J'aime vie...: Keep the Faith...

Despite popular belief, the Christian life is not easy. Some mistakenly assume that once they become children of God, their struggles are over. Many Christians begin their walk with Christ enthusiastically; but as the pressure mounts, they lose heart and abandon their pilgrimage (journey to God).

Paul described his Christian life as a battle. There were times when he struggled, and only through perseverance could he continue. It may surprise us to know that the great apostle had to struggle at times to be faithful to God. Paul faced persecution, misunderstanding, betrayal, and death threats. His Christian life was anything but easy, yet he persevered.

Your faith in God is not proven by beginning the race but by enduring to the finish. Publicly announding your commitment to Christ in your church does not compare to a lifetime of devotion to his cause.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have fept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

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Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry T Blackaby and Richard Blackaby...

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It is so true! Many of us start off with God with a BANG! Myself included. I still remember times when I had just come to know the Lord and everything was so freash and exciting and God was just amazing...He still is but the awe, the passion and the intimacy with God I once possessed so consistently is like a yoyo that goes up and down. There are times we feel like we can climb Mount Everest with the Holy Spirit and you and then there are times when everything crumbles and you feel like you can't go on. Well, guess what?! It's ok to feel like that cause you're only human! That's why we need Him! That's why we need God to sustain us and to strenghten us and to send people around us to encourage us...to encourage is to "add" courage...or to "become" courage. So we are meant to receive boldness and a sure trust towards God when we are encouraged...

But that is not enough...What's most important is a daily relationship and communion with our God. The knowing comes not from how much we know about God but how well we know Him intimately, personally, and daily. If we have such a relationship with God, then it's hard to go from high to low and then high again...and low again. Jesus' love is constant and faithful like the sun that rises and sets without fail...with each difficulty we overcome, we become a little stronger and little more consistent. With every battle that we fight, scar wounds proudly protruding from us, we become more skilled at fending off the enemies lies and discouragement. However, not everything is from the 'enemy'. Sometimes, God allows us to go through tough seasons and difficult times to toughen us...So that we can be like Jesus who does not waver even when faced with the rejection of the whole world...even when the pain as He was pinned to the cross was overbearing. He did not turn away but He endured... suffering for us.

...Say what you mean and do what you say! Here's a new motto that I've learnt. Even to God, don't say what you do not mean. Don't say that you are happy when you are sad...don't try to 'please' God and thus, lose out on the chance to draw close through honesty and transparency towards God. "A broken Spirit and a contrite heart...You will not despise... You will not despise..."

This was a vision that God showed me the other day...I saw a book...and I was flipping through the pages of the book. There were a lot of content but I couldn't read what they were. I looked to the cover of the book and there were some words in language I did not recognise but I somehow I understood that it meant "My Life". And so there I was staring at my life but not being able to read the content of the book!!! God only showed me one page...it was a blank page that had a cross protruding out of it... kind of like the one I drew in my journal above. Didn't quite understand what it meant but on Sunday God reminded me of that vision and said, "Your life is to be about the Cross." hmmm...so profound. I don't know if i fully understand what it means...hmmmm.

Yesterday, I penned these words in my journal..."to a life long goal of making known the Cross of Jesus and the everlasting and faithful love of our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is MY truth, MY way and MY life...In You, Lord, I trust and depend...

Amen