Faith – Kallos

Finding My Purpose And Remaining Faithful In Sports – Chui Ling Goh Shares Her Story

Kallos Team — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:10:00 +0000

Having been involved in sports since an early age and going on to represent Singapore in the SEA Games, Chui Ling Goh pens her own journey and shares what God has been teaching her through sports.

WHO AM I?

It has been 17 years since I started high-performance sports. As a young 13-year-old girl in a neighbourhood school, I was looking for my individual identity, innate self-worth, and unique passions in life. My parents and sisters were my role models, but they were not … me. I sought myself and it might take a lifetime for me to say I truly know who God has created me to be, but through sports, I have gotten glimpses of the glory of the Lord and the individualised journey He has for me. In brief, God took my personal passions and adapted it for His plans, and I find myself going through a journey of faith to remain faithful to Him in a world that denies Him.

Through sports, I have gotten glimpses of the glory of the Lord
and the individualised journey He has for me.

SPORTS AND ME

To say I was created to do sports is an understatement. I come from an extraordinarily sporty family and was born with a competitive spirit. I was identified by teachers and coaches in schools for my inclination towards sports, and even out-sported my male classmates from a young age. At the age of 15 after entering the national youth squad, with no structured training, I was invited to train with (and eventually invited to attend) one of the top junior colleges in Singapore. When I was 19, I was invited to apply (and was eventually offered) the inaugural sports scholarship with National University of Singapore, when I also joined the national senior squad. By the age of 24, I was offered jobs based on my affiliation with sports, on the condition that I continue sports.

Through the different stages of my life, I contemplated and even took steps to leave sports, but sports always found me. When I was 26, I decided that I was going to retire from competitive sports because I started work as a lawyer and the pressures of my legal career felt too much for me to bear. But my legal mentor and coaches around me decided that it was not the end of my sporting career and tussled me out of retirement. I struggled and wrestled like Jacob wrestled with the Lord (Gen 32:22–32), but I relented when I learnt that it was not just God who wanted me in sports but that I myself had a grave passion for sports that I could no longer deny. I learnt that I loved running. I learnt that I was running not because I had to continue my commitment with the national team, or because I wanted to keep my scholarship or financial opportunities with sports. I learnt that despite the ups and downs in my life, I loved running. It brought me unspeakable joy and a sense of achievement that I could not find in other areas of my life.

THE STRUGGLE

However, through the many years of being in sports and despite being connected to various sports ministries (like Cru Athletes in Action), I struggled to comprehend and align the demands of high-performance sports together with God’s plan and purpose (for me) in sports. I had two deep-seated intellectual and spiritual struggles with sports and God:

What is God’s purpose in the physical pain of high-performance sports that I go through regularly, and how am I supposed to find God within?
How can I juggle the innate and common-place self-centredness in high-performance sports that is antithetical to God’s call for us to love and honour others (Luke 6:35)?

If I am not able to be good, or practise godly values in the field of sports, am I deserving of being a witness for the Lord? The lack of alignment between sports and God in my life saw me retract many times back to my shell, feeling undeserving of my spot in sports on the one hand, and lacking purpose and intentionality in sports, on the other.

SEA GAMES 2023

In 2023, after years of a dull life in sports,the Lord intervened. It started with my 1500m event at the South-East Asian (SEA) Games, when things went beyond my control and spiralled. The schedule of my events was changing multiple times at the eleventh hour, causing additional stress and anxiety on my already pressured body. On top of the additional stress, I struggled deeply with sleep the night before due to external factors, like the random beeping of a smoke detector running out of battery. I went into the competition like a zombie, feeling defeated, only to experience God in a measure that I did not foresee. At the end of the race, I clinched the bronze medal in the 1500m event. It was a miracle. The run became my testimony, and the Lord assured me that despite my inability to find purpose and self-worth in sports (yet, then), I had work to do there, and He was honouring my passion in running.

The run became my testimony, and the Lord assured me
that despite my inability to find purpose
and self-worth in sports (yet, then),
I had work to do there, and He was honouring my passion in running.

DEALING WITH MY HEART

Over the next few months, the Lord unravelled my approaches to sports and broke down deep strongholds I have had about sports and pain which had hindered me in my pursuit of sports. On many levels, I lacked the focus and will to be the head and not the tail (Deut 28:13). With the intellectual and spiritual struggles I have had with having a sporting career as a follower of Christ, I felt that I lacked the dignity and grace in sports that the Lord had bethrew me with (Prov 31:25–31). But now, I run more sober and clear-headed than ever before (1 Pet 1:13) — to make space to run with the bravery and courage that God has called me to run with (Josh 1:9), and run for and towards God through pain.

