Have you ever feel drained before? Like, emotionally and mentally drained? Well, I often feel like that when I got tight schedule or busy with my life. I would sleep around 12 AM and woke up around 5.30. Then, I would take a quick bath, dress and eat my breakfast in the car on the way to the campus. I usually arrived home around 2 or 3 PM if there are no extracurricular activities. If there are, then I would be home at 5 or 6. I would do some house cleaning, have dinner and study until it was late night. Before sleeping, I would take a look at my phone to check my friends’ status on Instagram, Facebook or Line. If it’s weekend, then I would be busy teaching at school all day and then have music practice with my friends until night. This kind of life sometimes tires me. I felt like I was walking in circles and wanted to have an emotional breakdown, because I couldn’t take it anymore—especially when I am going through tough situations with all the pressure trying to take me down.
This is what I call ‘the fire’. It’s tribulations and the hardships of life, all stacking up into a huge, tall pile of ugly mess. If we don’t survive walking through it, we’ll be dead for good. Burnt to ashes. I know that everyone has their own struggle with life and that they’ve also experience the moment where they want to break down.
But what I want to say is that God allows these situations to happen. He can prove that he is for us each time something bad happens to us. Jesus wants us to know that he exists among the chaos of life. He sees what we’ve been through. He sees our tears, our laughs, our ups and downs. He’s testing us whether we remain faithful to him or not whenever we feel like knocked down by life.
Okay, back to the point.
Last night I opened my Bible. It has been weeks I haven’t read God’s word from the printed book. I usually followed the daily Bible plan I got on my phone. I am reading about how to have the heart of mission for our own city, but I was not something I currently need. I was drained like I’ve said before, and wondered what God wants to say to me. I know I need him. I was reminded by my mentor’s words that said our personal relationship with God is way more important than our discipleship ministry. Because when we are drained, we cannot let others drink from our life. So I asked God, what he wants from my life. And he answered my thoughts as I read from I Peter 1 (sorry for the long intro hahaha).
Here are the points I got last night:
1. God sees our genuine faith.
“that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes…” (I Peter 1:7)
Though we are going to hard, hard, hardships (tough moments bruhh), he sees our faith and endurance that are being tested by the fire. He values our faith more than gold, than the richess the world can offer. He himself knows that keeping the faith in Him is not easy, especially when we cannot see what we believe. But once we keep our faith, the end point is salvation and eternal life.
“Though you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory…receiving the end of your faith—salvation of your souls.” (I Peter 1:8)
“The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)
2. Remember that we are bought with a price.
“…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without spot.” (I Peter 1:18-19)
“You are not your own, you are bought with a price.” (I Corinthians 6:19b-20a)
God wants us to remember that we are redeemed and free when we receive His salvation. Our life matters to Him, and we cannot forget this fact when we are going through the fire. Whenever we feel like giving up, remember who we are. Remember that our life is precious in God’s eyesand cannot be wasted just like that.
3. Our life and faith is to honor God.
“…it is tested by fire… to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (I Peter 1:7)
God wants us to praise, honor and glorify him with our life. While we are walking through the fire with God, give everything we have to himincluding leaving our worldly lusts behind.
“Not conforming yourselves to the former lusts… but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'be holy, for I am holy.'” (I Peter 1:14-16)
It means that we are responsible with our actions while fulfilling his purpose. This sounds so hard right? But the good thing is that Jesus wants to know that he will help us going through this process with his grace until the end of time.
“Rest your hope fully upon the grace…” (I Peter 1:13) “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
After going through the points I’ve written down, I was amazed. Wow. God really answers my thoughts and knows my needs. The verses popped out just like that when I was reading it, like Jesus was talking to me himself. He knows exactly what I’m going through, all my struggles I’m currently experiencing.
I can conclude that without our personal relationship with God, we will not survive walking through the fire. The world will destroy who we are little by little, and carries us away unconsciously. It’s okay to have a mental breakdown to relief the pressure, but we gotta remember that God is for us and he values our life. It is a journey of faith that we’re going through. What matters is that we put God as our number one source of strength and protection. Put your hope in Christ and keep your faith strong.
Comments