#186 Life's pursuits (13may08)

'….for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him'
2 Peter 2:19

The great British gentry class pursuit of the fox hunt has in recent years run into a little storm in the teacup, as animal rights activists are increasingly not willing to put up with the sight of the poor fox being harried and harassed by a bunch of well fed nobility and their hounds. But then, this predatory attitude towards sport is not new. The old Britsh Raj was pretty fond of using their mahouts and their elephants to help them corner those large pussycats of the Indian jungle, ie the Bengal tiger.

'…a dog returns to its vomit….and a sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud'
2 Peter 2:20-22

The late Russian behavioral scientists, Ivan Pavlov made a succint observation of how dogs through a period of conditioning, will inadvertantly salivate when their sense are triggered by the sight of eg food, that they have been taught to react to. I don't recall vomit as one of the conditioners used, but the sight of pigs having a great time wallowing in the mud does bring back memories of those carefree days, when as kids, with decidedly less homework than now, many of us could enjoy more leisurely pursuits like soaking in one of those inevitable thunderstorms that tropical climes like ours are blessed with. And seems like then, no one falls sick from a little rain nor were there too many roasted by the inevitable lightning.

'…if indeed we share in his sufferings, so that we may also share in His glory'
Romans 8:16-17

The finer pursuits of life is the natural progression as one evolves in one's status in society. Where having joined the monied class, one could indulge in seemingly more frivolous activiites rather than the mundane need to make a living. One move from tatters in terms of one's attire to the Tatler magazine, and a drink in our poorer days was to drown one's sorrows, now one uses one's nasal capabilities to literally drink in new sensations that the juice of the fermented and squashed grape now provides.

But is life about the endless pursuit of the desires of the secular world and the unfettered indulgences one must engage in to justify the years of hardship spent in pursuing them or simply because it is one's birthright out of a silver spoon? Or should life truly be focussed on seeking the ever present God?

'…If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, ……....…for I am the Lord that healeth thee'
Exodus 15:26

Philosophical murmurings should be best left to the Athenians of old, who spend an undue amount of time engaging in such verbatim. I am no anti-bourgeoisie, on the contrary, I do partake in some form of pursuit of the 'nice' things of life, much to the chagrin of my wife who thankfully now understand that there is method to the madness. And for want of a better excuse, it is better to collect the inanimate rather than some who are more interested in building up a harem.

Man are made to seek. It is in our DNA, not scientifically proven, but from causal observations. Question is, what are we seeking?

God not just made us in His likeness, but He has placed that desire in us to seek Him. But why are so many seeking everything else except the Living God?

'And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her'
Luke 10:41-42

Martha felt rightfully aggrieved when she saw her sister, Mary having it easy, sitting at the feet of Jesus, while poor responsible her had to get everything organized to ensure a successful meal for Jesus and all. Like Martha, most of us truly want to use well,the gifts that God gave us, to do His work. But like Martha, have we moved from reliance on God to reliance on our own understanding?
All endeavours or rather every moment of our lives must start with, always be with, from and through our Lord Jesus Christ. We must let God lead.

'And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you'
Luke 11:9-10

An indulgent father is sometimes what most of us hoped for. A father whose deep pockets and easy manner will ensure our every whims and fancies would be met, that life is dandy and pursuits can be frivolous without consideration of the costs.

'….The Lord Will Provide…..'
Genesis 22:14

God will answer our prayers, if it is asked in His will. And our prayers are always answered if asked in His will, but not necessarily in the form and format that we desire, for only God knows what is good for us.

'And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not'
John 1:5

Like a rat on the threadmill, many of us continue to go through the rigours of life, plonking along the way as many symbols of worldly success round our half bend neck, believing that we will live long enough to enjoy these treasures, that the pedestal that we are up on will be with us for some time, and Hades is still some way off.

'What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?'
Ecclesiastes 1:3

'And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured….'
Ecclesiastes 2:18-19

Even if cumulation is not the appeal, but rather the fun is in the chase, as many a true collector will tell you, memories do fade with time and the need to account to God, our time on Earth is no triviality and to detract from the goal that He made us here for, will mean an eternity of not just deep regret, but damnation.

'Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved….'
Romans 10:1

This might be the prayer that many of us are uttering for the poor souls who have survived the immediate impact of the Myammar cyclone or the Sichuan earthquake. But much as we might cherish the physical well-being, it is the soul that matters even more.

The world has never been certain. But what is certain is that death is but a breath away and no one knows when that will happen. Compound that with an increasingly volatile world that we live in today, should we not think about bringing certainty to our lives, by seeking a faithful God whom our faith can be certain in?

'Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost'
Romans 15:13

'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God'
Matthew 5:8

We may engage in our worldly pursuits, but God is looking for a pure heart that is engaged with Him all the time.

God Blesses

Eng Hieang
13may2008