But now, I run more sober and clear-headed than ever before
… run for and towards God through pain.

ROLE MODELS IN SPORTS

But beyond my personal experiences, I saw the way in sports through other godly witnesses. I saw how it is entirely possible to be a world-class athlete without being selfish or self-glorifying. Athletes like Allyson Felix (USA), Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) and Nicola Olyslagers (Australia) have approached world-class sports selflessly, to be antithetical to the norm of the self-centredness of performance sports. Since top Christian athletes like them are able to practise their craft without being selfish and still reach the top of their sport, I do not need to conform to the selfish ways of the world in order to reach the top of my sport. To inherit the legacy of those who came before me is such a privilege; being able to run with the forerunners called by the Lord. I have accepted that I was not created to bear the glory of the world, and that gives me true freedom to run my best.

I do not need to conform to the selfish ways of the world
in order to reach the top of my sport.

RUNNING FORWARD

When I was learning to be a Christian athlete, I was taught that I had to use the platform I was given to be a witness for the Lord (Matt 28:16–20, Isa 43:10). After years of wrestling intellectually with my purpose in sports for the Lord, I have structured three main dimensions of work for myself in sports. I call them P2P³:

Platform to PRAY: Remembering my motivations and the Giver of my talents.
Platform to PERFORM: Do not be lazy but do the hard work, and fight for my platform and influence, without losing sight of being a gracious competitor.
Platform to PREACH: Give thanks for the talent and acknowledge that I am stewarding the talent I have been entrusted with. Be a witness to the Giver of my talents and the right motivation for sports.

These areas of work align my motivation and conduct to those of the Lord’s, in a world that does not acknowledge His existence and value. With these, I find my passion and conduct aligned and properly ordered with my spirit and godly values, allowing me the freedom and liberty to run my best for the Lord. This is how I choose to remain faithful in sports.

Finding Hope

Alina Teo — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 21:46:00 +0000

THE BENCH

Recently, I came across the phrase, ‘HOPE IS EVERYTHING’. It was engraved on a park bench, which seemed as if it was proclaiming this truth to those walking by. But even the people coming to sit on it might not have noticed these faint words.

As I watched people walk by the bench, I wondered …

What does hope look like for them?
What does hope look like to me?
What does hope look like in the Bible?

In our broken world, we might feel there isn’t much hope. For the person who is dying of a terminal illness, or one who has just lost someone dear, or a patient finding out that one has a life-crippling disease to be endured for the rest of one’s life, or a refugee in a country where they can’t even understand the language, or a soldier caught in the crossfire of a raging war, what hope can be seen in their situations?

When I look at Vincent van Gogh’s famous paintings of sunflowers, I see hope. The sunflowers are dying, with their petals drooping slightly with brown discolouration. Yet, the many seeds that are in the middle of the flowers contain so much hope for the future. New beginnings await. Are we looking at the dying petals or the spring of hope that is to come?

WHAT DOES HOPE MEAN TO YOU?

Is hope some sort of wishful thinking? Perhaps it’s something as consequential as, “I hope to get good grades in school without working hard,” or something as simple as, “I hope tomorrow will be a sunny day even though the weather forecast says it’ll rain.” This is one sense of hoping, but thankfully, God’s hope isn’t as uncertain and unreasonable as that.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT HOPE?

When Paul and Silas were in jail, chained up to the wall, what was their song of hope then (Acts 16)? They were singing praises to God while in their chains before any quiver of the earthquake that broke their chains had begun. Yet, their hearts were hopeful in the One who could save them.

Paul declared, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). Hope of eternity with the One he loved was the hope that kept Paul going and pursuing after Christ. In all he did and had to endure, Paul professed this hope of glory that awaited him (Col 1:27). In the same way, we have that same hope of glory in Christ.

I like the way John Piper puts it in his sermon series on hope to his church in Bethlehem. He preached that “biblical hope is not just a desire for something good in the future, but rather, biblical hope is a confident expectation and desire for something good in the future.”

Even if at this moment, things are not going well, there is still something good in the future we can look forward to. There is a hope we can cling on to. And cling on tight we must.

Jesus Christ came to earth, died on the cross and rose again so that we now have the assured hope of being reconciled with God when we believe in Him (1 Pet 1:3). Jesus, having walked this earth as a human, understands our pain, our hurt, our insecurity. On this side of eternity, life does get tough, but we are not alone. God knows each of our journeys and He is with us through it all.

