This year is special in many ways. We had a Chinese New Year reunion after so many years. We had house visits and met up with relatives we had not seen for years. After so many years been away, it’s good and special in many ways. The old memories came back to me, the road I used to walk, the bus stop that I spent time waiting for bus, the housing that stood up tall, the people that I greeted. These seem like just yesterday, while actually more than 20 years had passed.
However, this New Year, God opened my eyes to see something I’ve never realized before. I saw the brokeness of life under the heaven. Health challenges, education challenges, relationship challenges, in between the lines of achievements and progress. Some challenges are more obvious than others. And I learned this truth from a friend, “a challenge or difficulties need not be problems or issues.” However, we see challenges as issues, and miss out the real matters that is the heart of the issues.
As an example, a health challenge (they are many as we grow older), is hard, difficult, and painful, not to mention they’re costly too. Often times, we are helpless in face such big challenge. Through the passing of times, without we realized, our hearts were shifted. We lost the perspective, the touch, love for loved ones, in the midst of the storm. So which one is a bigger problem, the lost of health or the lost of love?
As I look into my own family, I must admit that I made the same mistake through the years. The prolonged health issues, or educational challenges, or financial struggles had a way to change my hearts. If I don’t change course, the small deviation will lead me to a different destination. What is the biggest lost?
I thank God that He reminded me what is the biggest problem of all. He sent His Son to die on the cross to solve our human biggest problem. So our other problems could be overcome in Him. There is victory in Christ. Challenges may persist, but we’ve an overcomer Spirit. Through all the challenges of lives, a loving husband, a caring father, a thoughtful leader, a kind person, an aroma of Christ must show that He has dealt with the biggest and most important challenges we all face.
May His Spirit enable us with His divine power once again to be His witnesses, that He has overcome all greatest problems, and draw all men and women to Himself. Once the problem of sin is dealt with, we accept, how broken ourselves and this world, and bow to His solution of Jesus died on the cross. In the midst of all challenges, we carry ourselves with Wisdom from above and pointing others to a better solution than what this world offer (but do not solve the problem of the heart and hence all other problems, having appearance of godliness but no power whatsoever).
One easy test to see how well we’re doing; for CNY, with all the festivities and celebrations, how much strifes or peace do we experience within our hearts and families? From morning to night and the days to follow, are our tones filled with love or contempt? Out of our hearts flow the spring of life. May you Lord change our hearts within, in the face of challenges, love might flow, so the glory of Christ in midst of our pains. Come Lord Jesus.
