Aug 25, 2019
Count your blessings
I have a week of many attacks and I found true peace in my soul.
I have been afraid of people, especially when it’s about their benefits. It’s easy to understand when people care more about their gain and their loss and they will try to compare theirs to others. How much I lost, how much you gained? They respect values based on the world’s standards, those are wealth, reputation, position, appearance, wisdom, network, origin. Therefore they will respect you if you have the world’s values. But what end will it be?
I experience a memorable event in my early 30s, it helps me understand a bit of how to suffer the wrong words about you. And it’s not easy to hear all that rumors, it raises my emotion. I’m angry indeed. Then I remember to practice what I learned to control my emotion. SPACE. Put your thoughts in a “space” to reflect before you respond to the impulses. Think through before speaking.
I am really sad and disappointed about the relations that I cared and supported with all I could have. I thought I have wonderful teammates that I trusted with no doubt. In peace and wealthy period, you see angel faces around you until when hard times come, the team becomes the self. “The priority changes, no more I care of you, I care of myself first and you please give to me what is belong to me, pay me. And your life doesn’t matter with me anymore.” Judah Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, and Peter denied Jesus 3 times while Jesus was arrested.
You need to prove to them that you’re right. Why? It’s not my job to do that. I’ll prove to ones who care of me in love, not for justice. I know it’s a challenge to live integrity in this life. I told my wife when the storm comes, take your seatbelt because you will see God’s miracle in your life. It’s true!
My question is what Jesus wants me to do in that situation in term of evangelism purpose? How can I demonstrate and present the Gospel to those who I don’t want to talk to and don’t consider them as friends anymore? It’s really hard. Love your enemy and pray for them.
Love Your Enemies
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. — Mathew 5:43 - 48 NKJV.
This week I read a book by Dr. Haggai named “How to win over worry” and one way is counting your blessings. Yes, it’s so great when you see that you were blessed so much that you can’t count! God loves you and gives you more than anything you can imagine. The biggest gift God gave you is His only son, Jesus, to die in the cross to save you, a sinner that was separated from the Righteousness but now your relationship with The Father has been reconciled. You were saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, your Saviour. How much you can pay for all your sin? How much you can pay for eternal life? How much you can pay to be a son or a daughter of Father in heaven? You can’t. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” — Matthew 19:24 NIV. A man can’t enter the kingdom of God by his material or by his work. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is the only way.
Father, I thank you for all the blessings that I received from you and my life is now full of joy when I am back to my Father’s house. I have no worry because I have faith in my almighty God. Teach me to love my enemy as you love me.
Saigon, 25 Aug 2019.
