Monthly Archives: December 2016

Slow Fade

Inspiration

By Casting Crowns. Song writer: John Mark Hall

Be careful little eyes what you see. It’s the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings. Be careful little feet where you go for it’s the little feet behind you that are sure to follow.

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away. It’s a slow fade when black and white are turned to gray. And thoughts invade, choices are made. A price will be paid when you give yourself away. People never crumble in a day. It’s a slow fade, it’s a slow fade.

Be careful little ears what you hear. When flattering leads to compromises, the end is always near. Be careful little lips what you say for empty words and promises leave broken hearts astray.

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away. It’s a slow fade when black and white are turned to gray. And thoughts invade, choices are made. A price will be paid when you give yourself away. People never crumble in a day.

The journey from your mind to your hands is shorter than you’re thinking. Be careful if you think you stand. You just might be sinking.

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away. It’s a slow fade when black and white are turned to gray. And thoughts invade, choices are made. A price will be paid when you give yourself away.

People never crumble in a day. Daddies never crumble in a day. Families never crumble in a day.

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see. Oh, be careful little eyes what you see. For the Father up above is looking down in love. Oh, be careful little eyes what you see.

Speak the Truth in Love (part 2)

Love

There are many things God has given me throughout all these years, both heavenly and earthly, that I’m grateful for all eternity. One of those is my dad. We’re not biologically related, and I only came to know him since I was 16. But when my life turned upside down and when I lost everything, he was there to lift me up, encourage me to follow my dreams, motivate me to never give up, and walk me toward Christ. I really hate the phrase “blood is thicker than water” because I experience first hand how that’s not true. Dad and I are not related by blood; we’re related as a family through Christ. The bond I have with dad is now even stronger than the one I have with my biological father because we have one thing that connects us that my biological father doesn’t have: Jesus. And Jesus makes all the difference! It’s a girl’s dream to marry a man like her dad. That goal is surely mine as well. But there’s a problem here. My dad is such a great man and a humble, dedicated servant of God that I don’t think any man can ever reaches that level, which probably explains why I’m still single! Obviously there are many things I like about my dad; one of them is how he speaks the truth in love.

We are the worst critique of ourselves because we know all of our thoughts, motives, deeds, and actions. People cannot see what we think inside our mind and how we feel inside our heart. People cannot see what we do in secret. But surely we know them all, and so does God. Because of that, only we know the sinful thoughts in our mind, the anger in our heart, the lust in our eyes, and the sinful actions we do in the dark when nobody is around. Because of that, we are our worst enemies. We push ourselves down, unintentionally and subconsciously even, because we know who we truly are, all of our secrets deep down inside. That’s why we need other people around us to show us the positive side and lift us up. And that’s exactly what my dad does for me all these years since we became a family. He speaks the truth in love to encourage me, to show me the right path to go, to convict me from my sin, to bring me back to God when I lose my way, and to bring me to the next level of intimate relationship with God. I learn, little by little, how to detect whether an advice comes from God or Satan. If the advice comes from God, even if the truth is painful and convicting, it’s still positive. God rebukes me, through the Holy Spirit in me and sometimes through other people around me, but that’s for my own benefits to stop sinning. There’s hope after all of the mess. It always lifts me up and shows me what to do to correct my mistakes. It always points me back to God, not my sin or my past. It’s about the present and the future. It’s about forgiveness to move forward from the past and present to the future. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Whenever dad talks to me, he speaks with truth and love because his heart is filled with the Holy Spirit. So in a way, it’s not dad speaking to me. It’s God speaking to me using the Holy Spirit in his servant: my dad. When the advice comes from Satan, it’s the opposite: always negative, no hope, push me down, no clear actions to take to clean up the mess and get better, point back to the sin and not God, about the past not the present or future, full of pain with no way out, full of disappointment, guilt, shame, and condemnation. Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit; condemnation comes from Satan.

