Overcoming Pressures

PRESSURES

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. (2 Cor 11:28)

Pressures of Paul the Apostle
Sometimes I wonder at how Paul is able to overcome all these pressures. The word ‘epistasis’ (pressure) in this verse is used to describe the burden and the repeated stress upon the apostle as he was working out his ministry to the different churches. It can also mean the inward pressures the apostle exerts upon himself, out of feeling responsible for the flock he loved. He does so without complaining, without being jealous of others more fortunate than him. He compares his situation by focusing on Christ, boasting in Christ and choosing to do all things with Christ as his reference. At that time, the Corinthian church has two major problems. Firstly, there were false prophets claiming to be 'super apostles’ (2 Cor 11:5). It creates envy for people around them. Secondly, these people apparently created ‘value-added’ services to the preaching of the gospels for a fee (2 Cor 11:7). In contrast, Paul argues that he gave all of himself in the preaching (without charge) of the gospel, even ‘robbing’ other churches’ contributions to his ministry to serve them! Yet, Paul's way of overcoming pressures is simply to be able to 'boast in the Lord.'

Our Modern Pressures
Pressures are a normal thing in our modern society. We are prone to all kinds of pressures. Patrick Morley lists several modern pressures in his book "The Seven Seasons of a Man's Life." We experience performance pressure to be constantly meeting our goals and expectations from organizations, family and friends. We grapple with technological pressure when we try to do new projects with older existing equipment. We face corporate downsizing pressure in the light of cost cuts and bottom lines, often forcing every worker to do-more-with-less. We suffer from communications pressure when trying to allow individuals to work at their pace while expecting them to work within a community like environments. For those who are constantly on the move, they face traveling pressure that requires them to spend long stretches of time without their family or regular social environments. Then there is the business-deal pressure which many tries to strike a balance between profits and bottom-line thinking; distinguishing competition and cooperation; long-term vs short-term; and trying to explore new opportunities without exploiting the weak and the poor. Are the pressures faced by Paul the Apostle any different from the stresses of a typical person in modern business attire? I believe that the pressures may be the similar in many ways. However, the key difference lie in the MOTIVATION behind handling the pressures.

How do we handle pressure?
For Paul, it is clearly not materialistic in origin but that joy in the Lord. Many years ago, I learned that JOY is actually an acronym for putting Jesus first, then Others, then Yourself. At that time, I thought it was such a wonderful way to know what brings joy. Over the years, I develop an alternative, which I will share it with you. J.O.Y. is a term that comprises a noun, a verb and an adjective.

J – Journey (a noun)
Remember that whatever pressures we face, it is but a part of the journey we have been called to travel on. It could be short. It could be long. As long as it is traveling in the direction toward God, the journey will be worthwhile. Paul longs to be with Christ, yet for the fact that he feels he has a calling, he endures the pain and struggles. "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Phil 1:21)

O – Obey (a verb)
This verb is a doing aspect of our spiritual life. Apart from trust, ‘obey’ is the next most important action we have to do for God. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Better to obey one step in the Lord, instead of pretending to make one hundred self-centered steps and claiming them to be done in the name of the Lord. Paul's desire to serve is out of obedience to his calling. A prayerful person will know what instructions to obey. If we are actively obeying God, we will not be constantly caught up with the worries of the world.

Y – Yearning (an adjective)
This adjective is a great treasure of the early spiritual masters. What could encourage people to sell all they have, to give everything to the poor and to follow Christ? The early Christian saint St Antony of Egypt (251-356) is one such person. He became the father of monasticism from which we get our modern universities. It has been said that without monasticism, Western civilization would not have survived after the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century. He yearns for God so much that giving up becomes a no-brainer. It is like when one person is deeply in love, he does not mind splurging on a lavish dinner on his beloved.

