Friday, December 28, 2012

Hard to Believe

Here's something I've just read that I find hard to believe.

This time, I read it and re-read it.

"Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?"
Job 38:41

God provides food for the birds.

God is the ultimate Provider, the true Provider.

Here's also what Jesus said.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Matthew 6:26

God provides food for birds of the air.

God says we, humans, are much more valuable than birds.

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Matthew 6:27

God says, "Why worry? Not a single hour is added to your life by worrying."

Conclusion, "Stop worrying, because you're loved. Dearly loved by God.

God cares about you. God loves you."

I take comfort in that truth.

God wants us to take comfort in the truth that He loves us and cares about us.

Thank you, God.

Thank you, Jesus.
 

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Where were you when I laid the earth's foundations?

Job 38:4

Job suffered greatly.

Job was suffering so badly that he wanted to die.

He even wondered why he didn't die in his mother's womb.

He despised the day of his birth.

Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me. (Job 10:18)

This is a similar lament to that of Jeremiah whose suffering also resulted in this cry of despair that he didn't die in his mother's womb.

Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! (Jeremiah 20:14)

For he did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave, her womb enlarged forever. (Jeremiah 20:17)

In all this, God's answer is this.

Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. (Job 38:4)

The answer to this question is Job wasn't there when God laid the foundation of the earth.

Job doesn't understand how God laid the earth's foundation.

Job is not as wise as God

Job is not as loving as God

Job doesn't understand how God created everything that has been created.

God perfectly understands how He created everything that has been created.

Job doesn't understand everything.

God understands everything.

Job doesn't understand why he's suffering so badly that he wants to die, and even wishes that he was never born.

God understands exactly, and yea perfectly, why Job is suffering.

God brought suffering to Job.

Job doesn't understand why God did it.

But God understands exactly why He brought suffering to Job.

Job suffered.

God knows Job suffered.

There's a reason and purpose for it.

Job didn't know how much of an impact his suffering would bring about in the millenia to come.

How many millions of people around the world would find great comfort and reassurance from knowing that they're not alone in all this.

That God is present and that God knows all our suffering and that God Himself suffered.

Jesus suffered.

He died on the cross.

He suffered greatly.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 2:24

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Why Does That Unpleasant Experience Keep Happening In My Life?

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,
but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
Proverbs 22:3

This is a simple proverb and yet give us a very powerful principle.

When you see danger, take refuge (or take actions to avoid it).

If you keep going and suffer for it, you'd be a simple (or foolish) person.

Is there something unpleasant in your life that keeps recurring?

Why does it keep recurring in your life?

Have you thought about the causes of your suffering?

Could it be you that is the cause of your own suffering?

What steps have you taken to remove that danger (or obstacle, barrier) to prevent that suffering?

Whether it be money problems, relationship problems, work-related problems, or any other sort of problems, in most cases, there are solutions to these problems.

There are already many books, blogs, and other helpful resources on the problems mentioned above available on the internet.

It's only a few clicks away, or a few searches on Amazon or just a few minutes of googling to find solutions to problems we already have.

Let's get started. Rather than keep going and suffer for it, let us recognise danger and take refuge.

And I'm talking to myself here as well, otherwise I'd be a complete hypocrite.

Friday, December 14, 2012

The Principle Of 80% To Prevent Unnecessary Stress

This is a principle I found quite helpful when applied to any type of task or goal you're trying to achieve.

It has helped me to reduce my perfectionism.

Principle: Try and aim for completing only 80% of your imagined initial task / aim / goal.

For example,

  • If you plan to study for a solid 30 minutes, try and study for only 80% of that time i.e. 24 minutes.

  • If you plan to run for 30 minutes, try and run for only 80% of that time i.e. 24 minutes.

  • If you plan to read 10 pages of a certain book, try and read only 8 pages (80%).

  • If you plan to write a blog post, try and write only 80% of the content you initially aimed for.

Deliberately lowering the bar of expectation greatly reduces the stress because it's a lot easier to achieve only 80% of the task / aim / goal imagined.

Otherwise, you'd feel uneasy (especially if you're a perfectionist) because you feel the task hasn't been completed or completed to your satisfaction.

For example, the principle also applies to the quality of the works you produced. Deliberately aim for 80% of the imagined quality of your work.

So after you produce a work / works, you feel satisfied rather than feel uneasy and unsatisfied and increase your stress levels.

I feel that the quality of this blog post is about 80% of what I imagined. So I am quite satisfied. :-)


P.S.
This principle also helps with procrastination as well.

One of the reasons why people procrastinate is because they think that unless they're well prepared and ready or feel just right to begin a task, they won't even start the task they want accomplished.

If you feel only 80% motivated, and think you could only accomplish 80% of the task if you started, you're in the right state to begin the task.

More often than not, actually you accomplish more than you imagined you could because the momentum builds up once you start the task.

Principle: Try and aim for completing only 80% of your imagined initial task / aim / goal.

Eat honey, my son, for it is good

Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.

Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul;
if you find it, there is a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 24:13, 14

It's easy to eat honey because it is sweet to my taste.

But our souls have taste buds as well. And our souls crave wisdom.

This verse says that if we find wisdom, there is a future hope for us.

And our hope will not be cut off.

So I seek wisdom.

My future is directly related to the wisdom I have.

Wisdom = Honey

May I eat wisdom every day. Preferably, 3 times a day for my soul.

Then, there is definitely a future hope for me.

And it will not be cut off.

Yeah!

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