Hearing Voices 30.3.11

Everyday, commencing the moment we are born, to the time we awake every morning, from all directions we are bombarded with a myriad of thoughts, opinions, criticisms - and to sum the lot, voices.

No doubt that today will be no different from yesterday. We will have to listen to our parents, teachers, friends; the media, internet, textbooks, news. It is a non-stop flow of incoming ideas. Doesn't matter whether they are good or bad - we've already absorbed it - consciously or subconsciously.

How precarious it is for our state of mind and our hearts if we do not GUARD our thoughts! How dangerous if we take no care to keep watch over the doors of our consciousness through which all these voices enter!

The most terrifying part of all this is our IGNORANCE. We often do not realize that corruptible ideas and misconceptions and subtle lies have stealthily - or even bravenly - slipped into our minds. People seldom stop to think about what other people are telling them. Before we even know its garbage or not, we've already taken it in.

I'm convinced we cannot simply float from one thing to another. Yes, be at liberty to absorb as many ideas as you can, but do so with circumspection and discretion. Without which we will be tossed to and fro by the many voices shooting our way; without which we will not be able to make wise decisions according to the Higher Purpose because we have all these other wiseacres chipping in.

Most of all, listen not to the voices of this world! Inevitably, we will still be hearing voices, but we can CHOOSE to filter them with the TRUTH.

And finally, above all, take time to shut out the noises and voices of this world to hear God's still voice within our hearts!

Having Faith 28.3.11

'Faith is not faith if its not all you're holding on to.' Thomas Aquinas
In today's day and age, there is seemingly great irrelevance for faith and hope in something, someone, higher than ourselves. As knowledge increases, science gets more specific, people become more outward-focused rather than inward-focused, the notion of faith and confidence in something or someone greater than we are seems rather ludicrous.

Yet for the believer, the opposite holds true.

All the more, BECAUSE things are getting so fast-paced, so instant, so shallow, so trivial; because people have become so numb to the spiritual, so ignorant of the suffering in other parts of the world, so self-centered and materialistic, the believer craves for something MORE than all this.

In our 'modern' society, the notion of the metaphysical, of a spiritual realm, is often shunned and disregarded. Fools, they say. Only fools believe in a Creator. Only ill-informed people place their faith in something greater than themselves. Isn't the here and now, and me and you all there is to it?

Tis' a meaningless, depressing existence indeed.
If no higher purpose or greater plan exists.
Why, if this were truly so, I would rather not live! But wait, give me a moment.
I choose to have faith, not in myself, not in men, not in riches, nor in knowledge, but in the One who holds time and space, in the One who has bestowed upon me grace!

'Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen.' Hebrews 11:1
~ j a n i e ll e

Shaken

'A fire broke out backstage in a theatre. The clown came out to
warn the public; they thought it was a joke and applauded. He
repeated it; the acclaim was even greater. I think that’s just
how the world will come to an end: to general applause from
wits who believe it’s a joke.' Soren Kierkegaard

I read this on my good friend's site and thought it was an interesting one to post up!

With all that's going on in today's society, in today's world, you have reason to consider pausing for a second. Or longer...

I'll begin with an admission: I'm not taking things seriously enough, as someone cautioned me. In fact, most of us aren't. We see all these tragedies and disasters, famines and wars, corruption and morality-going-down-the-drain happening. Yet if it hasn't directly affected us, the cries of the wounded and oppressed and dying fall on our deaf ears.

Like I said, the majority of folks are not taking things seriously. Most young people are ignorant. We pause for a second, but then life goes on. However, there's MORE to what is happening than we think!

Watching the LIVE news on the earthquake in Japan and seeing the awesome and fearsome tsunami swipe through the land just made me feel all this is so surreal. But its really happening, right as I'm watching it. People are dying the very moment I'm saying to myself, 'This isn't happening. This is beyond reality.' And yet it is.

What must be shaken will be shaken.

Will we remain hearts of stone? Must we wait until we are shaken so drastically in order to wake up and turn from our ways? Will it be too late by then?

One can only wonder. Or one can make a choice.

Enjoy what can be enjoyed. Live today fully while it is today. Yet in all this, remember the One who holds the world in His hands. He who ALLOWS things to move in His perfect timing and good purpose; who shakes what must be shaken and saves the wretched beings we are.

We must take HIS WORD seriously. People wonder how can God allow such pain and disaster and unfairness. Perhaps, if I may be so radical to suggest, God is in His graciousness showing mankind a 'severe mercy' to call us to attention. And yet, you see (this further enforces my point), there are still so many people around us who are ignorant and complacent and still stubbornly clinging to their wayward ways.

Ultimately, everyone will have to face it. You've gotta take God's Word seriously. We don't wanna end up like the audience Soren Kierkegaard described.

~ J a n i e ll e B e h

Unmasked

In His marvelous Light all things hidden in the dark are revealed.

