Unashamed Love
My dear friends, let me ask you a question… are you ashamed of Jesus. You know its funny how we are so afraid to proclaim our love for God to others unless we are together with our fellow Christians.
It is for this aspect that I admire the Christians. True, sometimes they preach and they evangelise so much that it is a turn off and it becomes stale – to the extend that you are wondering whether they really want you to know about God, or simply to get you to join their denomination. But the admirable quality is that they are not afraid to do it, and they do not give up.
I am ashamed at myself sometimes. In the taxi, when I’m late for work, and I want to say my morning prayers, I would check to see if the driver is looking before making the sign of the cross. Or even at meal times. I very much want to tell my non Christian friends or ‘non-believers’ as what the Christians call it that sometimes the reason why I’m so happy in the office and sometimes or grin to myself or why certain things happen is because of God. But I often refrain myself coz I don’t think they would understand, or I would be labelled as being ‘holy’ or that they would scorn me and their impression of me would change.
Like the other day I was telling my good friend who came back from Aussie that I wanted to do social work. She was shocked truly shocked and all I could say was that I came to that conclusion after some serious evaluation. I couldn’t and wouldn’t tell her that it was actually my calling from God. Especially after she was shocked and said it was so unlike me. Even to my fellow Catholics. I refrain from telling them that it was God himself who told me that it was my calling. Why I ask myself. I am afraid that they won’t believe that God would talk to me? But when I look back it seems that I am doubting that God talked to me himself – for the very reason that I am holding it back. :(
This week I decided to tell my colleagues that I would be going on a mission trip to Tanjung Pinang. My close friends in the office know about it anyway. But I wanted to ask for donations for the homes there. Haha, on one hand, it was so easy telling some about the trip but difficult in collecting donations. On the other hand, it was so difficult telling others about the trip but kinda generous in donations. Oh well. I was telling myself its not for me anyway.
But the more I think of it, the more it made me think about evangelising in general and I am so disappointed with myself and I question myself why is there a need to hold back this joy and this love that the Lord gives. Why are you ashamed to proclaim it. Why are you ashamed of giving thanks to your God for food. Why are you ashamed in giving thanks to God for the things He has done for you even amongst your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ sometimes. Something to think about and change.
If I could choose between the world and God, I would choose God. But you have to live in the world and put God right on top. Nobody said it would be easy. If it was, we wouldn’t be here already.
It is for this aspect that I admire the Christians. True, sometimes they preach and they evangelise so much that it is a turn off and it becomes stale – to the extend that you are wondering whether they really want you to know about God, or simply to get you to join their denomination. But the admirable quality is that they are not afraid to do it, and they do not give up.
I am ashamed at myself sometimes. In the taxi, when I’m late for work, and I want to say my morning prayers, I would check to see if the driver is looking before making the sign of the cross. Or even at meal times. I very much want to tell my non Christian friends or ‘non-believers’ as what the Christians call it that sometimes the reason why I’m so happy in the office and sometimes or grin to myself or why certain things happen is because of God. But I often refrain myself coz I don’t think they would understand, or I would be labelled as being ‘holy’ or that they would scorn me and their impression of me would change.
Like the other day I was telling my good friend who came back from Aussie that I wanted to do social work. She was shocked truly shocked and all I could say was that I came to that conclusion after some serious evaluation. I couldn’t and wouldn’t tell her that it was actually my calling from God. Especially after she was shocked and said it was so unlike me. Even to my fellow Catholics. I refrain from telling them that it was God himself who told me that it was my calling. Why I ask myself. I am afraid that they won’t believe that God would talk to me? But when I look back it seems that I am doubting that God talked to me himself – for the very reason that I am holding it back. :(
This week I decided to tell my colleagues that I would be going on a mission trip to Tanjung Pinang. My close friends in the office know about it anyway. But I wanted to ask for donations for the homes there. Haha, on one hand, it was so easy telling some about the trip but difficult in collecting donations. On the other hand, it was so difficult telling others about the trip but kinda generous in donations. Oh well. I was telling myself its not for me anyway.
But the more I think of it, the more it made me think about evangelising in general and I am so disappointed with myself and I question myself why is there a need to hold back this joy and this love that the Lord gives. Why are you ashamed to proclaim it. Why are you ashamed of giving thanks to your God for food. Why are you ashamed in giving thanks to God for the things He has done for you even amongst your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ sometimes. Something to think about and change.
If I could choose between the world and God, I would choose God. But you have to live in the world and put God right on top. Nobody said it would be easy. If it was, we wouldn’t be here already.
posted by Marie Therese @ 1:00 pm
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home