Tuesday, March 07, 2006

This post is inspired by conversations over a hazardous chinese meal and carbonated drinks at a smelly food joint.


Dear Pebbles,

E4J.

What does it mean to you? Excellence? For Jesus? Is this anything more than just a catchphrase? One that has lost its flavour?

Satisfied?

Does this look familiar? Off the cover of a gospel track you received a few weeks ago?

Are you being excellent? For Jesus? I remember when we first started to use this phrase a little more excessively than usual. It was during the production of our X'Mas film. I felt like I was playing a part that would enable me to directly contribute towards God's kindgom. Our efforts would translate into an evangelical cause. For Jesus. One more. For Jesus.

The X'Mas play. Car wash. Mission trips. Serving on a Sunday morning. Sharing the gospel to a friend. During such times, it is easy to understand 'E4J'. But what of the other times? Do we try to achieve E4J? If not, perhaps it really is just another 'WWJD' or 'FROG'.

Are we trying to achieve excellence in our daily lives? Don't get me wrong, I do not think E4J is about having results and prizes to show for our efforts. Rather, I think E4J can be understood by asking yourself this question: What are you doing with what God has given you?

"But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

E4J should be an attitude from the heart. Our excellence may not be displayed as things that the world reveres and wars to own, but if we are burying our talents in the ground, waiting for the Master's return, then we know that we really are in no way being excellent at all.

Take your talents, be it in academics, sports, music, visual arts, performing arts, military skills etc. and produce excellence with them, so that they can be used to glorify God. David's accurate slingshots created a day of glorious victory for God.

And I believe that God will use your pursuit for excellence to train you up in character. I am sure that having 4 trainings a week or the months of mugging for the 'O's or 'A's would have produced its fair share of growth in you. As a resposible shepherd, David learnt and understood that the Lord is his shephered, and that he shall not be in want.

So, are you satisfied with where you are now? Are you wasting your God-given (ok, what isn't God-given?) potential? If so, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

More importantly, ask yourself, are you satisfied with your spiritual life? As Pastor Richard asked on Sunday, where are you from 1 to 10? If you are not where you want to be, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

Let's face it. 'Ok' is often... NOT ok! Start taking every lesson seriously, start doing your QT, start telling your friends about Christ.... Producing excellence is never easy, but starting to do so makes it much easier. Ask God for his strength to pull you along, tell him that you want to do it for him. Don't be afraid to fail!

"I say on Sunday how much I want revival
But then on Monday, I can't even find my Bible
Where's the power
The power of the cross in my life

I'm sick of playing the game of religion
I'm tired of losing my reason for living
Where's the power
The power of the cross in my life

I'm not content just to walk through my life, giving in
To the lies, Walking in compromises now
We cry out as a generation that was lost
But now is found in the power of the cross

We believe in You
We believe in the power of Your Word that is true
We believe in You
So we lay down our cause
That our cross might be found in You

I'm not satisfied doing it my own way
I'm not satisfied to do church and walk away
I'm not satisfied there's no love in my life but You
I'm not satisfied living in yesterday's hour
I'm not satisfied to have the form but not the power
I'm not satisfied, Lord I am crucified in You

So we lay down our cause
That our cross might be found in You"


E4J. What else does our excellent God deserve?



Nitez...

1:13 AM
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