John 2:5 "Do whatever He tells you!" - Obey and Witness
(2013 CFC Theme/CLP Theme)
OBEY
What does it mean to obey?
Obedience is two-fold: the first step is to COMPLY to a command. When I was first asked to lead the next SFC SoCal West CLP, my instant reaction was joy. Joy?! The Christian Life Program is a BIG deal and a lot of responsibility. This is precisely why I felt elated and honored at being chosen to be responsible for something so important. The CLP is a great opportunity to obey...the second step of obedience, which is to CARRY OUT a command. In this case, the CLP is carrying out God's very own command to evangelize and bring people back to Him.
WITNESS
Being a part of this community since 2008, I have grown to love the Christian Life Program through serving in any capacity. Just being there every session, welcoming participants, listening to the talks, distributing food,, being a prayer warrior...by simply being present, there was great joy in being a part of accomplishing God's work. Now, having led an entire CLP, I realize that obedience and witnessing to God is not measured by how big and daunting a command is, but how big our response is in carrying out His command. In other words, it is the condition of our hearts that matter when we serve. Choosing to serve is the first step...being faithful to the command and remembering who we serve is the greater challenge. Balancing life, work, SFC and other activities is really a juggling act, as well as dealing with different personalities, oppression, and the curveballs that get thrown our way constantly. It truly takes making a conscious effort to find God amidst all the chaos and find our center in Him, and remind ourselves why we are serving and whose work we are doing.
What does it mean to obey?
Obedience is two-fold: the first step is to COMPLY to a command. When I was first asked to lead the next SFC SoCal West CLP, my instant reaction was joy. Joy?! The Christian Life Program is a BIG deal and a lot of responsibility. This is precisely why I felt elated and honored at being chosen to be responsible for something so important. The CLP is a great opportunity to obey...the second step of obedience, which is to CARRY OUT a command. In this case, the CLP is carrying out God's very own command to evangelize and bring people back to Him.
WITNESS
Being a part of this community since 2008, I have grown to love the Christian Life Program through serving in any capacity. Just being there every session, welcoming participants, listening to the talks, distributing food,, being a prayer warrior...by simply being present, there was great joy in being a part of accomplishing God's work. Now, having led an entire CLP, I realize that obedience and witnessing to God is not measured by how big and daunting a command is, but how big our response is in carrying out His command. In other words, it is the condition of our hearts that matter when we serve. Choosing to serve is the first step...being faithful to the command and remembering who we serve is the greater challenge. Balancing life, work, SFC and other activities is really a juggling act, as well as dealing with different personalities, oppression, and the curveballs that get thrown our way constantly. It truly takes making a conscious effort to find God amidst all the chaos and find our center in Him, and remind ourselves why we are serving and whose work we are doing.
I love to read, and this particular phrase has stuck in my mind and become my mantra during this CLP: "We are God's hands and feet." From the words of St. Teresa of Avila:
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are His body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which He looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
We are God's hands and feet on earth.
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are His body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which He looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
We are God's hands and feet on earth.
Praise God for giving us opportunities every single moment and through this CLP to be His hands and feet and bringing Him to others! It has been a very rewarding 10-week journey with its share of challenges and victories. The CLP has been a great reminder of the fruits of Obedience and Trust in the Lord. Indeed when we OBEY and WITNESS, not only do we accomplish God's work, but are blessed abundantly and experience little miracles in the process. The story of the Wedding at Cana depicts this truth, like how he allow Jesus Christ performed his first miracle to help the couple on a hardly life or death situation, the Lord will also work wonders in our daily life situations. Probably even in the small and seemingly insignificant aspects of our life. I have personally witnessed changes in my own life here in there and have become more fully aware of how God works in our lives. I am humbled seeing the transformations and growth with the participants and even the members of the service team. I am very grateful for the service team and our SFC community not only for the support, but being a powerful witness and testament to God's work through your service.
However the dice rolls or whatever cards we're dealt with, let us continue to set our eyes on the prize and stay committed to our journey to holiness through obeying and witnessing to Christ. Our obedience to the Lord will allow us to be a witness and testify to God’s great love and power; I now move forward with greater faith and trust in the Lord. May the Lord continue to use me for His greater glory.
sharing by mao
However the dice rolls or whatever cards we're dealt with, let us continue to set our eyes on the prize and stay committed to our journey to holiness through obeying and witnessing to Christ. Our obedience to the Lord will allow us to be a witness and testify to God’s great love and power; I now move forward with greater faith and trust in the Lord. May the Lord continue to use me for His greater glory.
sharing by mao