Overcome any pressure with joy. Consider this practice of seeing our life as a journey, obeying the Word and above all, totally yearn for God so much that everything else on this earth is secondary to the primary goal: Seeking God. May the pressures that you encounter at work, at home or anywhere else be considered secondary, compared to the all surpassing joy and peace found in Christ Jesus our Lord. Helen Keller encourages us with this:

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. (Helen Keller)"

Thought: What are the outward and inward pressures of your life? How are you overcoming it? Are you doing so out of bitterness and using worldly wisdom? Or are you overcoming them with J.O.Y?

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jer 29:13, NIV)

sabbathwalk

Making Space

"Be still and know that I am God." (Ps 46:10)

We live in a world where busyness is a virtue. Many even call it a good thing. Society holds it as a prime example of meaning of life. One is only useful when one is busy. In fact, busyness can easily fills up any empty schedule on our day timers, or calendars. For the paranoid, having an empty schedule is abnormal. Busyness is a common cliché among working adults. This is almost the same as the response to “How are you today?” Some say: “Fine, how about yourself?” Others can also say, “I’ve been busy, of course.” In my encounters with various individuals, there are several reasons (at least five) why people use the word ‘busy.’

Firstly, it can be used to repel any attention, especially unwanted ones. It is like a girl trying to shun unwanted suitors seeking to ask her out on a date. As much as there are people in the world who are appealing to us, there are also those who absolutely turn us off. I remember watching a movie where an irritating man seeks to get closer to a beautiful woman at a party. He hinted to her that he has been watching her the whole night from a corner of the ballroom. The lady curtly replied: “Really. I’m busy right now. You can go back to that corner and continue watching.”

Secondly, it is a common device to keep our private lives separate from public domain. It is like saying: “Do not ask me anything else, because I have no time to share more details with you.” Sometimes, even among close colleagues in the office, people do not share as readily as they wanted to, simply because they prefer to keep their private lives away from nosy people. Moreover, in a competitive world, one will never know if others in the office are seeking to play politics using private information.

Thirdly, busyness is also due to mindless overwork. In any situation where an employee is insecure, there is a tendency to take on more work than necessary just to prove a point. Too much work, too little time and inadequate rest are three potent ingredients for concocting eventual self-destruction. The Chinese word for ‘busy’ has the radical word ‘heart’ on the left, and ‘death’ on the right. Put together, busy is literally 'killing the heart.' I have previous expounded on the word in my other blog here.

Fourthly, busyness is simply a word to stay superficial. It is too risky to open up ourselves to so many people. ‘Better to be safe than sorry’ is the philosophy of such people. In fact, this has to do with age as well. I notice that the older one gets, the fewer close friends one has. One may have many acquaintances but friends are few in number. Chances are the older one is, the more selective one becomes when choosing between friends and acquaintances.

Finally, I will suggest that busyness is simply because we have lost track of the need for space. Even worse, we have become uncomfortable with space just like we feel uncomfortable in a group when no one is talking. This state of discomfort is a symptom of our restlessness. We choose to put busy activities into our lives in order to feel fulfilled. We feel that doing nothing in itself is a waste of time. So we fill up our lives with all kinds of activities, sometimes without much thought. It reminds me of a buffet, where one piles up food to fill every corner of the plate simply because one seeks to maximize the dollar paid. Unfortunately, when we are too busy, we lose track of what we are doing, and we fail to adequately communicate clearly to others. One may type a lot of letters on the computer keyboard, but without the space in between words, there is no meaning. George White’s example above tells us the importance of space. Think about what kind of space you are giving yourself during times of stress and busyness. Have you been taking time to rest and make space for more important matters? For loved ones? For God? When was the last time you simply take time off to read the Bible patiently? Pray without rushing for time? Have you had coffee with a friend without constantly checking the clock? When is the last time you actually celebrate the Sabbath? When did you last do your Sabbath walk? Remembering the Sabbath is a way of making space. Once a week.

