Mistake.

God's been teaching me something recently.

When I'm focused on Him, somehow I tend to notice when I screw up more often. I mean, many times I make mistakes that hurt others, perhaps even unintentionally. Many times my pride automatically boots in and tells me I am in the right. But God's soft prompting makes me think a lil... and then I end up struggling to put down myself long enough to hear, and oft times I realise that yes, this is wrong and I should change. I won't say its easy... many many times have I outright followed my own initiative, many times I distort what should be and tilt it towards my tastes, and I've discovered that worse of all, at times i outright reject His teaching tho I know it is from Him.

Praise be to God for His marvellous grace thru His Son Jesus Christ... it is truely only by grace that I am saved.

Well. an example. theories are hard to understand sometimes.

Being a CGL, i am given charge of a group of youths to care for. One of the things I try to do is to drop them a message now and then... well, it goes much deeper, but I won't go there. Anyway, I decided to say: hi and hope your week is well, hope to see you at CG... in an sms, to the CG. Being tired after work and all, I wrote 1 msg, and smsed it to everyone.

So happens, that 2 of my cgms were together. So 1 of them, who by God's grace is turning into a fine Christian youth, replied and asked: How come I got the same msg as Jon?

I replied: Well its called mass messaging. :)

he then said: well then you should have put 'you guys' instead of 'you'

i said: it was meant for each of you personally, but also as a whole CG.

at this point of time I went to take a shower. To be honest immediately all sorts of seemingly wise intellectual arguements rose within me: its not easy being a leader, i was tired, i really meant that i wanted it to be personal; the list goes on. I'm really quite good at these kinda debates.

But somehow I knew something was wrong... I stopped, prayed... asked for forgiveness if i went wrong and for a humble spirit. still voices within me raged, and i could say i was prepared for any reply that would come in. But yet within me a voice counseled: perhaps there is a lesson in this for me.

after a struggling tulmult of emotions in the shower, i came out changed... slightly. i was in the wrong. its even hard at this point of time not to put in the words 'guess' and 'perhaps'. But I know they are are not maybes... its a certainty. I had not recognised that my concern for my CGMs was serverely lacking... it was somthing that required change. So I pray from now on that God will give me a bigger heart for those I am given charge over.

So you see... I could not have recognised this if I did not keep my daily focus on God at all times. When you try to draw near to him, giving effort into your relationship with Him, you will come to realise that He is always there... you just never noticed. And as you do... the Lord God Almighty WILL slowly, but surely, as He is faithful beyond the comprehension of man, to change you into a better person.

I give Glory to God. Praise be to His Name!

If you find yourself lost now, its time to take out time daily to spend with your Saviour Jesus Christ. If you don't know Him, its time to ask someone who does.

God Bless! :)