Christ is the steadfast, never-changing hope that we can cling onto and trust, because He is faithful and He loves us so deeply. Only because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8), and what He promises He will do, we can then stand upon His assured hope.

Biblical hope is not just a desire for something good in the future,
but rather, biblical hope is a confident expectation and desire
for something good in the future.

WHY HOPE?

Although hope is there for our taking, we often forget. When life gets hard and we look around us, we despair. When our school grades don’t match up to our expectations, or when our friends talk behind our backs, making us feel excluded and alone, or when we are not good enough in our own eyes compared to others, or when we have no solution for our family which is breaking apart, we despair. The psalmist knew the tendency for humans to despair, especially when the going gets tough, thus the intentional proclamation in Psalm 42:5,

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise Him,
my Saviour and my God.

God is our help. He is our unshakeable rock (2 Sam 22:32, Ps 18:31, Is 26:4) in whom we can trust. Listen to how the psalmist puts it. “Hope in God!” he says, almost like a command, asking you to choose hope. It isn’t just a passive sit-back-and-let-me-be-filled-with-hope. It is an active, intentional action. Choose to hope. Tell yourself to hope. Because in our fallenness, with the brokenness of our world and the pain we experience in life, hoping does not come naturally. If we don’t preach hope to ourselves, despair may give way to discouragement and a disturbed spirit.

When the Israelites were stuck in between the Red Sea and the Egyptian Army that was in hot pursuit of them, terror met them face to face. Hope was not a close friend. But Moses stood firm and declared, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today … The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exod 14:13‭–14). In essence, what Moses was saying to them was, in the missionary William Carey’s words, “Expect great things from God!”

Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise Him,
my Saviour and my God.

HOPE AMID DESPAIR

Don’t despair! Hope in God and see Him work for your good as He did for Israel in and out of Egypt. God delivered His people from the hands of their oppressors and He is more than able to deliver you from oppression.

When we look at hope, we can see it as a “reservoir of emotional strength”, as preached by John Piper. People will fail us and we will encounter situations that look bleak and we will at times feel helpless. But in those moments, let the emotional reservoir of hope in God lift you up. When things do not go the way you imagined, let your hope in God push you on to keep trying. When you encounter temptations to step away from the right path, let the emotional reservoir of hope in God give you strength to stick to the path of righteousness and deny yourself temporary, short-lived pleasures.

Remember that biblical hope is ours to hold onto and be assured that we can expect good in the future because of Christ in our story. And as we walk this journey, our hearts can be lifted to know that God does not leave us to ourselves. He holds our hand and walks alongside us.

God delivered the Israelites from the hands of their oppressors
and He is more than able to deliver you from oppression.

AN ONGOING STORY OF HOPE

Katherine and Jay Wolf from Hope Heals share their stories of hope amid the deep suffering they have been through and are still working through. Hope Heals was set up to share Katherine and Jay’s story through books, podcasts and camps to challenge the myth that joy is only found in a pain-free life. Rather, they are stating that joy can be found in a good/hard story that God is writing in each of our lives.

Katherine was only 26 years old when she was struck with a near-fatal brain-stem stroke caused by a congenital brain defect that she was entirely unaware of. She had given birth to her baby boy just six months earlier. Their world came crashing down and their lives were flooded with too many questions they had no answers to. But God planted in them hope that did not disappoint. The emotional reservoir of hope they had been building kept them going.

One 16-hour brain surgery, 40 days in the Intensive Care Unit, 11 surgeries, and one year in a neuro-rehabilitation centre later, Katherine and Jay’s faith in God has only deepened. Katherine shared, “You have a stunning capacity to endure incredibly hard things because of Jesus in your story …. May you see your life as a good/hard story that God Himself is writing.”

What does hope look like to you?
Who do you get your hope from?

Let that hope be Jesus.
He gives us hope in this life that nothing and no one else ever can.
JESUS IS EVERYTHING.

Remember & Return

Alina Teo — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:32:00 +0000

Would you look and see
Open your eyes once again and behold
In your daily wanderings
Pause
Listen to My voice once again
And return to Me
I am here
I have been with you

THE PROPHET JEREMIAH

Neither did they say,
“Where is the LORD,
Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and pits,
Through a land of drought and the shadow of death,
Through a land that no one crossed,
And where no one dwelt?”
I brought you into a bountiful country,
To eat its fruit and its goodness.

