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read between the lines
heaven on earth doesn't exist i've realised today that....life is temporary. i'm gonna fade away. no one's gonna remember my name or give a shit about how many A's i got in my modules or sth. it's what i do while i'm still alive that matters. and...it's all about god, not me. thy will, not my will be done. i might have ideas about how this and that can be improved, or what should be done or should have been done.....but i realise God's ways are best and...if my ideas are not in accordance with His, then i might as well just scrap my plans.i was doing the purpose-driven life book thingy today n today was day 6: life is a temporary assignment. n it really reminds me again: i am gonna die eventually, whether i want to or not. even if i'm afraid, even if i'm so scared of dying, i will have to take that step one day and i shouldn't be not thinking about it, becos if i don't think about it, i won't be planning how to live my life properly. today's devotion taught me that i gotta be constantly reminded of this short life on earth and how i shud make use of every moment of it, before i'm gone like a puff of smoke. it also reminded me that....life here is just the prelude to my proper life up there, in heaven. so everything here....is temporal, so i must once again remember to view things in that perspective, that i shouldn't build my treasures here, but in heaven where no moth can destroy (some verse of the bible which i forgot). and i was thinking about my life and how...all my problems and desires, if i view them as temporary, would all just make it easier to take. n this new piece of the puzzle of life was brought to mind: i've spent almost all my life looking for a sort of heaven on earth here, be it in people or material things, n all these things have been fleeting cos they seem to have a limit as to how long conditions will remain perfect (cos yeah, they're all temporal).....but, wouldn't it be better if i found a piece of real heaven, one that would remain in my heart forever (aka. one of eternal value) whether in good times or in bad? and what is that "piece of real heaven" i'm talking about? it's a slice of wisdom from above, the revelation of a truth, or some kinda value (like love, hope or faith) or the fruits of the spirit (humility, self-control, patience, peace, etc.) basically what i'm trying to say is, wouldn't it be better to have something eternal to take with me through life's journey, rather than go searching all through life for fake goods or the imitation of the real thing? cos one thing i've realised is, i'm never gonna find perfection here. i'll never have the perfect life: a perfect family with perfect parents, perfect job, perfect friends, etc. sure, things might seem perfect for a while but there will come a time when all will fail me, simply because by God's law nothing is perfect. and yet i've been looking for it my whole life, trying to find a slice of heaven in some kinda perfect niche or comfort zone....which i'm beginning to realise, is absolutely pointless, since there is no perfection here. instead, what i should be doing, is to try to gain some of the perfection from heaven (aka. those values and eternal truths) from God and continue fill my heart with these forever. cos these are the only things that are truly perfect: the truth (about life and things) and values that follow God's standard n not the world's (love, faith, purity, humility, self-control, peace, patience, etc.). these are the things that will truly stand the test of time and encourage me when i'm down or needy because these revelations and values will never fade. and ironically, as i was going through the previous chapters of the purpose-driven life book, i find so much of these values sung in switchfoot's songs. n man, they wrote some of the songs even before the book came out! it's totally cool, the way i see it....like the first chapter, about how there is a purpose for life and that purpose is we were made to live for God, suddenly the song "meant to live" from switchfoot's latest album (the beautiful letdown) and "something more (augustine's confession)" from their second album just came to mind. and for today's revelation from god, the song below seemed to fit in as i was playing it (i didn't relly play the cd on purpose; i jus realised it as i was singing the words and connecting it with the new thing i learnt today). the song's about letting go of earthly things and everything one loves so much in this world; asking God to help one let go of them. it's basically a conversation between oneself and God. very cool....i only figured out the lyrics about a year or two after i got the album, which was in 2001. PLAYING FOR KEEPS by Switchfoot Do me a favor Would You sing this to me slow? 'Cause I'm thinking it's my song Do me a favor Would You tell me when to let go? 'Cause I think I'm holding on Would You do it for me? Would You do it for me? 'Cause I'm playing for keeps Tell me tomorrow has come With open arms, open arms, open arms If You say it's time to move on Then I'll stop holding on, holding on If You say that it's time for moving on Do me a favor Would You tell me which way's up? 'Cause I don't know where I fit Do me a favor Would You tell me when to stop? 'Cause I don't know how to quit Tell me tomorrow has come With open arms, open arms, open arms If You say it's time to move on Then I'll stop holding on, holding on If You say that it's time for moving on Do me a favor Do me a favor... 'Cause I'm playing for keeps Tell me tomorrow has come With open arms, open arms, open arms If You say it's time to move on Then I'll stop holding on, holding on If You say that it's time for moving on btw, the "tomorrow has come" part means either heaven or the second coming, the time when perfect life has finally come i guess. |
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