14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
How does it feel to be different in and among your friends when you hang out? Have you ever wanted to follow their ways? No, lets not go down that path but instead claim the fact that you are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. As it is, there are always two sides to a coin and two extreme ends of a road. Have you been so worn out by this race you have been tirelessly running that you have lost your saltiness, or rather, is your light is getting dimmer? I pray this is not so. Why? Because as His disciples, He wants us to provide illumination for a lost and dying world. But, even if you are feeling breathless in the race that you have been running for Him, fear not because it's the Year of Sabbath!
Do you recall the 3 Key Indicators for the Year of Sabbath that pastor shared?
1.Intimacy - Remembrance and Reliance upon the Lord
2.Interdependence - Restoration and Rebuilding of Relationships
3.Integration - Rest and Recreation of the Land
I just sense that in this Year of Sabbath, God is yearning for many of us to grow mightily in Him. We'll grow strong in the Word, learn more about our Saviour and spend more quality time with our Friend. Lets take this opportunity to rewind, reflect and recharge.
Rewind - Lets look back on the past years and remember God's goodness in our lives. Something that Pastor said that really speaks a lot to me, "God's faithfulness to us in the past stirs up our faith in Him for the future." Today, lets recall all the great, might works that God has done in our lives. (It's quite similar to my previous post about giving thanks to God.) We know that God has been faithful to us and let us allow his faithfulness to increase our faith in Him for more things to come in the years ahead.
Reflect - I think we need to reflect on how our time set aside for God is spent. Was it for the sake of something in return? Or, just for the sake of your ministry (cell group)? I think we have to change our attitude of QT(Quiet Time). Lets not always come before God and keep asking asking asking, but lets come before God and dwell in his presence. Do you know that God delights in our time that we spend with Him? Something pastor said, "Your devotional life is about how much God is blessed, not how much we are blessed." I think this is so true. I remember myself doing QT for the sake of it, or even for the sake of asking for something in return. But as His followers, lets learn to bless God with each and every time that we come before Him in our devotional life.
Recharge - The Year of Sabbath is also a Year to recharge our spiritual batteries. If your light is getting faulty or your salt is losing its saltiness, then take this Year to regenerate your energy and get things back on track. I feel that the camp verse for end last year speaks so much about re-charging. Isaiah 40: 28-31.
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.