Think Hard, Stay Humble: The Life of the Mind and the Peril of Pride

Think Hard, Stay Humble: The Life of the Mind and the Peril of Pride

I just listened to this preach today. This is really powerful message. It is about an hour preach but I highly recommend you to listen to this and then read my thought. I would like to hear what your thought and what you are challenged about.

So this is my thought and prayer.

 First, I was challenged to think how hard I think about people. I thought about people who knows Christ, my brothers&sisters in Christ, people who does not know Christ, my family, my friends & strangers.

 Last night I had a long conversation with my oldest sister & my third older sister(She was with me) on skype. We ended up with talking about our mother and how much we got hurt by her. As we kept talking and sharing our hearts, I could see they are still suffering and hurting by what our mother has done or said to them. Well, I have been knowing their sufferings and pain for a long time. I was listening to them very carefully and asking God to allow me to share my story. I shared with them how much I got hurt and how I suffered because of mother. As they did not know the whole story of my life, they got shocked. But the point was not really how much I got hurt or suffered. I wanted to tell them how I was able to be free from the burden that I had been carrying for a long time, because I do want them to be free from their burdens. They told me that it will never change. I know the pain. I told them that since I came to Christ, I started leaning about the true love and forgiveness. Knowing that there is God who loves me so much and knows everything about me changed my life. I could not forgive right away but I did and also Jesus allowed me to see my sins and to ask my mom to forgive me. My oldest sister asked me if the pain I got from mother still affects my relationship with others. I told her that it does but that's why everyday I am able to thank Jesus for loving me and for existing in my life. We also talked about how we can show our love and how much we care for.

 So since I had this conversation with my sisters, while I was listening to this preach, I thought about my family and asked myself how hard I really think about my family. I do love them. I care for them. I pray for them. But question is how harder can I think about them? Then I asked myself how about my brothers & sisters in Christ? My friends who does not know Christ? Strangers??

 Second, I was challenged to think how I am doing with building up other people.

To be honest, while I was listening to what Francis Chan(Preacher) is talking about some Christians who hurts other brothers&sisters according to 1 Corinthians 8:12-13,

"When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall" I was thinking about someone who is hurting me and I was praying that the person would know this. Soon enough, I had to ask myself. How about me? How have I been doing with building up other people? Am I loving them? Am I encouraging them? I wish I could say I am doing well but I am not.  I need to think hard about this. 

I really liked what Francis Chan shared.

"Knowledge is essential, but it's not sufficient" 
"Humility is about thinking about others and considering others more important than ourselves"

1 Corinthians 13:2
"If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing"

Hebrews 13:2
"Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" 

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the opportunity to share my story with my sisters.Thank you for your word.

Thank you for knowing what I need to hear.

Thank you for challenging my faith & love.

Lord,

Please continue to allow me to share your word and love with my family.

Please help me to think hard and to stay humble.

Please help me to love others in the same way you love.

Please help me to build up others.

Please help me to imitate Jesus each day.

In your precious name I pray,
Amen.

Time in Tokyo

 I have been staying in Tokyo to visit my sister for about one week.  This area where I am staying (the name of city is Takadanobaba) are called "Student Street". It because there are many universities & colleges which means there are many students. Also there are many business people & foreigners.  Anywhere you go, you just see people, people, people.  As I am not a "City person", I felt overwhelmed soon enough.  I could put myself the place to not be along these people. Yet I thought I want to try to see these people from God's sight and to find where I can see God.  It sounds funny but I feel I am in some other country where I don't belong with.  

 Yesterday I went to another cities in Tokyo to see my friends.  It was Sunday so I expected to see more people whenever I go.  First friend I saw was the Japanese lady I met in Misawa.  She worked in Misawa for one year and came back to Tokyo six weeks ago.  She had a hard time to live in Misawa where is countryside.  Yesterday she looked like more cheerful than when she was in Misawa.  As we started talking, however, I saw the emptiness.  After we had some lunch and coffee, we were walking around.  What my impression was?  "TOO BUSY!" "TOO MUCH!" TOO NOISY!" My friend said to me, "Tokyo is the place for me. I feel secure. I can get whatever I want and I can do whatever I want."  

 When I was on the train that takes me to the next train(I was by myself), I was watching people inside & outside train.  These people are too busy to get whatever they want so they cannot see what they really need.  There are too much things in this city so people cannot feel or know they need to know God.  It is too noisy in this city so they cannot hear God.  I prayed.  I was remembering about the trip to the disaster area from last weekend.  Is there any difference between the disaster areas and Tokyo or any other cities regarding a need of salvations?  I saw the difference in myself.  When I go to the disaster areas, I can be more bold to share the gospel & the love of Christ.  I think it because I can see clearly their sufferings, their pain, their lost.....  I know for sure people here in Tokyo has also some sufferings, pain, lost, emptiness. 

  Before I saw my another friend for dinner, I was able to go to New Hope(The international church) and attend to the service.  There were many Japanese people to meet Jesus, to praise Him and worship Him together.  I was encouraged by being able to worship with them.  Yes, God is working here in Tokyo and everywhere in Japan!  Also I was very encouraged and challenged by the message.  "Are you listening to God and obeying God?"  Even for us, for Christian, as we live in this ungodly world, we tend to get too busy. We tend to put ourselves the place where is too noisy. We tend to have too many things.  Then we are not able to listen to God and obey Him.  

 "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands 

      I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth"   

                                                                                              Deuteronomy 28:1

 God also gave me another scripture through my friend who had dinner with me. 

"Examine yourselves to see where you are in the faith; test yourselves. 

      Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you? "        2Corinthians 13:5-6

 I truly believe that God has some reasons He brought me here in Tokyo for one week.  Even I am in the city where is too noisy, I have been able to listen to God. 

 Praise the Lord! 

Dear Lord,

Thank you for knowing Japanese people.  

Thank you for loving them deeply.

Thank you for all works you have been doing here in Japan. 

Lord,

I pray that one day these people realize that they need to be saved and come to know you. 

I pray for Japanese politicians.  

Please help us, as Christian, to examine ourselves all the time to see where we are in the faith.

Please help us to see the need in this ungodly world each day.

Please give us more boldness to share the gospel & the Love of Christ. 

In your holy name I pray, 

Amen.

 

  

    

Pain

Am I foolish? Am I crazy?? Am I too emotional???  Or am I normal?
I don't know what I think & how I feel.  What I know? What I feel?
My heart is hurting.  I feel pain.  I don't know what to do. I can pretend I am ok.
But this pain does not go away.  I cry out to the Lord.
"Lord, please take this pain away from me..."
I see Jesus on the cross.  How much more pain he had on the cross for me?
My tear comes down. How much Jesus loves me?
My heart gets broken by man but my heart gets heal by Jesus.

Lord,
Thank you for your love for me.
Thank you for knowing my pain.
Thank you for the cross.
Lord,
Please help me to remember your pain for me.
Please help me to let you heal my heart.
Please help me to not be tempted by Satan.

Psalm 119:28
"My soul is weary with sorrow;
 strengthen me according to your word"