By Snr Ps Beh Soo Yeong
Let me share some reflections on this year’s theme. At the start of the year, I wrote (link) about the same theme and invited us to step out of our comfort zone to fulfil God’s destiny for our lives. God has called each one of us in whatever arena of work and station in life for his purpose. Do you know his purpose, and are you fulfilling it? Has God called you into any faith-stretching exercise or growth venture this year, or are you still in the thick of such a venture?
One wise person once said, “It is not the experience that matters, but rather, the reflected experiences that count.” This weekend I want to encourage us to review and reflect on the many lessons and experiences we have gleaned in 2024, so that we will finish the year well and gain a heart of wisdom. Afterall, we only have about six weeks till the end of the year.
Personally, I had the opportunity to take a six-month Sabbatical leave this year. While it certainly was a great blessing and restful time, it was also in some ways, faith testing. Will the church be alright when I am away? Will there be any emergencies? Will the staff team be able to cope? Will I be able to complete what I have committed to do in the sabbatical while still getting the much-needed rest and refreshment?
I am encouraged that many in the staff team and Council have stepped up, led and served beyond their usual capacity and abilities. I thank God that he has preserved the church through this time, and indeed, no one is indispensable. In this time, I have also been led to consider God’s destiny for me in the next lap of life and ministry, to think and prepare for any future leadership transitions.
One of the focus areas of our church’s Vision 2028 is to work on the church’s leadership transitions and development. The sabbatical afforded me the time and space to consider my own journey and my own transition going forward. Honestly, it was a spiritually humbling and at times, emotionally hard process, to be preparing for my own eventual exit. It is one thing to be mentally prepared, but quite another to be emotionally ready. In case you are wondering, I am not exiting as yet, but I am convinced that I and the church must be prepared and ready for such an eventuality, whenever it might be. If nothing else, this period of preparation has caused me to be very focused on finishing well, be it in the next two or five or ten years, and to prepare the rest of the leadership for this reality.
What about you? What has the Spirit been saying to you this year? Are you shifting gear in any ways, transitioning from school to work, from work to retirement? What are the changes that Jesus is bringing into your life? Or is God telling you instead, that your work is not done, and calling you to hunker in despite this deep desire for change? Whatever’s God’s destiny and purpose for you, are you persisting in it and persevering with God in the process?
At the same time, may I caution us to be discerning, so that we do not mistake our self-directed desires, agendas and purpose as God’s destiny for us. From time to time, it is important to rest and align ourselves to our True North, to ask ourselves:
Who am I truly serving, here and now?
Can I walk away from this, if God tells me so?
Does this make me more like Jesus, the King of my life?
How will I further God’s kingdom purpose in this?
Well, these are just some alignment questions we can ask ourselves. We will be delving more into the last 2 questions in our next year’s study of Matthew. But for now, let’s do some soul-searching? As we draw near to the close of the year, may you take the time to pause and reflect? Find the space to examine the movements of your heart, soul and mind throughout this year. Take a vacation, enjoy the world and people that God has blessed us with, but also take a retreat to be still before the Lord. Let your fatigued body rest, your overdriven mind pause, and your malnourished soul catch up. Fast from your devices, stop the treadmill and let Jesus refresh you and renew your first love for him. May we put to good use the next six weeks that we have in the remaining of the year to draw near to our Master and find the rest of our lives.
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