Thought: It is important to make space for God and people. Have you ever thought about fasting from email or Internet once a week, so that you can make some space? Try it.

sabbathwalk

Sharing our Daily Bread

When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. (Gen 41:53-54, NIV)

The story of Joseph and his adventures has always been very fascinating. It is a story of one man, who has had many doors closed to him, and each time that happens, a window opens up. It has often been said that when God closes a door, he opens a window somewhere. If we have eyes that we will see, we will see light coming in the midst of darkness. If we have ears that will listen, we will hear despite the gloomy silence, a sweet melody of hope. In Joseph, we see a person badly treated by his brothers, unjustly blamed for a sexual offense he did not commit and as one who did not receive his fair deal even after interpreting dreams for two of his clients. In every instance, where there is a famine arising out of failed plans and unmet expectations, there is a glimmer of hope, from the finger of God. Like the land suffering from seven harsh years of famine, in Egypt and only in Egypt, there was bread. Before we jump too quickly to think that Egypt is the Saviour of the land at that time, note how Egypt received their blessings in the first place; through Joseph.

Not by Industry, Nor by Luck but by God’s Wisdom
The bread was not obtained merely from the hard work of the people at that time. After-all, the famine destroyed all the land. No land. No jobs. No food. Whatever food available is certainly not out of nowhere, for the huge food reserves in Egypt were collected meticulously due to God's wisdom that has been imparted to Joseph. In other words, without God, Egypt will perish with all the rest of the nations at that time. We can take a leaf from the lessons of Egypt and Israel. Seven years of prosperity is quickly followed by seven years of famine. This is what I call the 7-year cycle. The comforting thing is that regardless of prosperity or famine, God provides the food not only for his people, but for all who lived on the land. Throughout the years of prosperity, the people were too busy building their careers. Yet, Joseph was quietly storing up food, anticipating the 7-year famine while the rest are oblivious to the potentially devastating food crisis.

During these bleak economic times, those of us who have stored up reserves, be willing to share with those in dire straits, or to give out more to assist the needy. Put aside past grievances. Let the grace of God flow out through you. Open up your storehouses and share what God has blessed you. Let not any act of grace become an act of ungrace by holding others to ransom. Exercise grace by basic generosity that is laced with the love of God. Let your material possessions point people toward the God who has given you all things. Hopefully, as they enjoy the bread to sustain their basic livelihood, they will be led to seek the One who provides all the bread in the first place. Pray that as Christians, (who are generally more affluent,) feed the hunger, quench the thirsty and comfort the sick or the weak, more people will be led to the Giver of life, the Author of our faith and the Provider of everlasting Bread. Despite the famine of the land, there was bread in the storehouses of Egypt. Likewise, in the midst of an economic crisis, may people from all walks of life, all religious faith come to know that there will be bread, the bread of love in the storehouses of God’s people. Let this love for people stretch farther than one’s love for material goods. May the love for God overcome any desire to hoard things up for our selfish consumption. In doing so, even as we deplete our current material stocks, take comfort that we are storing up treasures in heaven, each time we give to the kingdom of God.

“It is possible to give without loving, but it is impossible to love without giving.” (Richard Braunstein)

Thought: John Wesley once said about money, "Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” Earn, save, then give. Perhaps, when it comes to love, shouldn’t we reverse it? (ie give, save and earn)

sabbathwalk

Giving Up, Giving Out, Giving In

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:8, NIV)

Tomorrow (25th Feb 2009) is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of 40-days of Lent, ending on the eve of Easter Sunday. It is a day where it is a Christian tradition to remember the sacrifices of Christ, how Jesus resisted worldly temptations by willingly giving up his self-desires. Instead of pandering to the wishes of the flesh, he put on the wishes of the Father and became obedient even to death on the cross. This week's meditation will be along the theme of giving. For that, I will cover three kinds of giving: Giving Up (deny self); Giving Out (helping others) and Giving In (accepting others as they are).

