psalm37:24 though they stumble they will not fall for the Lord holds them by the hand.
So the next time when problems and failures flood do not see it as calamities but rather seeing them as opportunities for God to work in us.
Hanging out with the ‘uncoolest’ people is often not a choice for most of us. Can you remember when you are young you often like to hang out with the coolest people or what we seem the most popular ones. For who wants to be seen hanging out with the nerds and dorks. Jesus was often seen hanging out and dining with tax collectors and prostitutes. He had chosen the uncool and He knew that they are the people that needed a real friend.
So the next time when God put us in an uncool group, do not ask him to remove us away but instead be cool in the uncool group and make them cool too. Ask not what they can do for you but ask what you can do to be their true friend.
Loneliness is not what God intended for us. Remember Genesis 2:18 “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
But loneliness is a time for us to seek God and meditate on His word. And the next time if you feel lonely remember Matthew 28:20 Jesus said: Surely I will be with you always to the very end of the age.
What we cannot achieve God is able to achieve: Proverbs 16:3 Commit your work to the Lord then your plans will succeed. True success comes from God. Even Solomon the greatest ruler of his time acknowledged that all that he had achieved is meaningless without God.
Beauty is often seen descriptive for flowers. Yes flowers are part of God’s wonderful creation and yes there is also a direct link between beauty and flowers. Just like flowers, beauty can only last for a short period and there will be a time the flowers wither and fade. Man look at the outside appearance but God looks at the heart.
Money, fame, power - we channel and spend most of our energy chasing them.
Luke 12:15 don’t be greedy about what you don’t have. Real life is not measure by how much we own. We can never find security in the wealth that we have.
So what do I value most? I value God and His immeasurable love for me, I value my family, I value the plans that He has for me, and the things that I am committed to do, I value my time given by God, that’s why I live my every day to the fullest, I value both my now and future plans of God, I value all the people in my life be it cool or uncool, I value my many inadequacies in life, I value every single little thing in life both good and bad.
We love to pray for failures not to come and problems not to occur. Instead failures and problems are the ones that sharpen our characters and strengthen us. Micah 7:8 Though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord himself will be my light.