Jeremiah 2:6–7a (NKJV)

At this point in Israel’s history when the prophet Jeremiah shared these words of God, the people had forsaken Him and were chasing after other gods. Instead of the devotion they had vowed unto God (Jer 2:2–3a; cf. Exod 19:7–8), the Israelites went far away from God and forsook Him and His ways. They gave themselves over to other gods and no longer feared the true God.

In His mercy, God spoke through Jeremiah time and time again over 40 years to warn the Israelites of impending judgement if they did not repent and turn back to Him. Through Jeremiah, God continually called the Israelites to “Return, you backsliding children” (Jer 3:22). If they returned to Him, God promised to heal and provide for them, restoring their brokenness (3:12–17).

DRINK FROM THE FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS

In Jeremiah 2:4–3:5, when the prophet Jeremiah sounded the call to the people of Israel to remember God, he shared that God referred to himself as “the fountain of living waters” (2:13). However, instead of drinking from living waters, the people have “hewn themselves cisterns — broken cisterns that can hold no water” (v. 13).

To hew means to cut or chop into the shape of something and a cistern is a vessel for storing water. Why are we drinking from damaged tanks of stagnant water when we have access to the very source of flowing freshwater?

For some of us, our studies and grades have become the broken cisterns that we drink from, in that we derive pride and find our sense of worth from them. For others, the image others have of us — that we are responsible, capable, or clever at certain tasks — has shaped our identity. We strive to keep up that image over resting in who God says we are — already and always his beloved ones (Jer 31:3; Gal 2:20). Perhaps it is the enticement of earthly things that has taken your attention off God and you no longer desire a closer walk with God like before.

Why are we drinking from damaged tanks of stagnant water
when we have access to the very source of flowing freshwater?

Hear again the words of the prophet Jeremiah: “‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the LORD; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the LORD; ‘I will not remain angry forever’” (Jer 3:12).

What are these broken cisterns in your life today? What have you been trying to draw life from that has replaced the true source of life?

Would you give these stagnant sources over to God and drink instead from the ever-flowing and refreshing fountain of living waters?

REMEMBER AND RETURN

Just as God remembers Israel in their early days in order to stir their hearts for Him (Jer 2:1–3), we too can remember what God has done in our lives in order to turn our hearts back to Him.

This is the same God who brought the Israelites out of slavery into freedom (Exod 14:27-31), led them through the wastelands (Exod 16:35), delivered them through many trials (Deut 2:24-25, Josh 4:22-24), and caused them to establish themselves in a new land which had not been theirs (Josh 6:20). Throughout their journey, He was with them and He kept His promise to them.

God promised to bless Abraham and his descendants and make them a blessing (Gen 12:2-3). He promised to be with the Israelites if they would obey and walk before Him (Exod 13:21-22, Jer 3:12-18). He promised rest for their souls if they returned to Him (Jer 6:16). This is our God who calls out to us to return, beloved children, and stop running our own way.

When we recognise and remember God working in our lives — in however small or big a way — our hearts will go back to that place of praise and fear of God, knowing that God’s hand has been in it all — being present with us, providing and caring for us even when we failed to notice, guiding and protecting us.

So how do we remember?

Journal. One simple way to remember the small and big things God has done in your life is to journal. Write the numbers 1 to 30/31 on a page — one number for every day of the month. Write one line (or more!) of thanksgiving at the end of each day and let this growing list be a way to remember God and His goodness in your life.
Read the Bible. The stories in the Bible are such good places to begin remembering the amazing deeds God has done in history. From the beginning of time to the resurrection of Jesus and beyond, God has not stopped His good work. Let your faith arise as you read these stories and let them inspire you in your personal walk with God.
Share. Inviting others to come alongside our journey gives us the opportunity to retell the stories that we experience with God in our lives. Sometimes, it may be a story about something you have been praying for. Whether you’re still waiting or God has answered, sharing your story gives you space to reflect and remember.

Heed the call to remember once again. Will you take time and take care to remember who God is and what He has done for you, and to hear His promises for you?

How we so often and so easily forget
We have not remembered
Let’s start again
And choose
To remember

Seeing the Old Anew

Alina Teo — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 11:12:00 +0000

WHAT IS LITURGICAL PRAYER?

For a while now, I have been pondering about the meaning and place of liturgy in our lives. Liturgy can be understood as the way in which public religious worship, in particular Christian worship, takes place.

You see, I come from the background of a charismatic church which barely sang hymns, but often rocked the latest Christian hits. Prayer was mostly a spontaneous affair that came “straight from the heart”, not pre-written and read out during the service.

So, liturgical ways that involved prayer books and traditional services were lost on me for a long time. But in recent years, I have been mulling more particularly on liturgical prayer and its significance and place in our lives because of various books I have read, experiences I have lived through, and people I have spoken to.

