All Publications by Planted By The Rivers Of Water

You know when you’re working really hard on your laptop (or on paper) for your career/studies, initially you will be sitting in an upright position, a perfect posture. Then after a while, when you’re really focused, your posture starts to give way and before long, you realise that you’re sitting in a hunched position. Then there requires a conscious effort to straighten your back to ensure that you’re sitting in a healthy position again. Similarly, over time, when you have been very focused on doing your best to serve the Lord, unconsciously, you might gradually become more hunched–that is, unaware that you’re gradually letting go of some good conduct. Therefore, some self-reflection from time to time serves as a good reminder; with some simple adjustments, you’re good to go again. Is doing what is socially acceptable such as social work and charity really enough as a Christian whose core values are love, care and endurance? Not really. Paul tells us that we need to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men (Titus 3:1-2).  Diving deeper, why is there a need to portray these qualities as a Christian? This is to prevent self-deception (James 1:22-24). What you do is a reflection of who you really are. Elder James said, he who is “not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work… will be blessed in what he does” in James 1:25. Upholding your values and executing them come hand-in-hand.  For those who recently resolved to do better in your faith, having good conduct and doing good works can be the first step. But for those who are already in the faith and have been a faithful follower of the Lord, maybe it’s time to straighten your backs. Going back to our introduction, for self-reflection, there are a few things you can ponder about to reaffirm your resolve to continue doing good works for the Lord. Firstly, remember how the Lord Jesus had sacrificed Himself out of His absolute mercy to save our doomed selves? That, we could never work for, as it is the gift of God–which means we did not deserve this (Eph 2:8-10; Titus 3:5). Secondly, no one grew up being faultless. Surely, there is at least once in our lives where we went against His commandments because of our foolish, disobedient, and deceived selves, choosing to serve our various lusts and pleasures, and even living in malice and envy, hateful and hating others (Titus 3:3). I’m sure we know our own faults, and we know how the Lord had redeemed us from destruction, and crowned us with lovingkindness and tender mercies (Psalm 103:4). Thus, to fulfil our duty as His servants continually, we must straighten our backs to continue in good conduct and keep being ready for every good work.  This includes avoiding foolish disputes, contentions and strivings about the law because these are useless and pointless (Titus 3:9). Which makes sense because dealing with each other in harmony is pleasing in the sight of God and is also what works best in groups. As a church, influencing one another to do good works with a humble attitude will allow the church to thrive for a long time.  Additionally, there is a risk that one takes when they choose to bring dissension into the church and that is to be rightfully rejected by the church, for this man is deemed as “warped and sinning, being self-condemned” (Titus 3:10-11). So, fear God and do your best for Him.