1) GIVING UP (Deny Self)
Deny yourself something for this period. Jesus despite his hungry physical state, chose to deny himself food, and found himself being strengthened only by dependence of the Holy Spirit to resist any temptations. By giving up worldly pleasures, he became spiritually aware of temptations that lurks on the background. He is able to resist deception with adequate recollection of the Scriptures. By giving up the things that matter to the worldly minds, he is able to fill his mind with the things of God, and obey the will of God. This helps loosen any unhealthy hold it may have on your normal lives. If it is smoking, try to start a program that allows you to wean out this habit. It could be Internet addiction. Factor in a day or more to go on an Internet-fast. Or it could be using your PDA, Blackberry, or cell phone. Tell your friends, family, colleagues or business colleagues that for that day(s) you will not be using your cell-phone. Use the normal fixed line telephone for all contacts. Some other suggestions on simple pleasures that you can 'give-up' during this Lent.

• Your favourite ice-cream;
  
• TV or Internet-fast for a day or more;
  
• Giving Up Reading Newspapers for a duration of your choice;
  
• Give Up a favourite beverage; If you drink coffee regularly, try only tea;
  
• Give Up driving and take the bus/subway;
  
• Give up taking the elevator to office and take the stairs instead.

2) GIVING OUT (Helping Others)
If Christ can willingly give up his life, how about giving out a part of ourselves to others in service to the community? Let out compassion take over, and we intentionally give preference to the weak, the under-privileged and the afflicted. Some examples are as follows:

• Choose a new charity;
  
• Respond to a cause you have always thought about but you procrastinated;
  
• Make it NOW rather than later;
  
• Give praises or encouragement to colleagues or subordinates saying: "Well done," "Good job," "I like your latest proposal." Perhaps adopt a maxim such as "A Compliment a day keeps the discouragement at bay."
  
• Recognize birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions of your colleagues, friends, relatives.
  
• Build teamwork by asking: "Who else helped you accomplish this great project? I like to thank him as well"
  
• To your spouse: "I love you."

3) GIVING IN (Accepting one another)
Give others the benefit of the doubt. Even when you think they are wrong, give them room to prove themselves correct. Sometimes, we can get impatient with people who are less competent than us. By learning to accept them as they are, gently pushing them, perhaps they will grow better, with lesser bitterness and greater respect for a leader with a magnanimous heart. As the saying goes, we may not win the small battles (of small disagreements), but let us aim to win the bigger war (the big picture of teamwork, trust and respect). When we are most busy and stressed, we are prone to greater impatience.

Another way of 'giving in' is how Jesus gave in to the sick who needed healing, by paying attention to their needs. Note how he is patient with the woman with the alabaster vase. Remember how Jesus gently rebuked the sins of the woman at the well.

SOME SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES TO NOTE
The table below lists some sinful patterns that we can pay particular attention to. The right column represents some suggested spiritual exercises or practices you can adopt to counter the negative patterns. Send me an email if you need additional guidance.

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SINFUL PATTERNS	SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES
Anger and Bitterness	Silence, Self-Examination, Confession
Anxiety and Worry	Breathe slowly and Pray, Scripture Meditation
Chronic Busyness	Taking breaks, casual walks, intentional rest
Discontent	Check one's fleshly desire by self-control
Discouraged	Find Someone to Pray with
Feeling Inadequate	Time to learn greater self-knowledge; Celebrating one's giftings
Feeling lost	Stay calm, pray and communicate with spiritual directors
Feelings of Selfishness	Prayer and Worship, Give of one's time and resources
Guilt, Shame	Confession, Renewal of State of forgiveness
Gossip	Pause in Silence, Examine Yourself
Hatred	Self-Control, Forgiveness
Jealousy and Competitiveness	Solitude, Self-Examination
Lack of Direction	Discernment, Listening
Lack of Faith	Repeat prayer: "Lord, help me!"
Lethargy, Laziness	Physical Exercise, Intentional Walk
Lust	Flee, and do not attempt a second look
Over-confident	Community Living, Friendship
Restlessness or Stress	Silence and Solitude

Have a humble start to Lent 2009.

sabbathwalk

The Right War

Are We Fighting the Right War?