THREE INFLUENCERS OF FAITH: ELISABETH ELLIOT, RICHARD J. FOSTER, STEPHEN CROTHERS

For starters, reading Elisabeth Elliot’s works has been thought-provoking. Elliot was a missionary to Ecuador who lost her husband to martyrdom. Yet, she went on reaching out to the same people who had hurt her (Read more about her in our article In Acceptance Lieth Peace). Throughout her life, she wrote many books and had radio broadcasts about her experiences and thoughts towards God. Elliot did not mince her words and her works have challenged and influenced me to always live in light of who God truly is and to have faith.

In some of her writings, she shared how praying through the prayers of saints have helped her in her own journey of seeking God and finding the words that she could not articulate herself. Adding on to that, she believed that we are joining in with the long history of fellow believers who have prayed these prayers and have sought and found God. We, who are the body of Christ, are not alone in our walk with God, but are carrying that same refrain to God, who is the same God over all time.

When I was younger, I always saw traditional liturgies — these set lines to recite — as boring and old-fashioned. Using them was as if we could not come up with something better or more relevant for our time. But is that really the case? Or was I perhaps a bit immature and letting pride take the place of a humble heart to learn and grow in ways I wasn’t open to explore?

The heartfelt cries of the saints of old who felt lost, broken, disappointed, or angry, the real anguish and pain they brought to God and penned into prayers to remind themselves of God’s faithfulness, are the prayers that we now have the privilege to also utter as a way of saying, “Yes, God, I need You as much as the saints before me did.” These written prayers are still very relevant to us today.

We, who are the body of Christ, are not alone in our walk with God,
but are carrying that same refrain to God, who is the same God over all time

Another author who has highlighted liturgical prayer is Richard J. Foster. Years ago, my pastor passed me this book as I was searching to have a deeper prayer life. In his book, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, Foster highlights five points for us to consider through liturgical prayer to grow in our prayer life:

1. Liturgical prayer enables us to express the longings of our heart that are at times hard to put into words. Perhaps at times, we do not even want to pray. These liturgical prayers act as a crutch for us to still limp towards God in times of our woundedness.
2. Liturgical prayer helps us to join in with the community of saints. The act of uttering the very words spoken by so many who have gone before us can be likened to us marching to the same beat in the grand marching band of Christ.
3. Liturgical prayer helps us to stay away from the enticement of a prideful show of self. It relinquishes the need for skilful words or any sort of appealing personality. It is simply praying the words that have been prayed. It enables us to focus more on God, rather than the person leading the prayer.
4. Liturgical prayer pushes us to shy away from letting the frivolous concerns of our lives dominate our prayers. Through the liturgy, we are constantly brought back to the Word of God, to open our hearts to the poor and regard the turmoil of the world.
5. Liturgical prayer keeps our reverence for God, remembering that He is the Almighty God our Creator. Through the stately and formal ways that liturgy is presented, we are reminded of the distance between God and us, and we are to fall in reverent awe before Him.

Holding liturgical prayer and our own personal prayer in tandem may be the answer to a greater growth in our own Christian journey.

These liturgical prayers act as a crutch for us to still limp towards God
in times of our woundedness

Stephen Crothers of A Liturgy Collective (a group that comes together to reimagine ways of worship needed in all seasons of life) shared in a workshop titled, “Worship, Liturgy and Seeking Renewal in Public Worship”, about how we should not sideline liturgies in our worship to God but instead see them as a way to deepen our worship of God.

Perhaps for those who have grown up knowing liturgies, this might be a start to look at liturgies with fresh eyes and see how you can worship God deeper through this means. For others like me who have not had much chance to delve into liturgy, there’s always a place to start and reap the riches it has to offer.

Holding liturgical prayer and our own personal prayer in tandem
may be the answer to a greater growth in our own Christian journey

THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER

The prayers in The Book of Common Prayer are called Collects and there are patterns and structures set in place in these prayers that model after many biblical prayers. Scot McKnight in his book, To You All Hearts are Open: Revitalising the Church’s Pattern of Asking God, introduces these structures.

Firstly, liturgical prayer often begins with addressing God by a certain quality we know Him by.

Then, it goes on to confession and repentance.

Finally, it goes on to supplication based on related promises and characteristics of God, and the purpose that would be fulfilled through the answered prayer.

SHALL WE PRAY?

