Exams?

Being a mass comm graduate myself, it does help me to realize how the media plays such a huge way of affecting the way we understand things. It's not an immediate effect, it's something that slowly drums into your mind - the moment you wake up from your bed, advertisements ARE everywhere around you. Try observing and see, you'll know what I mean!

The ways of the world tells not only you but the people around you that becoming rich and successful, appearing famous and good looking is a NEED and not a "bonus" anymore. And one assured way to get there would be to score flying colours in your exams.. and then life will be pretty smooth-sailing from there!

So what happens next naturally?

"EXAMS IS HERE!"

Now the very natural response to that would be, "I'll hide at home and study until I drop dead." Even I myself was a victim to that mentality - frankly speaking!

But the real problem is, life isn't going to come in a period where it tells you "Exams are coming, start studying!" It comes in times where you least expect it and the bigger question would be - "How have you been preparing for times like these?"

We think that by doing fantastically well in our exams when we hid in our rooms to study hard.. when our parents nod their heads in approval.. we think that we're on our way there to be that successful looking guy or girl on that billboard at the huge highway. But the stark reality actually speaks otherwise.

The point here is this - a genuine exam results is not based on last minute cramming and memorization of academic notes. It's merely a test done to see how your previous ways of studying methods has been proven to be effective.. or not. Like how Gary always tell me, "It just indicates something."

If there's ever a time that exams "excuses" us to give the Lord the worship due to His honour and name, to serve others during their time of need or even encouraging others by being at Youth for instance - that too, strongly indicates something. Let's be honest with ourselves, can a total of 10 hours at most out of your 100 waking hours throughout the week really affect your results during examination period?

No doubt we ought to start shifting/sacrificing certain amount of hours to dedicate more focus on studying just as a certain crisis in life would naturally demand more of our time and attention to it at that period but it should never ever replace God's position in our hearts! The sooner you start preparing yourselves to manage your priorities and time in the perspective of how God would want you to do it - the sooner your foundation is set on the right track.

In a certain sense, it's an exam to our faith as the verse goes in 1 Peter 1: 6b -7:-

.. though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Do you compromise your worship for God during times of examinations?

Because once you let that sinful mentality fester into your relationship with God, it's only a matter of time where it grows bigger and eventually, you just put God in a small little box. Everything else would be widely displayed to grab your attention - Scholarships to overseas, job offers, salary raise, travel bonuses and a whole long list "awesome" deals that the world tells you - "You're living the ideal life!" It's worth sacrificing everything else (obviously including your love and worship for God) to achieve it!

"How then? You want me to fail my exams ah? My parents will first kill you, then kill me!"

Well, I'd say, pray and ask God - "How would you want me to obey you as your child, a child to my own family, a youth, a friend to my friends and a student in this school?" Because once you set God as your foundation, even though refined through the hot burning furnace, your faith would prove to be genuine and real, even at times of crisis.

- daryl 's u n d a e' heng

Images taken from:
http://www.gtburlington.org/media.php?we=we&med=s
http://www.braintrack.com/college-and-work-news/articles/colleges-ease-stress-of-final-exams-10121301
http://www.marieclaire.com/career-money/advice/are-you-underpaid

Peer Pressure

Situations:
Your friends ask you out for mamak / movie / window-shopping while you are not prepared for the major exam tomorrow.

Your friends have the latest gadgets in town and you don’t.

Your classmates were all attending prom night and yanking about it but only you have not registered for it.

The list can go on & on…

Sounds familiar?

If you have faced or facing such situation(s), how have you responded?
Will you give in to the temptation or say “no” as it does not please the Lord? The Bible says:

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bond servant of Christ. (Galatians 1: 10, New King James Version)

Without exception, I too experience many peer pressures but by the Grace of
God, I managed to overcome most of them. However, as now I am at a low point of my
spiritual life, I found that I am trapped by one of the incident which previously, does not affect me.

In a recent gathering at my best friend’s daughter birthday party, I was being asked to share a gift for my best friend while I have already prepared some gifts for her baby girl. Seeing everyone was chipping in, my heart was also puzzled whether or not to share with them. Under pressure, I agreed to pay and it is really the most expensive present I have ever bought/share. Seriously, this has caught me off guard as I did not consider that they are all well-to-do and from professional bodies while I was tied down with many responsibilities with a fixed income. In a way, I also conformed to the standards and protocols set by men and did not heed God’s advice in Romans 12:1-2, New King James Version

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

After the event, I regretted as I personally struggle with the financial state that I am now in and found that God wanting to teach me a lesson. It is my hope that in your own circumstances like this, you would also ponder and allow God to speak to you, no matter how urgent the circumstances may be and do not repeat the same mistake I did.

On another note, also be alert that if your so-called “friends” directly or indirectly caused you to play truant, cheat at exams, vandalize, smoke etc.


In Him,
Yit Mun, a.k.a. IP Man :D

Images taken from:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2008/mar/26/catchofthedayhellisother
http://pastorrobbadger.com/category/life-lessons/

Working Out

Many times have I heard of people wanting to work out to get into shape but fail to continue on the process of gyming and dieting in the long run and eventually don’t get into shape. They say they really want to get into shape, but the effort they put into keeping disciplined and following their "get into shape plan" is so minimal.

Well, sadly to say, some of our Christian lives are like this. I was once reminded of this terrible state of "growthlessness" last weekend at the young adults retreat. The passage chosen was James 1:2-8. One part of the passage spoke about how the testing of your faith, in the form of trials and temptations, develops perseverance which eventually matures your faith.

How does this have anything to do with working out? It has a lot actually. You see, trials and temptations are difficult and often painful things to deal with. We being petty little human beings tend to either complain and ask the question `why is this happening to me!??!!??!!?’ or just sweep the problem under the carpet and let it go. How is ones faith in God grows if he does not trust on God’s strength? Trials in life are great chances to put your faith in action. It will really tear you apart as you have to chose between the right way, and the easy way. This is what the Christian walk is all about. Fighting that sinful nature within. Every time you work out your faith, it grows. Yes, sure it might be a tough and painful thing to do but isn’t that what working out is all about? Have you seen anyone whose working out who is having a easy and effortless time at doing it? No its all pain and sweat. Its when you workout those muscles only do they grow. The perseverance of the muscles leads to their growth. This is the same with our faith. It matures as it perseveres.


So next time when you are faced with a difficult situation, stop and think, this just might be a good chance to work out those 'muscles’.

”For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.” – 1 Thessalonians 3:8

Here is a song i would like to share with you guys. Just imagine a Christian life full of comfort and struggle-free-ness. Don’t you think He will be forgotten eventually? Isn't there so much more to Christianity?



- Alex "c o p h y" Tan

Images taken from:

http://www.workoutstories.com/1/work-out-tips/