Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Living A Spirit-Filled Life

This morning was the first time I touched the steering wheel of a car after so many years. Yup, I have started my driving lessons again - today is the first session and it was basically driving around the circuit.

Well, it was quite exciting but there is still this fear in me that I will not be able to make it when it comes to the test. A dear friend, when I told her about this reservation, reminded me that it is sometimes good to have this insecurity as it would then mean I have no choice but to trust God since my human abilities indicate I cannot do it.

I guess I shall just enjoy myself going through all the lessons and when it comes to the test-date, I will then let God guide me accordingly.

I came back not too long ago from a course conducted by Rev. Lai Kai Ming. It was entitled, "Into The Word." The whole course touches on the Holy Spirit and Us. One lesson I learnt tonight is this - if I do not allow the Holy Spirit to control my life in everything I do and say, then the mind (human wisdom), will (pride) and emotions (mood swings) will take over. When this happens, I, as a human, would try to deal with circumstances using my limited abilities and understanding. Eventually frustrations and discouragement would set in because these three manifestations can only bring me that far.

The above-mentioned is a good reminder for me even though I have been a Christian for 22 years. I pray I will live a Spirit-filled life - that in all things, God will be the One who will govern what I do and say.

Let me relate the above lesson learnt to an encounter today with a couple in the train.

I chanced upon them when I was on my way to church from Plaza Singapura, They should be husband and wife. What made me felt uncomfortable was the way the man treated his wife. I felt that the wife was treated like a dog who has to listen to everything the husband says. I mean, a wife should submit to her husband but not to the point where her humanity is downgraded to that of an animal.

He was basically instructing his wife this and that. Even when she wanted to stand up when the train was about to reach the station, the man basically pointed to her to sit down. He did it with a stern look. Then when the train came to a stop, without saying a word, the man basically pointed his finger to his wife and gestured for her to stand up. She obediently followed what he indicated her to do. He then held the her hand firmly and went up the escalator. There was basically no joy in her eyes when I was observing the poor lady.

I was just asking myself why must the relationship be so rigid? Will the husband feel that his authority over his wife be compromised if he is slightly nicer to her? Does he care about the feelings of his wife at all?

Well, I guess I will never have the answers to those questions. To a certain extent, there was this anger in me and I was also casting a judgment on the man. It was here my mind, will and emotions got the better of me but I thank God He prompted me to do something else. I would have gone closer to the man and glared at him with total disgust but praise the Lord I did not. I probably would have been beaten up by the man. :)

Anyway, I basically said a prayer for them and moved on. Of course, I went away with a heavy heart having the knowledge now that there are people who are under such bondage.

My knee is giving me some problems again when I was on my way home. I pray the Lord will take away the pain soon and when I wake up tomorrow, everything would be fine.

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16

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