As an example of liturgical prayer, I have chosen part of a daily morning prayer from The Book of Common Prayer that we can pray through together. The use of older pronoun forms are simply because that was how language was used in the past and also a way of showing reverence to God. This is a simple prayer reminding us of our need for God and the grace He offers us when we humbly come to Him.

You may join me in prayer together here:

Almighty and most merciful Father,

We have erred and strayed from Thy ways like lost sheep, we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, we have offended against Thy holy laws, we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.

But Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, spare thou those who confess their faults, restore thou those who are penitent, according to Thy promises declared unto humankind in Christ Jesus our Lord; and grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Thy holy Name.

Amen.

In Acceptance Lieth Peace

Alina Teo — Tue, 30 May 2023 12:10:00 +0000

IN ACCEPTANCE LIETH PEACE: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Elisabeth Elliot (1926–2015) was the widow of a martyred missionary, Jim Elliot. With her very young daughter, Valerie, she eventually returned to the Waodani in Ecuador, the very people group who killed her husband, and continued the work of bringing the gospel that he had begun. Hers is a story of forgiveness, hope, and acceptance of the will of God, knowing He is a good and trustworthy God.

She writes in Be Still My Soul: Reflections on Living the Christian Life about six choices that lead to acceptance of the will of God, bringing peace. Elisabeth tells us, “[God] didn’t give me a bridge over troubled waters, but [God] kept the promise that when I passed through the waters, He would be with me …. The one thing that [God] requires of us in response to deep waters is acceptance.”

CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE

Christ’s work on the cross made way for a continual exchange of the new for the old. You may not like this current season or circumstance you are facing, but you can choose your heart posture. God exchanges our weakness for His strength. He takes our sins and covers us with His righteousness. He gives us joy in place of sorrow. If you make that choice to trust God’s faithfulness in the joys and pains that happen through life, God can bring you delight even in the darkest moments.

CHOOSE TO OFFER YOUR PAIN TO GOD

Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28–30, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” God wants to share in our pain if we do choose to offer it to Him.

Whether it is pain from a broken relationship, death of someone dear, a disaster that seems totally unfair, or any other pains that you can think of: our God is one who, in Elisabeth’s words, “knows how to bring good out of evil”. We can trust Him with our pain.

If you make that choice to trust God’s faithfulness
in the joys and pains that happen through life,
God can bring you delight even in the darkest moments.

This offering of our pain may have to be done over and over again till we sense that lifting of pain. It is not easy and it may be a slow process. Yet, you are not alone. God can take our rants, frustrations, and laments along the way, and He is in the midst of continually refining us. That is how loving and patient God is with us. Choose to offer your pain to God, that you would find peace.

CHOOSE TO RECEIVE WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN WITH OPEN HANDS

There are things that we cannot change. We can sulk about it, live in regret, and beat ourselves up, or perhaps even do nothing about it. But perhaps, another alternative we can consider is to receive what God has given us with a surrendered heart. As Elisabeth puts it, “It is a willed choice”. With this surrender, we are letting God work in our lives for our good.

CHOOSE TO RENEW YOUR COMMITMENT TO HIM

For one who knew pain, bereavement, and loneliness, Elisabeth encourages us to choose Christ once again, in spite of the emotional state we may be in. Just like the psalmist declares in Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.” The negative emotions may be present, but we can choose to renew our commitment to Christ and trust in Him.

This offering of our pain may have to be done over and over again
till we sense that lifting of pain.
It is not easy and it may be a slow process. Yet, you are not alone.

CHOOSE TO PRAISE HIM

One of the hardest things to do is to praise when there seems nothing to give thanks for. But we can look at the example of the prophet Habakkuk and how he praised God and rejoiced in Him even when he saw no fruit, no crop and no cattle. Habakkuk declared, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour” (Hab 3:18).

Habakkuk declares God’s awesomeness and glory, reminding himself that God is the sovereign God who is his strength (Hab 3:19). It is not a pretense that we put up, but a quiet confidence and trust, when we know and rejoice that God is who He says He is — our faithful promise keeper.

CHOOSE TO DO THE NEXT THING

In her book, Elisabeth shares a poem by an unknown author that became one of the “mottoes of [her] life”. It goes like this:

From an old English parsonage, down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, as it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.
And on through the hours the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration — “DO THE NEXT THING.”

Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, guidance, are given.
Fear not tomorrows, Child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus.
“DO THE NEXT THING.”

Do it immediately; do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His Hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing,
Leave all resultings, “DO THE NEXT THING.”

Looking to Jesus, ever serener,
(Working or suffering) be thy demeanour,
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing,
Then, as He beckons thee
“DO THE NEXT THING.”

