Faith Trust Obedience

At this moment, I'm actually quite shy to revisit my older post in this blog I've kept for many years. It has been a long journey of faith in God, maturity, marriage, and now with a 7 weeks old baby girl. I hope I've grown up not just by default based on the progression of the events in my life, but rather in humility and tenderness towards my Maker.

Faith

This life has always been about faith. But faith without works is dead. Indeed when we say that we ought to grow in faith it can be interpreted as "I need to be tested and prove my faith with what I do". I recall days when faith were much easier with lesser 'requirements' and easy task to accomplish. What it means to 'mature in Christ' is synonymous to 'maturing in faith'. In order for our faith to grow and mature, God allows us to be tested. In that, He is rooting for us to make the right choices in life, bless and not curse, or simply trust in Him to make all things work out good for you.

The last 2 quarters or 2012 was really a time of resting and God doing much background work with me molding my character. It's as if He's preparing me for something ahead which I could not see. Now hitting 2013, it seems clearer what God's been doing all this while, all these years of preparation (and still on-going until death). That things like puzzles start coming together and making the picture a little more complete than before. He is the architect, the One who initiates us, the Sovereign God who holds the world in His hands.

So as my wife recovers from her stretch marks from carrying our little bundle of joy, Amie T. I'm just feeling God stretching my faith once more as I hit 2013 learning new things, getting involve in new projects, meeting new people, starting new business, dealing with new difficulties, taking on new challenges and roles while keeping the faith in all the above... is difficult! Challenging! This is something like God refining me through fire. Burning away the impurities (constantly). My faith, is certainly without a doubt being challenged and stretched, daily. The promise to us all is that His grace, is sufficient. He doesn't allow things that's too hard for us to handle and even if it's difficult, there is a way out because He has provided it, provided we would turn and look, consult, pray for His wisdom and intervention.

Trust

Many things in life are held together by trust. Just to name a few are like marriages, friendship, partnership, dealership, etc. Trust is a short word that is easy to understand, difficult to give, and even harder to acquire. Trust comes with a heavy responsibility. It is earned through overcoming certain difficulties, trials, test, over time. It is one of the most crucial ingredient in life that keeps the world sane and hopeful.

I come to learn that "Trust" is a strong word. To use that word or to utter it out of my mouth requires thorough considerations. But now it has come to a place whereby to utter any word alone requires much consideration as the Lord is watching over what comes out of your mouth. It is out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. It is the fruit which people taste and will judge you accordingly. It is what describes you in the front which will then be tested through time.

Trust is gained and lost through words and deeds. Similar to faith, it requires a level of integrity in speech and actions. Once it's given handle with care coz once it's broken it's hard to repair.

Thank God His unfailing love isn't like that. He already knows what we'll do to Him yet He still place His life on the line for us in the hope that we'll turn back to Him. It is us humans, who needs to learn to trust Him daily. So here I am on this journey discovering trust, hope and faith.

Obedience

Somehow it has to be this early in the morning that I am awake to write these blog posts.

So how do I know whether I have taken a step of faith towards the right direction? How do I actively engage in trusting God? I learn to walk in obedience to His word through the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Of course I miss many chances to obey just because obedience to God encompasses doing things that God sees and view as wisdom, at times, really ingeniously out of this world! Which often times may clash with what the world perceive as wisdom or what's 'normal'.

The only way to grow our faith beyond just mere words out of our empty heart is to put obedience into the formula, mix it up with faith and trust in God, that He'll do what seems best to Him, for our lives. Much easier said than done, however, it still have to be said. Because sooner or later we may come to that realization that there is only One Way, One Truth, and One eternal life.

I pray that 2013 will be a year where my family and I will learn and grow in Faith, Trust and Obedience in God. Letting go of the sins that encumbers/entangles us to run the race with perseverance and passion for Jesus.