Is it that important to be right?
February 10, 2010
Somewhere along our lives, someone has told us that we’re wrong. At times, we may agree… More often than not, we don’t…
Why do people find it so important to be right?
What do you gain from being right?
When you are right, you feel justified, vindicated… But at what cost? As I reflect and think about friends that came and go… One thing everyone had in common, they were right. Perhaps they felt betrayed (maybe they were), and therefore had the right to leave a place or dump their friends. Again, my question, at what cost?
The opportunity cost of being right sometimes doesn’t add up (oh if dear economics can be applied to such a context). You can be right… At the cost of everything you’ve ever lived for.
Someone told you off.
Your loved one cheats on you.
The colleagues at work backstab you.
You have every right to be angry, to punch that person in the face, to leave your lover, to bring and gun to work - to tow every single of those monsters down. Yes?
We all know how such stories end. How many lives have been ruined because someone just had to be right? How many families have broken up because both parents felt the need to be right? So then, what’s your cost of being right?
We can be totally right, but absolutely wrong at the same time.
Yassy mentioned: “Your leaders always tell you the truth about yourself even though they have nothing to gain from it.”
Many times when I’m being discipled a spirit of self-righteousness rises up inside of me and starts to justify all that I’ve done. Over time, I’ve learnt to shut that voice up… Because being right then will only costs me my destiny, my sonship. If we feed that spirit, it will only grow into pride.
I take a look at our world, at how evil people can be… The monstrosities and treachery we come up with… If God decided to wipe us all out, burn us out in an apocolypse, I dare say, it’s the right thing to do. Yet, “for God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.
God doesn’t do what’s right, He does what matters to us. And I’m thankful that He’s been gracious to me.
I stand with my Pastors.
Racial/Religious Harmony in Singapore?
February 21, 2010
SO I’m sure every one has been following the press and online bashing of a certain pastor in Singapore now…
In the name of maintaining harmony, countless netizens and citizens alike have decided to verbally bash this pastor. Their comments don’t exactly promote harmony; They only serve to incite greater disharmony between the different religious groups. They say “he should go to hell”, “go and die”, and whatever vulgarities they feel justified to utilize.
Does anyone really care about religious/racial harmony? The Straits Times splashed the incident on their headlines. Their intention was probably, look here - our country is serious about this whole harmony thing… So all of you better be nice to one another. The result however was more like… That of a public caning. Since when has public canning been effective? Every one just wants to put the other party down, because all of the sudden, they are entitled to do so. Remember the poor boy in school who got looked down at by everyone because he was caned? Who the world remembered why he was punished?
The power of the press is that it holds and tunes public opinion. If you bash someone on the headlines, half the population is going to follow that opinion. If you’re promoting harmony, you don’t thrash someone on the headlines like a tabloid paper.
CNN, NYTIMES, both had one tweet on Tiger Wood’s apology… STCOM made it a point to have live coverage, tweeting his every sentence and sorry… We’re really into making people feel bad, huh? (Perhaps if we didn’t bash the opposition parties that much, people wouldn’t feel in-justified for them… Then they wouldn’t have that many supporters)
A few months ago, the same bashing of a reverend/monk who was accused of embezzling money. A Singaporean trait to complain and cuss instead of working things out, don’t you think?
Are we different from our ASEAN neighbours who decide to attack churches and mosques? The only thing stopping us is the lack of guts (and getting arrested by the police perhaps), or simply being too lazy to google “how to create a molotov cocktail”.
And with the ISD involved…
It totally stinks of:
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU.
Bad move, Straits Times. Bad move, big brother.
I just think… We could have handled it differently…
Maybe, we’re just not the country we hoped to be… (Yet?)
Maybe, I’m just too idealistic.
The only people I know who handle public apologies and correcting, are my Pastors and Leaders… They put heart and thought into it. They don’t rush to make the headlines to teach a lesson.
Every organisation and people have weakness, and when you’re not family, you just won’t get it…
Sometimes it’s good to listen to your heart, and not your head.
Because while your head isn’t always right, God gave everyone a conscience.
Psalm 118
Praise to God for His Everlasting Mercy
1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Let Israel now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the LORD now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
5 I called on the LORD in distress;
The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.
6 The LORD is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
7 The LORD is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.
8 It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me,
But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
11 They surrounded me,
Yes, they surrounded me;
But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
12 They surrounded me like bees;
They were quenched like a fire of thorns;
For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
13 You pushed me violently, that I might fall,
But the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.[a]
15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation
Is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
17 I shall not die, but live,
And declare the works of the LORD.
18 The LORD has chastened me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will go through them,
And I will praise the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD,
Through which the righteous shall enter.
