Be a "Yes Man" for God

Caught the "Yes Man" movie just the Saturday ago, and as usual, another Jim Carrey comedy - my favourite. I always go about with this saying, "Jim Carrey is the reason why I'm such a hyped up crazy young lady."

Well, the story is about Carl Allen (Jim Carrey), a divorced man who had been shunning social gatherings to avoid his ex-wife and her boyfriend. In almost every single request in his life from approving monetary loans to spam mail in the email, his reply was always "NO". The movie progresses to tell how Carl Allen met an old friend who introduced him to a inspirational guru that compelled him to start a 'new life', where he made a covenant to say "Yes" to every invitation and opportunity presented to him.

His whole life began to take a change as he forced himself out of his comfort zone to say "Yes" to many things he didn't want to do - for the fear of bad luck happening to him should he say 'No".
His obligation to say 'Yes' sent him driving a homeless man to a park, where he then ran out of petrol, money (giving them all to the man) and phone battery (used up by the man). Walking to the gas station for petrol, he met Allison who took pity on him and gave him a ride on her scooter and eventually kissed him. Miraculously, after the positive start, things began to take a change in his life as he got a job promotion for saying 'Yes' to working on Saturdays, and saying 'Yes' to loan applications for his company that brought in a stunning increase of revenue for his company.

I shan't continue about the movie... but it's a good one.

But what I wanted to type today was how the movie spoke to me. Instead of being just another 'Yes Man' in life, I took the picture from another angle. I believe that God, our provider, is seeking our answers to be "Yes" to all that He asks from us. Saying "Yes" to God may not be an easy thing to do, but doing that definitely will bring about a certain degree of blessing that cannot compare to all other earthly blessings.

So there can be a couple ways to handle situations and opportunities in our lives.

1. Saying "No" to everything.

As life presents before us, we meet turns and crossroads that requires us to make decisions. There's no one answer that can answer every single question in our lives. Saying No keeps us where we are, or maybe even deterioriate relationships and circumstances in our lives.

2. Saying "Yes" to everything.

Our journey in life requires us to make wise decisions, whether in relationships, in work or in our responsibilities, we have been placed so many times at crossroads. We can't say "Yes" to everything. It just wouldn't work - it might land us in situations saying "Yes" to doing things that are immoral and sinful - or even things we may consider to be good, but not the route God intended for us... and that itself may just burn us out and lead us to unhappy outcomes.

Saying "Yes" to worldly things can land you in a great fix! Just as the movie depicted. (Watch the movie to know what happened!)

3. Saying "Yes" with wisdom from God and "Yes" to all that God asks.

Nothing beats saying "YES GOD!".

God is good - all the time. Through life difficulties and circumstances, God is still good. Every moment in our lives, God is preparing to give us every good and perfect gift, that we may embrace and receive it. But the way God works does not comply to the way the world may think He works.. and the way He works is never the way the world works. God's blessings come in disguises and to receive His blessings, I have learnt, is to always first say "Yes" to what He asks of us.

Through a season of dryness lately, I've been asking God why different things in life had happened. In His sovereignity, He seemed to be saying "Start saying Yes to me and you will hear me more."

The more we reject and disobey God the more our hearts become hardened and eventually one day we will fall away. I thank God so much for He has not given up on me despite the times I almost given up. And I also thank God for just making things happen in my life that always lead to a blessing in disguise. Our Father in heaven will bring us through life lessons - easy and tough ones - to teach and guide us in our walk with Him, that we may walk righteously.

because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hard-ship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?
Hebrews 12:6-7

I love it so much time and again I get to the stage of brokeness and totally just laying down my life before God. As the His Word promises that blessed are those who are weak and contrite in spirit, for they will see God.

For this is what the high and lofty One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isaiah 57:15 (NIV)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 (NIV)

Saying "Yes" to God is not always easy. I've been reading a book called "Authentic Faith" by Gary Thomas that has been targeting the underlying issues of why we sometimes find it so difficult to say "Yes" to God. Something that struck me deeply from what he wrote:

It's human nature to value most that which has cost us something. If you don't highly value your faith, perhaps you've never sacrificed for it.

How much have I sacrificed in my life that I may say "YES" to God? I have realised it's not momentary sacrifice, but a long term sacrifice. It's not those who start strong, and die in the middle, but those perservere till the end!

So I learn, and will keep on learning to say "Yes" to God. I won't just be another Yes Man in the world, but to be a Yes Man for God!

Happy 2009

Past is the word of 2008 yet ahead awaits the fresh new breeze of 2009.

It somewhat pins down to what I could call, sampling the air of 2009, which seems to lure me into...

Wahaha.. iight, I won't go on in my inspirational mode for I might lose everyone's attention.

I guess 2008 had been a great year, with me getting to know more of God's vision for me and also a season of pruning that the Gardener had been bringing me through. A season of rising up to take His calling and a season of humbling within to receive His directions.

I thank God so much for His faithfulness even as I looked back and reviewed the new year resolutions I set prayerfully with Him, and to see everything come to pass has been one great blessing.

During Watchnight @ James' house, we were told to eat write a blessing the Lord has poured forth in our lives in the year of 2008, and it struck all of us to admit that we couldn't possibly write just 'one blessing'. So taking the highlight, I wrote the greatest blessing I received - that my mother came to know Jesus Christ.

It's been cool to always look back and see how God fulfilled His promises and how I could have trusted Him more.

In July, Mom came to Brisbane to attend my graduation and during the trip, God spoke to me up at Mount Glorious that she was going to come to know Him during the holiday in Brisbane. Everyday I prayed really hard, trusting God for this promise to come to. My heart never failed to give an extra thud during the altar call for the Sinners Prayer, hoping that my Mom would respond to the call. However, till the last Sunday service, Mom still didn't accept Christ.

I began to cry out... Was it me that wanted Mom to be saved that much that I began to think words in my mind and made them God's words? I began to doubt and decided that maybe God would move in His own timing.. maybe not during this trip.

But as Mom and I headed to the airport as were heading back to Singapore, just five minutes before we entered the departure hall, Mom accepted Christ.

It was overwhelming... but then I hated myself for doubting, but through that I was glad I heard God's voice, and it was truly His voice that I heard... Now Mom has been growing strong in her faith back in Singapore and I believe for greater things to come... The salvation of my other family members and relatives.

As I plan once again prayerfully for the new year, may God guide me.. and YOU as we come to see His promises fulfilled.

Praise God and Happy New Year to all of you!