The key here is forgiveness, which is freely given to us all through the blood of Jesus. But we have to repent and ask for this forgiveness. The gift is freely given, but we have to accept it. There’s nothing we can do to earn forgiveness, but God won’t force us into accepting it either. The decision to repent and ask for forgiveness is a free choice that He allows us to make. Scripture gives us step-by-step instruction to detect the lie from the truth and recognize the source of where it comes from, whether it comes from God or Satan. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world” (1 John 4: 1-3). So if a spirit comes from God, the truth spoken must align with what Jesus has taught us, and it has to be spoken in love. So what did Jesus teach us then?

  • “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespasses against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6: 12-13)
  • “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6: 14-15)
  • “Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3: 28-29)
  • “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28)
  • “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24)
  • “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector” (Matthew 18: 15-17)
  • “So watch yourselves. If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them” (Luke 17: 3-4)
  • “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you” (John 16: 7-15)
  • “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (John 8: 44-47)

So many people, including me, complaint that they want to hear God’s voice but they just can’t hear it or maybe they can hear it but not clearly. Dad taught me something very important about hearing God’s voice. It’s more than just hearing His voice. It’s a responsibility. Before we can hear His voice, we do things our ways; we make our own decisions because nobody tells us what to do. After we hear God’s voice, now we are accountable for what He says and what He tells us to do. So hearing His voice is a responsibility where we are held accountable for the decision we make: to do it His way and give up control completely to Him or to walk away and do it our way. So the decision to give up control of ourselves and follow God completely to do things His way needs to be made first before our spiritual ears are open to hear His voice. Plus God talks to us constantly everyday, so when we don’t hear His voice, it’s not because He doesn’t speak to us; it’s simply because we don’t listen or we don’t know how to listen. Again to be able to hear His voice, we need to first make a decision to follow Him completely and do whatever He asks of us. Then if we’re serious about it and listen with our heart, He will open our spiritual ears so that we can hear Him.

Quantity of Love

Love

Last Monday as I was having lunch with my mentor, he taught me two questions at the beginning and at the end of a sales pitch that a good salesman should always ask his prospective clients.

  • Before the presentation: what are your goals?
  • After the presentation: what are the best things you get from this presentation?

That inspired me to examine my faith and ask myself two questions.

  • What are my priorities in life?
  • What are the things I appreciate the most from God?

At Bible study that night, one of the girls raised a question of why some people want God but don’t see anything happening in their lives. That question reminded me of a story I read on Facebook. There is an ambitious young man striving for success but doesn’t know the direction toward his goal. So he comes to see an old wise man for answers. The old man tells him to come back the morning of the next day. When the young man arrives, the old man takes him to the middle of the river. When they are standing in the middle of the river, all of the sudden, the old man pushes the young man’s head beneath the water and drown him for a few seconds. The old man finally lets go. Confused, the young man wonders what just happened. The old man explains: “If you want success as bad as you want to breath, you will be successful. That’s the secret ingredient.”

