As you were growing
up, you might have heard countless times from your parents or teachers that you
are to apply common sense in life. But in my ministry and personal life, I have
grown to discover and realize that there is something more superior to common
sense. In fact, through life and ministry experiences, I am now totally convinced
and convicted that something else does supersede common sense, and that is to
follow the way of God!
‘Common sense’ is
defined in the Advance Oxford Dictionary as ‘the ability to think about
things in a practical way and make sensible decisions’. Well, people may think I am a practical person and someone with enough 'common sense', yet no matter how practical or ‘smart’ I may be, time and again, God always proves
that my human wisdom and logics alone cannot help me make the best of decisions in life and ministry.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 is well-known among many
Christians but regretfully, seldom applied as it is.
If you are a college/university
student, will you choose certain courses just because it’s the ‘trend’ or you
are pressurized to do so by your parents? I have seen too many students fail in
the courses they take up, or graduates who look lost not long after starting
their career. They either don’t have the interest, or they have yet to discover
the gifting or talents that God has actually given them.
If you are a career or
business person, will you choose to invest in certain properties or buy certain
shares just because of ‘pressure’ that may have come from family members or
peers? I must clarify that I’m not against people venturing into all these.
But, I have also seen many ended up in debts, burdened and bound by heavy
financial commitments just because they didn’t want to be ‘left out’ when
seeing others earning profit in their investments and thus blindly following
the ‘trend’.
If you are a minister
of God (e.g. apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher, or pastor), will you take up
every speaking engagement just because you are afraid to offend others for
rejecting their invitation? Or will you feel obliged to join/attend every invitation
by other ministers or groups of fellowship just because you are afraid to be
termed as a cult for not ‘networking’ with others? Will you follow just any
method or approach that other mega-churches may be practicing because you are
desperate for church growth? If you are a pastor, will you give in to every
single request of your ‘church attendees’ in the fear that they may leave you, thus
decreasing the number of your ‘members’ and the amount of giving into your
offering bags? Don’t get me wrong, I am not against ministers of God taking up
speaking engagements, fellowshipping with other fellow ministers, practicing
sound ‘blueprints’, or fulfilling reasonable demands/requests of church members
as long as you receive the ‘green light’ from God.
Remember Daniel of the
Bible? At a young age, Daniel and his friends chose not to defile themselves by
eating the sumptuous and common delicacies in Babylon (see Daniel chapter 1). That
was against the ‘trend’ then, and could have caused them to be in trouble.
But the Lord protected them and promoted them because they chose to
live by His way and leading. In Daniel chapter 3, Daniel's friends were then
thrown into the fiery furnace just because they refused to worship the golden image
made by King Nebuchadnezzar. But God saved them and He was with them because
they were firm in choosing only to worship the Lord as their only God and
refused to bow down to other gods (or idolize other things on this earth).
Then in Daniel chapter
6, Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den just because he chose to continually
seek only God’s advice instead of seeking petitions from man. Why didn’t Daniel just give in and be like others? Wouldn’t it be so much
easier? 'Common sense' says this would even save his ‘neck’ and save him from all
the troubles! I would conclude that besides having the fear of God, he was also
truly convinced throughout his life that he wouldn’t be where he was if it wasn’t
for the wisdom and revelation of God in his life. It’s no surprise that no one
else is like Daniel in history (i.e. someone who managed to hold important positions
in the royal service throughout the reigns of so many kings in Babylon). Have you
also noticed that every time he stood firm and followed only the way of God (notwithstanding
the hindrances he faced), he was
always promoted, time after time? Not just that, the name of the Lord
was also always glorified every time Daniel trusted in his God! Do you also want
the same outcome in today’s ‘Babylonian’ world?
Friends, God loves
you. He always has thoughts of peace toward you and He wants to give
you a future and a hope (see Jeremiah 29:11-13). You don’t have to strive with
your own strength to survive in this ‘Babylonian’ world. He has paved the way
to His knowledge, wisdom and revelation for you through the sacrifice of His
Son, Jesus and through the outpouring of His Spirit. If you would for one
moment just ‘shut your ears’ from the world and come before Him, you too will
have the ‘answer’. If you would choose to consult your All-knowing Father God
who indeed knows everything (especially what’s best for you) in every time and
season of your life, I believe without any doubt, you will definitely succeed and
prosper in everything you do, despite the ‘trend’ and the logic of this current
world. Amen.