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.” (Luke 12:22)

Worry – about the present

Anxiety – about the future

Regret – about the past

What kind of war are we fighting? Worry over jobs? Distress over the economy? Anxiety over the future? If we were to be really honest with ourselves, we will realize that a sizable amount of our worries and anxieties revolve around material gains or losses. It centers around the visible and tangible things of life. We worry about whether we can keep our jobs, fearing that we may not be able to bring in enough money to pay the monthly rental or regular housing installments. We worry for our children’s education thinking that if they do not have the educational qualifications, how then can they get a good job next time? We worry about our wealth as it is the key to living a comfortable and good life. We worry about our health, so that we are able enough to work and to bring in an income to feed the family. It could also be exams or tests that we have been preparing for. Some will worry about not getting enough distinctions to be selected for a scholarship. Others will worry about whether they can pass and not disappoint their loved ones. In these dark economic times, it is easy to lose our perspective on what kind of war we ought to fight. Worry is essentially the lack of confidence in the systems available around us. From governments to large corporations, from religious institutions to small support groups, from personal friends to close family members, our worries tempt us to criticize and judge them beyond the boundaries of fairness. Anxiety about the future is the other twin brother of worry, giving us false ideas and negative thoughts about uncertainty and fear of tomorrow. Rounding it all up, when we fight the wrong war, we stand to REGRET not having done enough in the past. Unfortunately, by worrying and becoming anxious, we only pile up more items in our storeroom of regret! Spiritually, our acts of worry and anxiety are like multiple votes of no-confidence in the promises of a loving Father. Our fretfulness about our present and future insecurity only reflects a pathetic soul that does not believe what Jesus said. With Worry, Anxiety and finally Regret, we become useless soldiers already defeated even before the first spiritual bullet has been shot.

Wake up. Rise up men and women of God. If you have been living a life of worry, anxiety and regret, it is time to stop that train on the way to spiritual destruction, and change tracks. Take the path of Christ beginning with prayer. Dallas Willard said that prayer is likened to a vote of no-confidence in our flesh and human capabilities. In order to begin arming ourselves for the right spiritual war, we need to stop fighting wrong wars. We have to invest our limited energies and resources on faith, hope and love as anchored in the cross of Christ. Any resources spent on worry, anxiety and regret will only lead us into a never-ending rabbit’s hole of despair. Let me suggest three ways to counter the negative effects of worry, anxiety and regret.

ARMING OURSELVES FOR THE RIGHT WAR
W – Waiting on God
In prayer, we counter worry by continuing our trust and to wait on God for his ultimate deliverance. The challenges of the present and the uncertainties of the future is never really for us to worry about.
A – Attentiveness on God by first turning away from non-gods

Simone Weil said that “to believe in God is not a decision we can make. All we can do is to decide not to give our love to false gods.” While it is important to learn to focus on God, often, the first thing we must do is to turn away from false gods and idols. By worry, anxiety and regret, we are essentially concentrating on false gods. If we are not careful, our very own concerns can become a god in themselves.

R – Rest

Put to rest the history of regret and past disappointments. Such things do nothing positive for us. Every thought of ‘it should have been better’ must be quickly neutralized with ‘it could have been worse.’ Offer both thoughts to God and learn to rest in the arms of a loving Father who says to us:

“It’s ok. It’s alright. Come to me, you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Replace worry about the world with an attitude of waiting for God. Substitute any anxiety with an attentiveness toward God and the thoughts of God. By not dedicating our souls on idols and worldly affairs, we prepare our hearts for paying attention to the movement of God in our lives. Slaughter any thoughts of regret and let God redeem us through Resting in Him. Rise up, soldier of Christ and train yourself for the right war, by first getting out of the wrong one.

sabbathwalk

First Post.

This is the start of a new blog, comprising short weekly devotionals.


conrade