Let’s replace the word “success” in this story with the word “God.” Many people say they want God, but how much do we really want God? Do we want God as much as we our successful career? Do we want Him as much as we want a good family, a beautiful body, and all of the powers we can get? When we want something really bad, we work for it. That’s the human instinct in us. When we put our career first on the priority list, we will fight with everything we have to climb that corporate ladder. No matter what’s or who’s in front of us, we will find a way to overcome and jump through each step to get to that position of power and financial gains. We will stay late in the office, work long hours, answers emails on the weekend, join all of the meetings, hang out with the right executives, make the right jokes, say the right things, and do the right things to get higher and higher in corporate world. When we put our physical beauty first, we will again fight with everything we have to get that perfect body. No matter what challenges are ahead, we will do everything we can to achieve that image. We will go to the gym for intensive workout everyday, go on the most healthy diets, take the best supplements for weight loss, pay for the best trainer, eat the right things, and do the right things. But how about God? Where is God on our priority list? When we say we want God, do we really want Him or do we just want what He can give us? Do we want His promises more than God Himself? Do we put the gifts above the giver? And if the answer is yes, we want God, then how much? Do we want God as bad as we want to breath as if we’re drowned in the water? Do we want God so bad that we will pay whatever price it costs to be closer to God and glorify Him? Do we want Him so bad that we will fight with everything we have to stay strong to His words and uphold His commands? My answer is yes I do want God. Months ago I didn’t want Him that bad, and He wasn’t number one on my priority list. But the moment I felt His unconditional love for me through the forgiveness of my sin, everything changed. I asked myself: do I want God more than I want the Mercedes, the penthouse, and even better Harvard? After that experience of unconditional love, my answer is yes I do. I want Him more than anything right now. I just want more and more and more of Him. All of the sudden one Bible study a week was not enough for me anymore, now I want to study the Bible on my own at home all the time. Prayer once a day was not enough for me anymore, now I want to talk to Him 24/7. Helping somebody once a while was not enough for me anymore, now I want to let Him use me whenever and wherever He sees fit for whoever He chooses in whatever situation He decides, and I want to do it with a servant heart toward God and God alone. That doesn’t mean I don’t want the Mercedes and the penthouse anymore, and it certainly doesn’t mean that I give up on my Harvard dream. But for me, it means that I will put all of those things below God. He is number one on my priority list, and after that, the list continues. So if I don’t get a Mercedes or a penthouse, that’s fine. If I don’t ever get in Harvard, that’s OK too. But if I don’t get closer to God, that’s a big no-no!

So many times when we face trials, we are constantly reminded at church to trust God. But what does it mean to trust God? And how do we trust God? The typical answer: that He has a great plan for us, that whatever happens His will is the best, and that even if He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we ask, it’s still working out for our good. That’s true, beautiful, and powerful. But I think we should take a step further and take it to the next level. To trust God also means to love Him and not get angry regardless of how the situation turns out. The math is simple: to trust God = to love God. This love has to be unconditional, meaning that whichever way He decides to answer our prayer, we love Him regardless. We don’t complaint, we don’t become anxious, and we don’t get mad at Him. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7). Why don’t we replace the word “love” with the word “God” since after all God is love anyway? “Whoever does not love does not know God for God is love” (1 John 4:8).

God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He does not dishonor others, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Again the math is simple: to trust God is to love God since love always trusts. At church and Bible studies, we always hear the message of unconditional love of how much God loves us. He loves us so much that He died for us on the cross. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15: 13-15). “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). This message of how much God loves us is true, beautiful, and powerful. But I challenge us to take a step further to the next level and ask ourselves this question: do we love God back? Really do we love God? If so, how much? Only a little bit or unconditionally? Do we still love God if He stops giving us all of the physical, material things? Do we still love Him if He decides to answer all of our prayers the opposite of what we ask for? Again the math is simple: to trust God is to love God. So if things don’t go according to our plan and what we ask of Him, do we still love Him? Or do we get angry at Him? Do we get impatient and anxious? Or do we truly trust Him and whatever plans He has for us because we love Him unconditionally? Do we continue to put our faith and hope in Him? Or do we walk away? God’s love for us is a given, and we have the entire Bible to prove that. But our love for God is not guaranteed. It’s a decision each of us has to make everyday through each trial in our lives.

