Dear all,
This morning I was walking up the escalator at Tanjong Pagar MRT & saw the X-men Movie poster and was thinking maybe after Easter we should go out as a group and catch that movie. Hence I looked at the release date and it was on the 29th April 2009.
While looking at my handphone calendar to confirm the date, I scrolled a bit too fast and WALAH….it jumped to my May calendar and for a moment the word M.A.Y just jump at me. Gosh!!! It’s coming to the month of May and to put it simply, 2009 is ALMOST half way gone. Time really flies and in the glimpse of eyes, we are left with half of 2009. It seems just yesterday when we were talking about setting goals for this year. It’s seems just yesterday when we were all ready and excited to discover what 2009 will offers; in terms of finances, relationship, career, walk with God, etc. It seems just yesterday when we had a bad 2008 and was looking forward to start anew in 2009, full of hope and full of expectation. But little did we realized that the busy-ness of our daily life simply took a toil on our dreams, our hopes, our expectation such that we had walked almost half the journey of 2009 without any remembrance of any fulfillment or any achievement. I believe despite the busy-ness of Good Friday, it is time we take stock of our lives. I believe that Good Friday is not just all about outreach. It is about Life after Death, a new beginning. It is about how Jesus died and rose again, not just for those who are still lost without God, but also a time of new beginning for Christians like you and I. To many, 1st of January seems to be widely recognized as a new year and a new beginning. But I believe Good Friday and Easter Day carry an even greater significance of a new beginning. Thus let’s rejoice over this Easter as it’s not all about outreach and more outreach (of course that’s our focus also and we should be looking forwards to the salvation of our friends, families and loved ones.), it is also a time of a new beginning if you feel that the last 4 months wasn’t really that good. For many of us who had/ or felt they had already lost 4 months and 9 days (99 days x 24 hours a day x 60minute an hour = 142,560 minutes) because of our busy-ness, I hope you can just spend the next 15 minutes (out of the 142,560 minutes that has already passed since 1st January 2009) to going thro’ the rest of this email.
Here are some questions that you might want to ask yourself so as to evaluate what had really happened the last 4 months:
Finances
-Are you financially more stable or have more financially compared to 2008?
-Is there an increase in your income?
-Are you still struggling with lack? If yes, how long have you been struggling? When will you want to stop these struggles?
-Are you giving more and are you more of a giver than a taker?
-Are there an increase in your asset and a decrease in liabilities? Or is it the other way round?
-If you know someone who have similar financial status as you are now, will you be impressed by this person or will you feel sad for this person?
Walk with God
-Are you seeking God more and loving His words more?
-Is there anyone that you are currently accepting discipleship from? Or are you simply on your own without a discipler?
-Do you allow and accept people to point out your mistake and begin to brutally evaluate your life and change from there. Or you simply think others are wrong and you are always right? Or you always feel that people will not understand what you are going thro’?
-Do you shun people who don’t agree with you and you rather hang around with people who agree with you whether you are right or wrong?
-Are you committed to grow your character?
-Are you open for discipleship? (take note: a professional Christian can appear to be open for discipleship but the thing is that they never change and always choose to stick to their way and mindset)
-Are you getting easily offended by fellow Christians or has your heart grown bigger?
-Are you more consistent in your prayer than last year? Or has your prayer life decline?
-Are you reading the bible more consistently? Or are you still reading the bible at all?
-Can you remember more or can you quote more bible verses as compared to last year?
-Are you more committed to God?
-Do you love people more and have a bigger heart to let go of offenses, even from fellow Christians?
-When was the last time you lead someone to Christ?
-When was the last time you attended bible studies?
-Are you mindful about God in your daily life? Or can anyone see any traits of Jesus in you at all?
-When is the last time you felt the presence of God/ tear in the presence of God?
-When is the last time you hear from God or sense the Holy Spirit?
-Does you being a Christian make any difference to others at all?
Relationship
-Have you been a good friend to others?
-Have you created impact in the life of anyone? If yes, who and in what way?
-Imagine today should you breathe your last (I’m not cursing anyone, it’s just imagining), other than your family, who will feel that your demise is a loss to them?
-What is the general opinion of others about you? (Of course we are not called to please people. But bible also say a matter is established in the presence of 2 or more witnesses) So if most people think you are rude, attitude, selfish, rebellious, gossiper, promise breaker, etc., then maybe it’s time you humble yourself & allow God to reveal to you the truth.
-Have you make more friends or more foes?
-Have the friends around you make you better or worse (Better not as in feel better. Bad friends can also make you feel better by always agreeing with you. Better here means become a better person; love God more, grow in faith, more teachable, humble and meek, BIG hearted, etc)
-When is the last time you do something to bless someone?
-If you know someone who is exactly similar to you, will you like to be with this person (for singles: will you like to spend your life with this person?)
Career-Are you an asset or a liabilities to your company (Many will say that they are asset. But honestly if you think the company will not suffer any loss or the company can easily hire someone to replace your role, then you are not a asset)
-Are you more experienced and skillful in what you are doing?
-Does your boss/superior constantly need to tell you what to do?
-Is there an increase in your sales volume?
-If you own a business and you are asked to hire someone who is exactly like you as an employee now, will you still hire that person? If yes, how much are you willing to pay this person? If no, why?
Health and Presentation-Are you healthy? If yes, why? If not, why and what do you want to do about it?
-Are you happy with your weight?
-Do you look good?
-When was the last time someone praise you for your dressing sense? Or does it ever happen to you? If not, why?
-If you are of the opposite gender, will you be attracted to someone who looks, talk, behave and dress the way you do? If no, why?
That’s all the questions I can think of for now. I hope that while you are going through these questions, don’t think of someone else and answer on behalf of that person. These questions are strictly meant for you to evaluate your own life. Be honest as you think through the answers because you shall have the truth and the truth shall set you free.
Best Regards,
Justin