21 I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This was the LORD’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save now, I pray, O LORD;
O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
27 God is the LORD,
And He has given us light;
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise You;
You are my God, I will exalt You.
29 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
You staged a war, but we will rise against you… devil, you’re going down.
hello
we fight, and we have fun while doing it.
fighting for the lost, and what belongs to us.
When there’s nothing left to feel good about yourself…
December 22, 2009
Sometimes when I feel low, I feel like spending time by myself. I tell myself I need time to sort it out… I need time to seek God and find the answer.
But for most of the time I always find God pushing me in times like these to love others even more. It’s when I love others that I keep my mind of myself.
What you focus on grows. If you focus on your problems, your problems will grow.
If you make the dreams of others come true, yours will come true too.
Christmas. Others. Lives.
ninjas in the SAF?
December 19, 2009
Let’s face it, everyone has encountered a NSF ninja at least once in their lifetime. Even if you haven’t, you would have heard the term “ninja” many times. However is it really fair to call everyone a ninja? How much ninja-ing do you really have to do before becoming a ninja? Just for fun, we created a ninja grading system for some of our friends. Have a good laugh, because certain friends will come to mind when you read this.
Level 0 you are not a ninja, you are charged up about army and don’t even mind falling out late/doing OT. You don’t take MCs or report sick in camp (in an attempt to get att C).
Level 1 - 15 you occasionally disappear in camp to the toilet/smoking corner. Sometimes people can’t find you.
Level 16-30 you have escaped out of camp at least once before (for lunch, or whatever). People often wonder where you are. You have a secret hiding place/strategy.
Level 31-49 you start to realize what can and cannot be done in your camp. Your mentality is to go to camp to catch up on sleep. You probably have a second hiding place by now, and another strategy to avoid being found. You have status and excuse (something) to cover the times when you are found/strategy does not work.
Level 50-70 you often fall out early, take an MC every 1-3 weeks. You have many secret hiding places/strategy. When you’re gone no one can find you. You can sleep in various uncomfortable positions and locations.
Level 71-89 you take MC every week or so. The people at the polyclinic recognize you more than the aunties and uncles who frequent there. You determine your fall out time. You are often greeted by “chao keng!” or “(insert expletive of choice here), where did you go yesterday?” instead of “hello”.
Level 90-98 your default parade state is on MC/off. Everywhere is a hiding place and you always have a strategy to siam everything. Even when you’re around, people do not know. You shout “ORD LO!” even though it is obviously not your ORD day.
Level 99 nobody knows you. All the new nsfs wonder who you are. You are not around, you do not exist, you are but a name on the nominal role… If you’re even on the nominal role.
Level 100 A.W.O.L. The MP are hot on your heels!
Note: For the record, ninja-ing is not right. If you get caught attempting to level up, you will be punished (or maybe even charged). You are implored to remain at level 0. If you discover you are already a high-level ninja, you are still encouraged to return to level 0.
I’m afraid to change.
November 17, 2009
I have never seen anyone make a decision to follow God out of fear. Rather, I’ve only seen people who decide NOT to because of fear.
“I’ve got no time…”
“Is God real…?”
“Even if He is real… Can He really help me?”
“What will my family and friends think?”
“I’m scared of church, just who are these people?”
“I don’t know anyone there…”
“I’m quite pleased with my life now…”
Deep down inside it’s because everyone has the same fear:
I’m afraid to change.
So many subliminal fears exist under the surface of our lives. Inside of our hearts everyone of us has an insecurity, a weakness. I know I do. It stops us from knowing God, or even knowing God better.
Yet in my heart the Truth remains… Every friend I know that took the step out of his comfort circle to know God experienced something…
How they experienced God didn’t matter… Years, months, days, even hours maybe! They could have came in happy, sad, or skeptical. At one point or another they might have entertained the thought of God. And whether they cried out quietly in their hearts, or in tears, or in their minds - I know they felt better after that.
Some of them never return or find the time to come back again.
There’s school.
There’s family.
There’s friends.
There’s fun.
There’s a million reasons why people don’t want to know God.
But, every one only needs ONE reason to come to God. It’s when you realize only God can hold your biggest fear in His hands and assure you that you’re going to be alright…
Money?
Love?
Studies?
Family?
Death?
What’s holding your heart tonight?
Psalm 91:4
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
All of us need a shelter to feel safe.
Why be ensnared by your past and what has been?
Instead, look into the future, ask God what He has seen…
Let not earthly pleasure take you hold,
It is nothing but fading gold…
Live now your life for our Heavenly King,
He’s the reason that causes us to sing.
It was one of those dreams… I actually woke up with a smile.
“that when I waked/I cried to dream again.” - Caliban
But I believe, life is sweeter than dreams. Life with God, is still bigger than your biggest dream!