Seven months ago I asked God to help me win the H1B lottery so that I could move forward with my immigration process. And He said no. I never got that lottery after two years and three shots in the system. On the surface and in front of everybody, I told all of the people around me that I trust God. That I know His plans are better and that this is for my own good. I recited Bible verses in my head with the motto of fake it to make it. Well it didn’t work. My mind told me to trust Him, but my heart wasn’t following. Even after He revealed to me why He said no to my request and how this rejection would turn out for my good (which it did), I was still mad at him. My pride got in the way. I was so angry at Him because He said no. I was confused, and I wanted the answer my way. My anger blinded my faith and my judgment. I got so mad at God that I gave in to temptation and committed to sin. Thankfully, He took me back with His unconditional love through the forgiveness of my sin. The power of what Jesus did on the cross that day has washed away my sin, white as snow. And for that I’m grateful for all eternity. Now looking back, I realize at that time when God didn’t answer my prayer the way I requested it, I blindly trusted God with my mind. I was trying to fake it till I make it. But my heart wasn’t right. My heart didn’t trust even when my mind was trying to. I knew that I was supposed to trust God, but I didn’t know how to trust Him the right way. The secret ingredient is love. Simple yet powerful! To trust Him and His plans regardless of the situations, I must love Him first. And I must love Him unconditionally with all my heart. So when things go the other way, I shouldn’t be angry. I should rejoice that He has a nice surprise for me ahead. I should be excited for it, not become anxious, ungrateful, and doubtful. “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

My dad once told me an old song “If I were a carpenter, would you still love me?” Jesus was a carpenter. He didn’t guarantee financial or physical rewards. He only promised the healing of the souls and spiritual rewards. So do we still love Him then? For me, I do. Growing up in Vietnam and watching Chinese movies, I was taught that love is not a feeling. Love instead is a decision; it’s a commitment and a responsibility. Feelings come and go, but the decision to commit and the responsibility that comes with this commitment stay the same. I apply that principle to the love I have for God. I make a conscious decision everyday to love God. Because I love Him, I commit myself to walk with Him and follow Him wherever He leads me. And because of this commitment, I have a responsibility to follow through and persevere with my decision to love God. I don’t work for Him because I want Him to love me more or to earn my salvation. I know that He loves me the same regardless of what I do, and that my salvation is a free gift from God alone, not by works. I serve God simply because I love Him, for who He is. Just pure love. It’s my decision, my commitment, and my responsibility for Him. Seven months ago when trial came, I failed because my love for God wasn’t enough. I don’t know when the next test will come, but when it does, I want to be prepared. And I want to make sure that my love for God will be enough for me to pass the test, to trust Him completely, and to love Him unconditionally. At the same time, God demonstrates His love for us through decisions as well. He didn’t create us as robots to worship Him. Since the beginning, knowing the possibility of sin, He gave us freedom to choose, to make a decision to love Him and have fellowship with Him. If there’s no freedom, there’s no true love. But because there’s freedom, love is a decision by choice, not a mandate by force or a fluctuating feeling by chance. “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

So that answers the first question regarding the priorities of my life. The second question is based on the first one. One time at Bible study I asked my teacher why Paul gave up everything he had to proclaim the gospel. My teacher said she believed that Paul never got over his salvation. So that brought me to my second question. What are the things that God has given me that mean so much for me that I still can’t get over until this day. There are two: my scholarship to college and His unconditional love. When I was 18, God saved my life. He gave me a full scholarship to college, and I didn’t get deported. It’s already been five years, and I still can’t get over it; nor do I want to get over it. I have already graduated, but I’m still grateful for that scholarship everyday. And I will never forget what He has done for me that day during the darkest time of my life. Because of that, I have been tutoring students for almost five years and just recently started an annual scholarship fund for other international students to make their American dreams come true. The amount is small, but I believe with all my heart that through time, as long as I continue to humbly walk with God and put Him first on my priority list, He will multiply that amount and use the scholarship fund to bless many more people. The math is simple: God uses my dad to bless me, so I will let Him use me to bless somebody else; then hopefully that person will allow God to bless another one after them; the number will multiple, and the cycle goes endlessly. I have three dreams in my life 1) Harvard dream for my mom to graduate from an Ivy League school. This is the reason that brought me to America and also my mom’s dream for me before she passed away 2) American dream for me to finally one day become a citizen. I love this nation and truly believe this is the best country on earth 3) education dream for God to create a scholarship fund to bring foreign students to this land to make their dreams come true. The scholarship that God has given me was so big; it meant so much for me that until this day I still can’t get over it. And I just want to give back more and more and more for Him.