In His glorious presence all our seemingly beautiful facades are stripped away.

In His beauty and majesty all our false visages are left unmasked to reveal our true countenance.

What can I hide? What can you cover up?

He who knows us from inside out, who knows us even more than we know ourselves, searches our hearts.

Do not look at the outward appearance. Often it is a countenance painted over the real character within. God looks at the heart.

Let our thoughts & words and actions be pleasing in His sight all through the day and night.

~ j a n i e ll e

Finishing the Race

Its not how you begin, but how you END the Race that counts.

Heard that one countless times before. But no one knows when exactly is the end of the Race. All we know is NOW.

Therefore how we run the Race NOW determines how we will end it.

'Do you know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to GET THE PRIZE.' 1 Corinthians 9:24

How should we run today's lap? We must run in such a way as to attain the Prize. Our mind and heart must be set on finishing the Race and obtaining the Prize. Our eyes must be laser-focused on the ultimate goal.

Everyone is running the Race. But not all run in such as way as to attain the Prize. Some begin very well, but will end poorly. Others do not abide by the rules of the Race and end up disqualified. Some take a break along the way and lose precious time. How will you and I run the Race TODAY?

What are our eyes fixed on? What are our hearts and minds set on doing?

We may get distracted along the run. We may stop to see how the other runners are faring. We may lose precious time. Sometimes its difficult to keep going.

If we have our sights set on the wrong goal, on the wrong target, we will run in vain. In the end, we will not obtain the Prize, even if we've abided by the rules and ran well and done everything necessary.

What is our goal and the Prize we're setting our hearts on?

The Apostle Paul says, 'One thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forward unto the things ahead, I press on toward the goal for the Prize of the upward CALL OF GOD in Christ Jesus.' Philippians 3:14

We discover our destiny in our Maker. We find our identity in Christ. If we are not seeking our Creator, and having our sights set on Jesus, we run this race in vain. In the end we are disqualified; in the end we will lose. No matter how successful we've been along the way, if our efforts were never pointed in the direction God desired us to, it all amounts to nothing.

Let's run today's race 'with our eyes fixed on the Author and Finisher of our faith.'

What He has Done

'God does not save us because of what we've done.

Only a puny god could be bought with tithes.

Only an egotistical god would be impressed with our pain.

Only a temperamental god could be satisfied by sacrifices.

Only a heartless god would sell salvation to the highest bidders.

And only a great God does for his children what they CAN'T do for themselves.'

Excerpt from 'Cast of Characters' by Max Lucado :)

God's delight is received upon our SURRENDER to Him, and not awarded upon conquest.

'If any man abides in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; but apart from Me you can do nothing.' John 15:5

The Absurdity of Life

Sometimes, only sometimes - like today - I realize how pitiful we must all look. A mass of humanity, squashed up in a train. Going to the same destination? All living different lives.

Yet we're all in that same hamster wheel. At least for most people. All the pursuits of Life, one after another. Climbing one mountain just to climb another one, and another. What is the meaning to all this?

I never tire of coming back to this absurd subject. At least 'absurd' for people who accept the idea that we breathe, we grow, we live, we suffer, we enjoy, and finally, we die, and there is no transcendent purpose or destiny in all this.

Surely then this life is a ridiculous and incredulous cycle that goes on and on. And for a moment, each one of us appears on the stage, only some stand in the spotlight, others are not even on the show, and then so quickly it is over and we are no more. If we do pause to consider these things, there is no doubt that all this we love and hate and accomplish, and buy or sell, amounts to nothing in the end.

Even all my musings are merely 'grasping for the wind' as King Solomon said. 'Words, words, words,' as Hamlet said in Shakespeare's play.

What of the good and 'nice' people, who may do many charitable works? They too come to nothing in the end. Perhaps they leave a lasting impact on the next generation? Or leave a memorable memory of oneself? Well before long, even that will fade away.

And how about the 'bad' people in society? The corrupt, the lazy, the murderers and thieves. Weren't they all once young innocent boys and girls too? What made them go wayward? If how we live in this life makes no difference after it is ended, then why, we could do whatever we want. This world has no real justice anyway.

How absurd then is our society! We humans, all full of flaws and evil ourselves, try to implement laws and rules and justice. We try to make right the wrongs already existent long ago. Will we ever right things? As long as we're in this rat wheel, refusing to acknowledge that we can't help ourselves, we will be running to and fro but never finding the truth. We will be going in circles, thinking we've reached the top when the next moment we're going down the wheel again. And in the end, death has the final say. Game over, friend.

Or is that so?

Death does NOT have the final say. Life is not MERELY a series of unfortunate events or a brief strut on the stage. Perhaps it is so, but it is also more.
You looks at the heavens, you see the stars.

You marvel at the wings of a hummingbird, you look at a blade of grass.

You stand in awe of the lightning storm, and you realize how tiny you are.

You can't help but wonder, why am I here?