20 & 21 Sep 2025 (Pastoral Page) THREE QUARTERS OF THE YEAR IS COMING TO PASS…..

by Dn Law Le Li

2025 has turned out to be a very unexpectedly busy year for me.

On the church front, there is a great sense of anticipation in my heart, waiting to see what God will unfold within and without the church walls as we look to renew and revive. Looking back at some of where He is leading us as a church, Council has been considering the Phase 4A expansion, the staff team launched the Discipleship Pathway, and we continue Outreach efforts in our neighbourhood and overseas. I give thanks for good company where we pray, work and learn on this journey.

On the home front, my 90 plus year-old parents are aging and showing me what it is like in the senior years.

On the work front, I have committed to an oversight role to pivot and progress a small business unit at a 25.5-hour work week. It is actually a bit of a crazy situation but I know I was led to take this up with a purpose beyond a paycheck.

This feels very much like a caretaker season in all sense of the word.

2025 started in a frenzy with new challenges and changes on all fronts. Looking back, my heart is filled with thanksgiving for the hoops and hurdles God has jumped through with me.

At the beginning of the year, I was excited as the church dived into the gospel of Matthew. One of my favourite verses is Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” I have held this verse very close to my heart. And as I take stock at this three-quarter mark in 2025, I cannot but be amazed at how our heavenly Father truly knows our needs and we are not to worry……. He will provide. His provision more than covers our physiological needs, our joys, our pains, our wellbeing.

I have a regular facial lady whom I see at least once every 2 months for a couple of years now. It is at least a 90-minute time where we talk about everything under the sun, including the care of our elderly parents. In a session earlier this month, she remarked on the patience and considerations I have towards my parents, saying it is such a tough call. I paused for a second and said that I believe my faith gives me the strength and grace to do it with humour (we have laughs over funny stories from home) and tenacity. Without hesitation, she says she believes that to be so. That acknowledgement was truly encouragement for me, coming from a pre-believer.

In the marketplace, I pray to navigate with wisdom and fairness, looking to create a safe environment for my colleagues to thrive and grow. Who knows what tomorrow brings? The business environment is extremely uncertain right now, but in that, we acknowledge God’s sovereignty over our tomorrows.

In my bible reading, Proverbs 27:1 jumped out at me as it opens the chapter with themes of honour, reputation, and humility. Diving in, the co-relation between verses 1 and 2 actually goes like this:

27: 1 warns against arrogance about the future. Boasting about tomorrow reflects the same self-exalting spirit as boasting about oneself.

• Don’t boast about your future, acknowledge God’s sovereignty over our tomorrows.

• Don’t boast about yourself; let others honour you (v.2).

Together they make a complete warning against self-centred boasting.

Self-centredness, as an individual or community, is the master distractor from seeking God first. It exists in good times and bad, taking away the thankfulness and waylay grand visions.

Proverbs 27:1 warns us against pride about tomorrow, while Matthew 6:33 invites us to replace that pride with trust — by seeking God’s kingdom first today. Together, they show that true wisdom is not in boasting about the future but in living faithfully in the present, under God’s rule, and trusting Him with what’s ahead.

Last but not least, as a church when we seek our tomorrow, be it in something as big as Phase 4A or down to the smallest ministry, I pray that we continue to lay faithfulness as groundwork and seek God first in all we do. I pray that the West Coast community we are in will give honour to our God because of who we are.