Following Jesus

     It has been a long time since my last post. My last post was Christmas last year. Well by saying that, this post will be my first post of the year 2017.

     Anyway, I just read a comment from a friend of mine saying that he is leaving his family because they were trying to control him in his life. After reading his comment, I tried to compare my life with his. To be honest, there are no different between me and him. My family is also very controlling. Controlling my in's and out's. Even my work, they also want to control. Telling me to come back early for dinner and if I were to come back late, it must be before 10pm. Mind you, my working place to my house is about 45 minutes drive to an hour. First 15 minutes of the journey are dark pitched area, surrounded by jungles and kampung houses with only one lane to go drive. Not two or three, like a normal road. Then road became clearer but a lot of drivers speed in their driving.

     Well I am not trying to describe my journey back home in this blog but what I want to say is it. Everyone will face a lot of problem but how you solve the problem determine how strong you are spiritually. Whether it is for your family, your friends (peers), your conuntry (mine is Malaysia). your colleagues. If you can overcome whatever is given to you, then you are spiritually strong. I am a staunch believer of if you are born here, God have a mission for you here. Not elsewhere. Same thing goes to my friend. He was born to his family. He cannot go around and tell people, "I am leaving them". God put him into the family for a reason. 

     If Jesus were to get angry when He was put into a difficulty life, there would not be any salvation. I stated in my last Christmas post that Jesus never live a good life during His time on earth. Everyone wants to get rid of Him even when He was in Mary's womb right up to His death on the cross. Remember, babies need to die because of Him. Those who believe in Him will be persecuted. Likewise, I always believe in this. Since we are born to this controlling family, accept and embrace them. Let your Light & Salt shine on them, instead of them controlling over you. At the same time, I still want to emphasize on this. Since we were born in Malaysia, let our Light & Salt shine on the people here. Not leaving Malaysia. We are all born in Malaysia for a reason and the reason is to share God's Light & Salt to Malaysia. Leaving Malaysia does not make you a strong believer. Instead it makes you weaker because you cannot even shine in Malaysia, and you choose elsewhere to shine. 

     I always tell this to my students. Green pasture is never the other side of the fence. It is always where you are standing now. Even though where you are standing now looks ugly and in bad situation, by God's grace, if you can do something about it, it will become beautiful one day if you work hard on it. Same case as my friend. If he were to continue to pray and ask God for intervention, his family members can change. I was also facing a lot of hardship with my family, especially my mom. But I prayed for them to go to church, she changed a lot. I mean literally change, although she is still grumpy and controlling. I believe that persevere is always the best medicine when it comes to difficulty. Persevere and prayers.  

     Before I end this blog, let me include this blog with a Bible verse. 2 Corinthians 12: 9 - 10 (NKJV)

9. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmites, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

     Paul can just give up on His walk with Jesus and do anything he wanted. I mean he is after all, a Roman citizen (Acts 22: 22 - 29). Rome, at that time, was the superpower, just like America now. So if anyone touches a Roman citizen at that time, that person will have trouble. Like I said, Paul the Apostle can do anything as Roman citizen during his time. But what he did? He choose to believe in Christ Jesus. To live for Him. In another word, he gave up his life and follow King of Jews. Ever since he follow Jesus, he did not live a good life (2 Corinthians 11: 23 - 30). So do we all still think that listening to our parents and leaving Malaysia is still a big issue? 

     God bless.