When should i Test God

I started this morning with Isaiah 7, and in v.12 I learnt that there are times in our lives that we ought to test God.

Considering the fact that Jesus, during the dessert-days, said that we shall not test God, I'd think twice these days about seeing myself testing God.

Yet the old testament is filled with different people testing God isn't it? From Moses and the burning bush, Elijah and the prophets of baal, and Gideon with the dew, I guess there are many more examples as well.

Question is, when is testing God valid?
I'd like to think that when an element of faith is at stake, and where faith is to be increased, testing God may seem quite scary. Scary not because of the result, but how my responses should be with those results.
On the other extreme, we may be testing God daily in our lives...
Eg. When waiting for public transport, we'd say: God please, 1 taxi or get the bus here soon. I'll promise to be holy and do my quiet time longer tomorrow. Or things like our jobs or praying for health...

I will think through what test do I want God to prove to me, for the increment of my faith...soon!

The difference of identity and self-image

I learnt the difference between identity and self image today.

Self image is a self-given view of myself that is shaped by the things around me. Meaning, if I grew up fat, careless, lazy, and the world sees me and puts me down in that way, i will have those self image characteristics. Self image is easy to build up, and easy to be identified. Self image can also be destructive!

Identity on the other-hand is a god given status of my life. Some eg. I am a child of God. I am a
Man. I am loved by God. I am jesus's disciple. I am a leader at home and at work. I am the son at my parents house. Identity is the image which God has entrusted us with and would like us to project to live life the way He intended me to be.
Eg, If I am a child of God, God loves me very-very much. Since i am a leader at work and church, I am given the ability to inspire and encourage.

Our identities would be supplemented with talents a.k.a. Resources like time, money, relationships. Identities also comes with natural gifting, and anointment. Gifting such as natural abilities to do something extra ordinary that will suit and fill what we are suppose to be doing. Anointment covers the part where God will bless and empower us in the place we are living the identity and using those talents and gifting.

In my life, I realized that my identity as a child of God, blessed with wonderful relationships, gifted with computers and teaching, sometimes makes me wonder what in the world am I doing in Singapore. Nonetheless, I believe that everything has their time and place, plus, I always believe that we simply need be prepared. God will direct the paths.

Learning About 3 different kinds of Singaporean

I recently learnt about having 3 kinds of Singaporean living in Singapore.

The first one is called: The Typical Singaporean

The Typical Singaporean lives his/her life pretty well. They are constantly upgrading, never seems to be satisfied with how things are around them. Never seem to be able to stop complaining, and are pretty critical in the way they perceive things. They like to travel the world, see different things, always hope to see Singapore with a different light, but never seem to get it. Unfortunately, they are also often in dis-agreement with how the government implement certain policies. Please don't get mistaken, they may dislike the policies and how the country is run, but unconsciously, they appreciate what this government does in maintaining stability in the nation.

With all these ever seems so negative comments (which I don't think they are), it's the typical Singaporean that drives the Singapore economy to be where it is today. It's the typical Singaporean that the government wants, and it's the kind of people which we (they) are cultivating through our educational system and politics.

Nevertheless, the typical Singaporean, no matter how 'un-settled' they may be/seem, they will stay put at a comfortable zone, and will not move. They are dedicated to their jobs, and lifestyle. They're also very sociable, mixing around with lots of high-fliers and seems pretty successful in life as well. The Typical Singaporean also project a driven, efficient, high-standard and prosperous this nation around the world.

The second is called: The Ideal Singaporean

The ideal Singaporean lives their lives pretty simple. They're the government champs. They makes up almost 60% of the overall population of Singapore. They're the most stable kinds of people. Unlike the typical Singaporean, the Ideal singaporean are pretty simple and less fussy. They still complain and all, but they're generally good supporter of the government. They love the orderliness, systematic and as long as their basic needs are met, they'll be content.

The attitude of the ideal Singaporean may be looked as 'bo-chup', or simply don't care. However, deep-within, it's more about what's most important that they should be worrying for rather than paying concerns for sentiments on the outside.

These ideal Singaporeans live to work, support their family, procreate, and travel once a year. They cultivate very strong family bonds and values. They do face problems in the midst of their content, comfortable and composed lives but life isn't going to rock them much.

The third is called: The Extraordinary Singaporean

The extra-ordinary Singaporean doesn't feel that life is 'on-the-edge' enough without going the extra-mile to bring the name of Singapore to the next level. They venture into unknown places, live out their lives to do great works, bearing Singapore as a name that's out of the ordinary. Usually people like these can't stay still that long, life must be challenging. They passionately pursue their dreams, even though other fellow Singaporeans cannot explain why would they go to such extent. 'So-Bia-Mia!', some are called.

The qualities of Extra-ordinary Singaporeans may look/seem noble, however, deep within, it's still the discontent of the normal lives that exists in the Typical Singaporean.

In saying these, there are some common traits of Singaporean that we see in all 3 personalities:

1. Kia-Su (fear of losing out)
2. Desiring Personal Comfort
   
3. Dilligent
   

Won't you readers agree with me? :)

Something about Love and Our Soul

I learnt something from the movie Wall-E this evening.
Well actually, the movie shed some truths about man-kind for me. But before I get into the abstracts of the different things that was brought up, I just want to share something closer to home.

Lesson 01: Our Soul is what gives us hope, faith and ability to Love

I realized that no amount of system, no amount of programming, no amount of procedures can replace human beings capability to feel. Our minds and strengths are inter-twined with our capability to hope, have faith and extend it to love, which allows us to be far more superior than machines.

we may live a life of routine, but in every single chore we carry out, there is an element of hope (if it turns out bad, it can be better), faith (i know i don't see it now, but i know i will see it later), and love (what definition does this characteristics need?)

I liked the part in Wall-E where robots are just robots with a set of instructions to follow. However, even when everything is 'fried' (just like human, when we're really-really sick), our ability to feel, to have hope and faith, is simply beyond any medical marvel (organ transplant, tissues regeneration, cure for cancer)...

Bottom-line, we may feel useless sometimes, in-competent, non-beneficial to the society, useless, of no benefit to people around, or burden... Put these negative characteristics aside, simply being human, is able to inspire, persevere, love, hope, believe.... Isn't it wonderful to be a human!


Lesson 02: Love is so strong, that even when Robots sees us, they get impacted!

One thing I realized from the show is that we as humans may invent things, give instructions, create machines, computers, robots as tools to help us do the chores that we've set them to do. But, we never program, tried programming, or make them to inspire, persevere, hope, have faith, love!

And the most amazing thing is, even while we did not configure them to do these or inhibit these qualities in them, by simply watching and observing, even a 'machine' understood and was able to identify, pick up, learn and apply into its artificial intelligence.

The best part, it comes without teaching nor instructing. One has to simply watch, and learn!

Bottom-line, if machines are able to watch and learn to love (or the lack of it), then what more our kids, our children, the little ones around us... They are watching your (my) every move in the way I exhibit these wonderful qualities...

Hope these 2 lessons I learnt today can be a blessing to you!

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Living Purpose-full Lives

Have you ever wondered if life is meant to just be 'lived', and whether there are anything more to it than 8 to 5 every-day, 7-days a week, holiday once a year, having kids, building a home...

I am not saying that there's anything wrong with living an ordinary..But perhaps, in view of the ordinary, we can make out something extra-ordinary in the midst of the motion of life.

Comfort and laziness are such thin lines we can so often, so easily, cross..

Look at it this way, I learnt today that in our struggle to be ordinary (just like our peers), is to live FULL and purpose-full lives.

Will give this some more thoughts...