Your Will, Its Your Will

Listen to this article

I thank God for a wonderful Sunday and for being able to see Him at work. Though waking up with a sore leg still, I nonetheless enjoyed my Sunday. Sunday service today was simply wonderful.

Firstly, we are coming to the end Old Testament Challenge, which saw the whole church delving into studying the Old Testament for the last 9 months. It had indeed been a long and challenging 9 months but I must agree that I have came out of the whole thing knowing God's character more; not only through preparing for cell but also experiencing Him week after week. Through the OTC, I had also grown spiritually by leaps and bounds, especially since I have to prepare cell and read through the reading for the week. It was as if God had everything planned that just as I stepped up to take cell leadership, I have come to learn more about Him more, experience Him more and love Him more as I was made, for the first time, to exercise discipline, do the readings and prepare for cell. But then, it is not so much the ritual of reading His word but then through His word, I have come to learn more about the character of God, come to appreciate Him and His love more and to know how real He is, as I become more God-aware in my life. But, today's service was a real nice round-up of the OTC and I thank God for the church and leadership being focused on the big picture and the message of the bible. Without this focus, I would not have grown so much spiritually thus far. I thank God for the wonderful summary how the whole bible, set in a historical context, is a summary of God's love and His salvation plan, of the summary of God's character and who we are. The testimonies shared also touched me, especially one testimony by a sister-in-christ who was ministered to by the OTC as she had to deal with a husband who was leaving her for another woman. I applaud her courage to bless us by sharing her testimony but also stand amazed at God's hand in it.

Secondly, I thank God for ministering to me through worship today. I had asked yesterday for the cup of cell leadership to be taken away from me, if possible. But I have forgotten that Jesus, even though he asked for the cup to be taken away from him, he did in the end say that he will do God's will. As I stood at service, singing "Oceans will part", I am once again taken back to the time I just returned from missions trip and having seen how real God has been. Upon reflection, I have indeed witnessed how God had been faithful and have guided me in leadership. And as I sang the song, I commit again to do His will.

Thirdly, I thank God for working through the pulpit, through our senior pastor. I was to meet a friend who will be bringing two other friends to service today. We were to attend the first service but in the end, I attended the first service with one of them and the second service with my friend and her other friend. Sitting through the two services, I could see how the services were slightly different but one thing is true, I saw God has worked through the service and may have ministered to my new friends; at least I do know it did minister to me. The first service was more on a reminder God's love for man and who we are but the second service focused more on return to Christ. It was as if I was going back to the day again when I first stepped into Riverlife and how God spoke to me through the pulpit. My friend's friend is a backslider, and having been a backslider myself, I have come to sense that somehow God has used the second service to speak to her about returning to Him. I thank God for using the service and for using my friend to reach out to this new friend by inviting her to our church. Despite going for two services, I was ministered to deeply and touched by both services. The ending song sang by the worship leader "Tell Me Again" by Michael Olson, was a wonderful reminder of God's love. The lyrics were meaningful. I also thank God for giving me the confidence to make a new friend and befriend her during lunch. I really do hope to see her walking with the Lord again.

Fourthly, I thank God for sending to me a friend to encourage me on MSN about cell leadership. Sometimes, I really wonder how God deals with a leader who is not only not confident but who keeps lamenting and wanting to step down. But, it was very clear how God had brought her to edify me as He had also used me to edify her. I thank God for the encouragement I received that:

• God has His purpose for putting me in cell leadership and that He will not give me anything beyond what I can bear
• few are born leaders that that it is a learning process
• a good leader is someone who seeks to improve him/herself
• I should be leading so people come to church not because of me but because of God
• I need to work with God and allow Him to use me
• I needn't be too critical and judgmental of myself, rather it is God who judges
• I need to be positive and encouraging to encourage others on
• God will never let me go and will never fail me
• what happens if all leaders were like me and want to step down
• how the devil can sometimes hinder us from doing great work for God by hindering us and allowing us to doubt ourselves.

I thank God for the reminder. I also remember a card that Stitch Giver has given me that reminds me it is not about me but about God.