The second gift that I still can’t get over is His conditional love. After I have tasted and experienced first hand the power of His love upon me, I was speechless. I knew the laws. I had the knowledge. I had the words of God in Scripture to support me. I heard the Holy Spirit telling me to walk away. Yet I listened to Satan’s sweet whispers of lies in my ears. I deliberately chose to sin against God. But the moment I repented and turned back toward Him, He was right there all along the way. I ran away, yet He stayed with me. I sinned against Him, yet He forgave me completely. I failed into temptation, yet He remained faithful. I made the decision to violate His law, yet He died for me on the cross. I deserved to be stoned to death, yet His only response was “go and sin no more.” I got so angry at Him, yet He loved me the same as if it has never happened. Love like this made me speechless. I was so overwhelmed by His love that until this day, I still can’t get over it. Because of this, I decided to write this blog to glorify His name, to testify all of the good things He has done for me, and share with others the knowledge I have received. The more I know God, the more I want to know more about Him. I’m so caught up and overwhelmed by His love that I just want to have more and more of Him. I just want to be closer to Him, to understand Him more, and know Him better. I just can’t get over it!

The Cycle

Growth

A few months ago I tried to volunteer to be a greeter at church and help with the high school youth group, especially for the teen girls. Disappointingly, there was no response. But last Sunday morning, as I accidentally joined a life group, I was asked by the leader in charge of the greeters if I would be interested to volunteer for this position. The next day I was asked by the youth group director if I would like to volunteer for DNow. It was very disappointing at first when man said no. But when God says yes, at His timing, everything will be done smoothly and perfectly according to His will.

DNow stands for Disciple Now. This is a weekend-long series of events where high school students get to go to church, study the Bible, worship, and have a big slumber party at the end at houses sponsored by adults at the church. The kids are divided into groups; each group is led by a 20-something leader of the same gender. For me it was an honor to be asked by the church to volunteer. It was a privilege to be asked by God to give back what I have received. When I was 15, I packed my bag, hopped on the plane, crossed the ocean, left everyone and everything behind, and arrived in Saint Louis MO. Here I was required to go to church with the family I was living with. I did it out of obedience and by force. But I remember one day one of the girls in my AP Chemistry class in my sophomore year asked me to join the event at her church. They had a big Valentine’s Day celebration for the youth group. Out of curiosity and the desire to have fun, I accepted the invitation. The event was very similar to DNow. I will never forget the feeling I had on that day. It started with a Bible study, and of course I got lost immediately. I was thinking to myself: What on earth are they talking about? How can they find those sayings (verses) that fast? And what is this big book every kid is carrying with them (this was before the time of Bible app on smartphones)? But the most surprising part was when I actually felt like I fit in. People cared; they talked to me. I was treated as a person, not an object to pour the Bible on, not a case to convert. They asked about my background, my culture, my American experience thus far, my hopes, and my dreams. They wanted to get to know me, and they welcomed me for who I am. They accepted me when I was a stranger to their family. That’s something unusual we don’t see nowadays, even at churches. But the youth group at that small church in Saint Louis has treated me with the love of Christ, something I have never experienced before growing up in Vietnam. They made me feel so welcomed and loved that I didn’t want to leave. Now thinking back I just realized that event at the youth group was my first time meeting Jesus. When I went to church, I heard of Jesus and I didn’t understand what I was hearing. But when I was welcomed to that family among the high school students my age, I met Jesus for the first time through the love of His disciples. I believe that God already knew me before I knew Him, but that night was the first time I felt His presence. For me that was the first time we met. We didn’t make it official and start our relationship till a couple years later, however, so I guess God and I, we took it slow!