When we accept God’s will for our lives and continue to take the next step, do the next thing we know to do, we can be assured that He is with us. The next thing may be to send a text message to a friend where reconciliation needs to take place, or it may be to turn up for church service this Sunday. For others, it may mean choosing not to lie to your parents the next time they ask you something. Whatever the next thing might mean to you, do it as a worship unto God and know that God sees you.

WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE TODAY?

“In Acceptance Lieth Peace.” This was the title of a poem by the missionary Amy Carmichael, and a phrase that Elisabeth relied on as well.

Perhaps just as Elisabeth did so many years ago, we too, can make these six choices in our daily life to walk with God, trusting in His faithfulness to be with us in the darkest of times.

You are Enough – It’s time to stop comparing with others

Alina Teo — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 21:30:00 +0000

NEVER FEELING ENOUGH

Growing up, I struggled with low self-esteem, as I often compared myself with others. It was as if nothing I did was ever good enough, be it in sports, music, schoolwork, how I looked, and so on. The list could only grow.

I didn’t want to feel that way, but I constantly did. I kept wondering how in the world I could escape from this torment of my own mind.

I prayed and asked God for help. Slowly, as I gave space for the Holy Spirit to work, I became more aware that I often felt an inclination to be more like someone else and I grew unhappy with the way I viewed myself. It became clearer that the real issue was that of contentment. The question I needed to answer was: Am I contented with who God has made me to be and what He has given me?

The truth is that once you start comparing, it never ends. There isn’t an end to it. In your mind, there’s bound to be someone better than you, cleverer than you, prettier than you, funnier than you … when will the comparisons stop?

When we compare with others, we forget that God made us the exact way we are. There is beauty and a special way you say or do things that only you can bring to the world. No one else can be you, so don’t rob the world of the precious gift of yourself.

WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD HAVE TO SAY?

Perhaps we need to hear the truth once again from the Bible, where Leah was looked upon as seemingly not one to be chosen or loved (Even her father had the cheek to use her as a pretender Rachel to deceive Jacob! Read more in Genesis 29.)

Yet, God chose her. God called her. God cherished her.

Leah was the one who was chosen by God to bear a son who would eventually lead to the line of Jesus (Gen 29:25, 49:10, Matt 1:1-17). It wouldn’t be a son of Rachel, the pretty and popular one. God loved Leah just as she was and chose her. He had a really important role for her to play in His story. God saw her and He had an amazing plan for her life even if it did not seem so to her at many points.

Someone had chosen her, someone did love her —
with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love

Judah was Leah’s fourth son. With the birth of her older sons, Leah had sought her worth and love from her husband which never really came in the way she had hoped. After she gave birth to her first son, she thought that Jacob would love her because of the son she had borne for him (Gen 29:32). She was disappointed. She thought of her second son as compensation for how unloved she was (Gen 29:33). Bearing her third son, Leah still held out hope that Jacob would finally be attached to her (Gen 29:34). Once again, disappointment was her close friend.

But the day she bore Judah, Leah got it. “This time”, she understood (Gen 29:35a). Even if the world did not deem her worthy of love or did not see her significance, God saw her and that’s what mattered: and so, she will praise God (Gen 29:35b). I like how the children’s author Sally Lloyd-Jones put it in The Jesus Storybook Bible: “Someone had chosen her, someone did love her — with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.” Leah stopped seeking approval or letting her worth be tied to anyone else but God.

LOOK INSIDE

How often do we let other voices steal the worth God has already set in us? How often have we looked around and compared ourselves with others rather than look at what God has already gifted us?

Are we willing to let the walls of comparison and self-derision come crashing down and let God’s love overtake us? When we build up these walls by choosing to believe that other people or other things define us other than God, it becomes harder to hear the loving voice of God speak truth where we need it most.

Perhaps like Leah, you feel unloved, unwanted and insignificant and you can’t see how God’s good plan can take shape in your life. Look at Leah’s story and take heart. Just as Leah believed and took God’s assurance to heart, would you open your heart to hear these words for yourself today: God has chosen you. God has called you. God cherishes you.

