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Tuesday, September 13, 2005, Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Planted By The River of Purpose
You know something? Today i discovered what is called or meant when ur leader or pastor comes to you and asks "Do you know your purpose in life?" I felt a very strong feeling in my heart to write this because it would probably not just be a good article to read, but i pray and hope it would be edifying too.
To me, purpose means to be planted where you are supposed to be. Note; its not where you want to be, but where God; your Heavenly Father wants you to be. Of course, the ideal scenario would be to align both His desire and your desire as one and thus you would be able to accomplish more things, simply because everything; right or wrong starts from the heart.
A person's life purpose is to be planted by the river of God in his life, so that as he/she goes through the trials of life, the person could easily go to the riverbank, scoop a handful of water and take a sip from it. I love drinking water since young, so you could imagine how nice spirit filled water would taste like! To be able to fulfil your purpose in life, the person must first know where God wants him/her to go; what to do? and what to fulfil? If the person's career is driven by purely financial and material success, the person may be able to make it to the top but hurts and disappointment will no doubt fill their lives. Thats why we see young professionals, high flyers as the society calls them, successful and glamourous on the outside; zipping around the city in their lexus or bmw, but live a life of constant defeat; filled with bitterness and unforgiveness.
Don't get me wrong, financial and material success is important because we are in God's class; higher than any class or status that the world can provide. But if your heart is purely set on that, then you are not going to get far, now or in the future. The person must always make a decision to say "I am not going to make a decision based on what i want, but what He wants for me"
Throughout my life since young, i have never imagine i would one day be a teacher, changing and shaping lives the way my teachers did when i was young. Never. But ever since i started to be one, above all the adoration and respect that students look towards their teachers with, i felt that i am fulfilling something. Though the pay is not high, but the kind of satisfaction that you can derive from it is more than money itself. Through the past 8 months, i have seen some of my students changing for the better; being more responsive and willing to learn.
Awesome!
You could never say that students won't change; even right now there are still students in my NA classes that are not willing to learn and put in effort even in term 04, but i am still believing that they will change for the better. Back to the topic on fulfillment, every single day i feel that i could do more, touch more lives, impact my students or students i don't even teach by helping them with simple things with the PC so that for the moment, they could feel love, care and concern. Sometimes you will never know that this moment of love, care and concern could make the student change their course of their lives and the decision that they are going to make.
They could on the verge of quitting or going back to an old habit or mixing with the wrong company again.
But with the moment of love, care and concern, their lives could be changed.
Never belittle your students no matter how slow they may be.
Yes, given a choice, everyone including me would want to teach smart students packed with a good attitude. Who doesn't? But Singapore can only have 1 Raffles Institution, 1 Hwa Chong and 1 Singapore Chinese Girls School. If the teacher is willing to give his/her best during the class, this little effort will go far to shaping and changing lives.
I love teaching. Smart kids or slow kids. They matter as much to me.
In conclusion, i want to say that you might be a teacher or not; you might be working in the corporate world where politics, strife fill the office atmosphere daily. You might be working with a team member or colleague who may not be as smart as you are, but always remember:
Never turn your back on them because one day you too; may need their help.
Jesus didn't turn His back on us, came down from the cross and told God "God, I had enough of this nonsense, I am going back up to be with You now"
If He did that, all of us will live a life with no hope. no love and an eternity of burning in the depths of Hell.
So, what is the purpose of your life? Have you found it?
me