Another thing that got my attention was the way the host treated his wife. The way he loved her tenderly and took care of her needs blew my mind away. At that time I thought it was an American thing. Well now I realize it wasn’t; it was a Christian thing! When we truly walk with God, we just can’t help but showing it to the world. When we are so loved by God and when the relationship we have with Him is so strong, we just can’t help it but spread that love around like crazy to everyone we come in contact with. That event with the youth group made such a big impact on my life that I will never forget. And until this day I still remember the joy and peace I felt that night as I first experienced the love of God through His children. It planted the seed in my heart so that years later, when the condition was right, God watered the seed and made it grow. I will always be thankful for that girl in my AP Chemistry class who invited me. She took the action of faith to invite a stranger, a pagan into her loving family of Christ. We lost contact so I can’t tell her how much I appreciate what she has done for me. But if you are reading this article, I hope that you will be encouraged to invite somebody to your church events, especially non-believers. And please don’t judge when somebody comes to Bible study not knowing where to find the verses in the Bible or if they don’t even have a Bible. Teach them, love them, and welcome them to the family. Bring them to the party! As I’m thinking about volunteering for DNow in a couple months, I wonder if there will be another Mimi coming to the event to check it out, to have fun, to see what these Christian kids are like. And who knows what can happen? Maybe at the event she will also feel God’s presence and Christ’s love through the people around her. And maybe further down the road, this little Mimi will one day accept Jesus in her heart and give her life to Him, all because the little seed is planted at the youth group event.

Last Tuesday I had a rough day at work. It wasn’t dramatically bad but definitely not a great moment of my life. As I stumbled into my Bible study, I felt sad and angry; I didn’t connect at all with anyone. I was talking with the people around me, but it felt more socializing than fellowship. But of course little did I know, God already had the whole thing planned out to change my mood. At the end of Bible study, I had an opportunity to walk out with one of the girls who was struggling with her situation at work. I truly believe this was a divine moment from God. As we were talking, I was able to share with her the knowledge I have gained through my walk with God. My day started bad at work but God used the Holy Spirit through me to bless somebody else that night, to encourage her on her walk with Him, and to teach her the right way to fight the battle. Because of that short conversation at the end of the night, it doesn’t matter how bad my day was. That one moment working for God is more valuable and fulfilling than countless hours in the office. So I would say I had a pretty good Tuesday then. That one moment serving God is better than all of the hours mistreated by man.

This is the cycle of battles that I have recognized from these two small incidents and from what I have been blessed with throughout my walk with God. As trials come into our lives, our first initial, natural response was complaint, anxiety, and fear. But I think we’re wrong. If trials come to test our faith, strengthen our relationship with God, and bring us to the next level of intimacy with Him, then we should feel pretty good facing trials in our lives. I mean what a honor that the most High God decides to use me to fight the battle in the heavenly realm against Satan and draw me closer to Him. This is exciting! So instead of facing trials with negativity, I propose a new solution: let’s face trials with excitement and heavenly joy. If we fight with God, we already know that victory belongs to our side, so why should we worry and complaint about this? We shouldn’t. Let’s have fun facing trials to show Satan one more time the kind of God that we serve. It’s a great honor to be on His team. He doesn’t need us to fight the battle for Him. God is strong enough to defeat His enemy. But He delights in using us to fight the battle with Him because He knows that trials will bring us closer to Him and make us stronger at the end as long as we preserve. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1: 2-4). So as we face trials, we pray to God, we asked Him for help, and we joyfully fight the battle with Him. The result is guaranteed as long as we don’t give up on God; that’s the power when we fall on our knees. “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Sometimes God will deliver somebody into our lives to help us fight the battle, so it’s a team effort here, a big group event. And of course a celebration party at the end when Satan is defeated. But the story doesn’t end here. God will use the experience we have gone through and the knowledge we have gained to bless and help somebody else. I certainly hope that He will use me to bless another high school kid at DNow in a couple months. That would be my honor to serve God to give back what I have been given freely and lovingly.

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