START WELL & FINISH WELL
(6-minute read)
Whether it's a groundbreaking innovation, the start of a new relationship, or a new life stage, beginnings can be highly alluring. They often start with a bang before turning mundane after the initial hype. A week ago, many people celebrated the crossover from 2023 to 2024, but it does not take long for the novelty of the new year to give way to familiarity by February. We soon forget all the lessons we had learnt in 2023.
Indeed, sustaining the initial momentum of any new undertaking can be challenging. This includes our commitment to God, especially after He has blessed us with early wins. So, just because we start well does not guarantee better outcomes.
The life story of King Uzziah is a classic example of one who started strong, seeking guidance from the Lord, and experiencing a series of successes in his life until he became proud and was struck with full-blown leprosy and lived in isolation. (2 Chronicles 26:3-21).
Clearly, the initial momentum does not determine the trajectory of our lives with God. There are three altars to be kept in our lives to ensure that we stay close to God, no matter what.
The ALTAR OF PRAYER
Being made in the image of God, we think, reason, imagine and analyze because God also has a mind. We feel because God has emotions. We desire to have meaningful human-to-human connections because God is relational. Prayer is a connection with God on all these levels – anytime, anyplace, and for anyone.
But does praying come naturally to Christians? No, prayerfulness is a spiritual instinct that needs to be cultivated throughout our lives. When we pray, we invite God to tutor us in the way we think about people and issues, to give us His perspective so that we may become more of one mind with Him, and aligned with His will and His purpose. (Philippians 2:5, 13).
When prayer becomes spontaneous in our lives, it becomes our default response to people and problems. On the other hand, when we act as though more information and greater knowledge alone will improve lives and help people overcome their difficulties, we act as though God does not exist.
To be prayerful is not about sticking to some habitual routine or chanting, but to have a God-seeking mind. When we pray, we are in fact allowing ourselves to be vulnerable before God, keeping our connection with Him firm, especially when tested through troubles. We no longer see God as part of a solution but as the source of all solutions.
We have this instruction from Ephesians 6:18, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
THE ALTAR OF WORSHIP
It is common to let our participation in corporate worship (or worshiping with others in church or a group setting) replace our personal, private worship. It is also erroneous to think that one - either corporate or private worship - is more powerful or important than the other. Each has different benefits.
Beyond playing praise songs on our Spotify playlists, worship is really about cultivating a constant awareness of God and of His Presence. While music may help us focus by shutting out the distractions around us, we must not mistake the means for the result. For that reason, no one should say they have spent time in private worship just because they have listened to a few worship songs!
In fact, true worship sustains a strong awareness of God’s presence and sensitizes us to His thoughts and feelings. Sometimes, this is the experience of being convicted about a certain attitude or behavior - like something we said to someone or the way we had said it that lacked concern or care for the other person. Or sometimes, we find ourselves making random utterances like thanking God for something even before any evidence that supports the outcome emerges. It is of course important to put in the caveat that this is not like positive thinking that is about believing in the power of optimism.
True worship uplifts our connection with God and reduces the hold of fear and worry over us. That is why it is so difficult to worship when we are worried and fearful because anxiety makes us desensitized to God, who is our Heavenly Father - the One who is worthy of all praise, honor and glory.
THE ALTAR OF GOD’S WORD
The Bible reminds us, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says… whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it - not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it - they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1:22-25).
We do that by letting God’s Word tutor and counsel us, filtering our private thoughts and examining our inner motives. But more importantly, studying God’s Word (or the Bible) is not about accumulating knowledge but about obeying what the Bible teaches and instructs us.
“The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.” (Psalm 19:7-8).
Indeed, the spiritual benefits of studying the Word of God are proven by human history and personal biographies. To be sure, the Bible is a map and not a destination. People don’t just study maps if they don’t plan to go anywhere! Similarly, just because we read the Bible daily does not mean we have gone anywhere deeper or further with God, no matter how much we read. In fact, a good study of the canon of the Bible involves not only unhurried reading, but also contemplation, engagement with God and experiencing the Word as a source of life and light within us. (John 1:1, 4).
As you prepare yourself to journey with God in 2024, paying attention to the altar of prayer, worship and God’s Word is definitely a good way to start!
This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 6 January 2024.
