Pastor Dinah recalled for us a very fundamental and important truth today:) That the key to unity is SELF. dying to self.
it's a very basic concept... yet one that is once again, easy to say, but hard to do. in the world where people puts themselves over other things, it's hard, really, to die to yourself.. people have the tendency to want things done THEIR way, and when things ain't done THEIR way, they're blinded by their 'self righteousness' and that's when emotions start to get stirred up, that's when disunity happens. it's hard to die to self 'cos dying to self means for us to lay our pride aside. and seriously speaking, won't most people, if not everyone, naturally want to hold on to that pride inside us? even when somehow or another, we know that it's wrong to be proud? for some people, they might not even realize that they've pride in their hearts.
humility is so much to the key to being successful in life. being humble enough to want to change. humble enough to learn from everyone around you, for there's always room for growth. humility is like a value that's not highly regarded in the world anymore... viewed as a sign of weakness. it's as if being humble will cause you to lose out in the world. should we then say that the world is right in this? no. for if that's how things are intended to be, if the world is doing the right things in general, then WHY is this world, for the lack of words, so screwed up?:)
ah. i digress:)
Was really refreshed today by pastor ben and pastor dinah's sharings:) so much on the core values... the SIMPLE core values... yet so important. as we grow in our spiritual walk with God, and even as we grow as a human being in the world, so much of the core values we've laid aside for the peripheral... we've become so concerned with the doing on the outside, that we've forgotten to evaluate what's on the inside of us. i remember alan asking this question... if one day, everything we have (our deeds, characters...) is put into a bowl and put under the testing of fire... will we still have anything left in the bowl?
i asked myself. what will be in the bowl. what sort of things will be in the bowl? the character of the person? the things i've done? volunteer work? i don't have an answer... haha. sorry about it. but i can only figure out that what is left in the bowl has to be something that withstands the test of time, till eternity. that withstands the test of man, without fault. withstand the test of deeds, beyond self.
think this is a question we can all ask ourselves, for an honest evaluation of ourselves thus far. is there anything in my life which can last till eternity, is blameless and without fault and is greater than myself?
i wonder.