We've certainly been brought up in a system of meritocracy, where there is such a great emphasis on performance and results. It means everything in the world to us - how well we do affects how we see ourselves, how well we relate to others or how others respond to us affects our self image and confidence.
Having grown up with such a mindset and worldview truly affects the way I see myself, others and God. I'm starting to see how much I'm "trapped" in this pattern of thinking. Don't get me wrong, I think it's fine to be excellent in what we do and I think we should not be lazy or waste our talents but put them to good use. But it's quite stifling, looking at society and even my own life, when there's such a direct link between our worth and what we can do.
I hope that I will be able to treat others with worth and dignity (incidentally it's a social work value too, haha). I want to treat others with value, not because of what they can offer, their personalities or their abilities or their "goodness". I'm quite guilty of not doing so. And I also hope that I will learn to value myself as a person because of my creator and my saviour. It's such a struggle. Grace and mercy needed. And this grace and mercy is not based on my own merit.
How liberating. How attractive.
“Safe?”.... Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.- The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Encouraging message
I recently just read something rather encouraging on Ravi Zachariah's website. It is liberating to know that it's okay not to be okay, and that our walk with the Lord need not always be the happy and smiley sort.
Here's a section of it: The comforting news of Christianity is that God is not only available to us when we feel good, but makes his dwelling with us even in the darkness of despair. We often feel in our distress that we simply have to avoid the problem, to "get out" of feeling badly. But, in fact, what is happening is that even in sorrow, even in our despair we have the hope that we are still being drawn by the gracious arms of God into closer communion. As one author notes, "What God wants is not so much our victories, but our life in the wilderness."(3) As the story of Elijah bears witness, even in our wilderness God will prepare a meal, provide shelter, and speak gently into our fears. (Manning, 2011)
Check it out: http://www.rzim.org/resources/read/asliceofinfinity/todaysslice.aspx?aid=11001
Here's a section of it: The comforting news of Christianity is that God is not only available to us when we feel good, but makes his dwelling with us even in the darkness of despair. We often feel in our distress that we simply have to avoid the problem, to "get out" of feeling badly. But, in fact, what is happening is that even in sorrow, even in our despair we have the hope that we are still being drawn by the gracious arms of God into closer communion. As one author notes, "What God wants is not so much our victories, but our life in the wilderness."(3) As the story of Elijah bears witness, even in our wilderness God will prepare a meal, provide shelter, and speak gently into our fears. (Manning, 2011)
Check it out: http://www.rzim.org/resources/read/asliceofinfinity/todaysslice.aspx?aid=11001
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