Friday, August 15, 2008

Tending Your Inner Garden

It is lunch-time now. I decided to pack in this afternoon. I basically did my favourite smoked salmon sandwiches. Four slices of bread in all. Haha. I did not have breakfast so decided to have a heavier lunch. I know it does not work that way. Just feel like being a pig today. Actually I am beginning to look like one - the varsity holidays have caused me to balloon quite a bit from all the pig-out sessions with friends and all.

Anyway, this morning before I went to office, I decided to go for a walk with my doggy. I needed to spend some time with the Lord because lately I have been feeling that I am drifting away from Him and needed to get back on track again.

I have not been reading His Word and praying enough. Perhaps I am trying to get back to the momentum of work as well as balancing it with family commitments, ministries and time spent with friends.

The above paragraph is probably an excuse because if God is pre-eminent in my life then I will not be struggling with setting time daily to commune with Him.

Anyway, during the walk, I told the Lord that He will still come first in my life and that nothing will cause me to compromise! It may be a struggle initially but with His help, I am sure I will be able to prioritise my time accordingly.

It is scary to know that one's behaviour is directly linked to one's closeness with God. I say this because in the past two weeks or so, my attitude towards life and people have been rather negative. I lose my temper easily. I tend to be more materialistic. I have not been as compassionate as before. I have been very self-centered and egoistic. I have been very laid-back. I have slackened in my ministries. I have also been rather disorganised.

This reminded me of what Gordon MacDonald said in his book, "Ordering Your Private World" - he mentioned that our lives is like that of a garden. If one is closed to God, then the garden is in good order but if one is not, then the whole garden will be in a mess. How true that is!

Well, thanks be to God for reminding me to order my life again. It is time and I have to - for the sake of others around me and for myself.

I guess that is all I want to share for now.

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:1-17

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