In a month's time, we'll say goodbye to 2009 and wave our hands to 2010. I like to make new years' resolution and it's the same every year - finish reading the whole Bible. The motives are good, I want to go deeper with the Lord and further equipped myself with His knowledge. I was so determined and got myself some year-plan Bible reading materials and a notebook, open my Bible every morning, drop down some notes then ticked off the box. This routine would continue for a few months until I found myself reading my Bible out of duty, ticked the box for the sake of it, finding different excuses not to and being caught up with the busyness of life. Eventually I would give up, before you know it, the end of the year is at the corner and I'd feel incredibly bad that I failed to achieve this resolution again...
So in order to make myself feel better, I've decided not to make the same resolution in 2009, my resolution is simple to BE all that the Lord has called me to be, serve Him wholeheartedly and enjoy this journey with Him. I remember a pastor once told me that we are called to be human being, not human doing. Most of the devoted Christian have a mindset of "doing", they feel like they need to do everything for the Lord to show Him their love so they would attend every Bible studies, every big Christian conferences, every church services and serve at every ministries etc. But the Lord has spoke to me many times about this with the story of "Mary and Martha" in Luke 10:38-42. The Lord does not merely look at what you do, He loves you just as you are, not what you can do for Him, He wants to spend time with you! He is more interested in developing you as a person than developing your skills as a worker. I know I have the tendency of 'over-doing', I love sharing life with people, serving, keeping myself busy with different activities and commitments, being so caught up with "things" that I have forgotten what the most important thing in life is. The Lord would bring me back to this story and ask who I think is more blessed?
Martha was running around like a chicken with no head, doing her best to prepare everything for dinner and her sister Mary just sat and chilled with the Lord. I would be so upset at Mary if I were Martha, how could she not see that I need help and just sat there and hung out with the Lord?!! Yet the Lord said to Martha, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." It's so easy to be caught up with work, family, friends, relationships, commitments, entertainment or even ministries, well I'm not saying that these things are not good or important but I believe spending quality time with the Lord is far more precious than anything in this world.
The Lord cares more about us being His precious sons and daughters, claiming our royal identities, not be shaken or distracted by the things of the world and not to lose that intimacy that He longs to have with each one of us.
This is the first year for me to achieve new year resolution =)