(By Kim)
Sometimes things that seem little matter much in life. Take for instance these below five points. You may probably not learn these in a Bible school or a seminary, yet I believe they are important in determining the kind of impact you make for God’s Kingdom. One of my favourite Scriptures is Titus 2:7, which says “In EVERYTHING set an example by doing what is good” (emphasis mine). As someone said: Out of 100 men, one will read the Bible, the other 99 will read you!
(And even as you read this, remember the post applies to Derrick and I first. There are a lot of areas where we need to improve upon and we are working on it).
1. Be faithful in your assignment
I like what Mother Teresa said, “All of us can’t do great things, but we can do little things with great love.” Whether it is cleaning the chairs in the church, collecting the offering or leading a ministry – any responsibility that you take, make sure to leave a mark of integrity and excellence for others to see. Be responsible, faithful and disciplined in your respective assignments. Now 1 Samuel 17:20 may not be a Scripture that would have caught your attention before, but I like the fact that David was a responsible man and before he could run an errand for his father, he made sure that in his absence his sheep were safe under another shepherd’s care.
2. Be a man/woman of words
As a child of God your talk should not be cheap. When you say something you would do, please do. Whether it is replying to an email, visiting your church member or calling someone up to pray, walk your talk. And if due to some reasons you are unable to do so, make sure you communicate.
When you receive requests from people to pray and when you tell them you will pray, please pray. Many times we just say, I will pray or am praying, but we really never do. If you really have prayed, you will for sure ask the person for an update about his situation.
Also avoid exaggeration is all formats. The Bible says, Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. (Matthew 5:37).
3. Respect time – Others, and yours!
Be a good steward of your time. Make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:15, Colossians 4:5). Know your priorities and what should take bulk of your time.
When it comes to others, as far as possible, try to be punctual – whether it is for the church service, core meetings or ministry opportunities. Don’t keep people waiting. That’s bad. If there is an unforeseen delay, inform beforehand.
This is one area where Derrick and I are aiming to get better and we look upon our founder pastor as an example who is always before time for any appointment. Noe that’s a rare quality and God honours that.
4. Let go of carelessness
The devil is waiting for every opportunity to steal, kill and destroy you, and all that belongs to you (John 10:10). Exercise restraint and be careful about what you consume with your senses.
Also be careful about what belongs to you. Whether it is your wallet, watch or money, don’t be careless, lest the devil may rob you of your peace. Let me give you an example. At times I am careless in keeping my bills or money in its proper place in the house. When it is needed, hours are wasted searching for it. If I would have kept it carefully in the initial stage itself, the devil would not have got a chance to steal my time – which I could have utilized for much productive activities.
So watch out and don’t give the devil a foothold!
5. Maintain order
Our God is a God of order and we need to follow suit. Keep your house, your things in order. I have been to some of the houses of believers and its surprising that while they look so well-dressed all the time, their houses have a different story to tell. One look at their house and we already know how messed up their spiritual lives are.
Cleanliness and tidiness is an important part of our testimony to others. Of course, you will not go to hell because of lack of it, but is that the sort of example you like to set before others who are closely observing your life?