LIVE IN GOD'S TRUTHS

Here are a few ways we can start living in God’s truth instead of lies:

We need to renew our minds. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will.” We need to change how we think by submitting ourselves to God. With the help of the Holy Spirit, our minds can be transformed. But we have to begin by filling our minds with the things of God that are found in His word. We need to start learning to read and dwell upon God’s word, believing and living out the truths it tells us (Check out our article with Deborah and Elicia studying the Bible together https://www.kallos.com.sg/library/issue-43/we-did-a-bible-study-together/).
We need to surround ourselves with people who build us up instead of tear us down. Who are the people you allow to speak into your life? Proverb 12:26 instructs, “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Friends are a big part of our lives, so if we surround ourselves with authentic followers of Christ who spur us on toward Him, we are in good company.
Take stock of the gifts God has blessed you with. Sit down and take the time to ponder about the wonderful way God has made you. Even if these things seem insignificant to you, know that God made you “fearfully and wonderfully” and there is much to praise God in that (Ps 139:14).

Hear these words for yourself today:
God has chosen you. God has called you. God cherishes you.

Let God’s truth fill your heart.

You are enough.

I too have to remind myself of this and let the Holy Spirit help me choose contentment daily. We are all on this journey with Christ, growing toward the fullness of who we have been made to be as we seek Him.

Even if you don’t feel it currently, choose to stand upon God’s truths and let that shape the way you think and act. You are a precious gift to the world, so don’t hide away but be brave and be you.

Come, My Beloved – God’s gentle call to us in times of uncertainty

Alina Teo — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 12:50:00 +0000

WHAT'S GOING ON?

I’ve found myself finding it a little harder to hope. With uncertainty looming from so many fronts — from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria, to the almost monthly shootings in the USA. Sure, these events are not happening to me, but somehow, I feel their effects. Not too long ago, with the decrease in supply of chickens to Singapore, even the seemingly simple task of buying a plate of chicken rice proved to be a feat in itself. What is happening in our world?

Sometimes, I don’t know how to feel or process these happenings. It is hard. At times, I feel hard-pressed to hope for some semblance of good news next month. Because to be honest, I’m not even sure what next month holds.

WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD HAVE TO SAY?

But as I sat in church the other day, with the preacher declaring God’s Word from Psalm 17, I realised that these feelings of being surrounded and pressed in from all sides may not be unfamiliar to the people of faith in the ancient past. David, the shepherd boy who became king of Israel, was in that place of distress and anguish. He described his enemies “as a lion [being] eager to tear his prey” and “a young lion lurking in secret places” (v. 12 NKJV).

Although his life was in danger from his enemies and fear must have been mounting, David refused to take matters into his own hands. Instead, he cried out to God to “attend to my cry” and “give ear to my prayer” (Ps 17:1)! David’s response was not to go against his enemies with his own might or cleverness. In contrast, David laid himself bare before God and asked God to test his heart; David “purposed that my mouth shall not transgress” (v. 3).

David refused to take matters into his own hands.
Instead, he cried out to God to “attend to my cry” and “give ear to my prayer”!

David was not going to fight his battle his way (v. 5). He determined in his heart and had the humble faith to allow God’s vindication to come in God’s own way and God’s own time. Trust is what David resolved to do. In the midst of trouble, he turned to God and relied on God’s help and vindication. He actively sought God and remembered who God is — a God who saves those whom He loves and who trusts in Him (v. 6–9).

AN ENCOURAGEMENT

Maybe today, your battles aren’t because of global wars or local unrests, but your battles take the form of war and unrest inside of you — the despair you carry around that no one sees; the crippling thoughts about yourself that you keep under wraps. Perhaps your battles are hardships in school or among friends or colleagues, or the difficulty of fitting in or having someone close enough to confide in. Perhaps it is the heavy burden of work placed upon you that is crushing you. The same encouragement holds true for you too:

“I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God …
O You who save those who trust in You” (vv. 6–7)

Today, God is calling to you to come to Him, you who are His beloved. He is asking you to give Him your despair, your heartache, and your pain. Turn to Him, and He will save you.

He actively sought God and remembered who God is —
a God who saves those whom He loves and who trusts in Him (Ps. 17: 6–9).

This brings to mind the hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. The lyrics sing of us beholding Christ again in our everyday lives. Despite our circumstances, good or bad, there is a call to be present and to “turn your eyes”! Not tomorrow, not later, but turn now. Sovereign Grace Music composed a modern version of this song, adding a chorus:

Jesus, to you we lift our eyes
Jesus, our glory and our prize
We adore You, behold You, our Saviour ever true
Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You

When we turn our eyes to His beauty, goodness, and faithfulness, when we behold Christ, we turn our eyes away from the craziness, the messiness, and the despair that we may be experiencing. It doesn’t take away these circumstances, but it changes our focus to the One who is in control.

Today, God is calling to you to come to Him, you who are His beloved.
He is asking you to give Him your despair, your heartache, and your pain.
Turn to Him, and He will save you.

To behold means to observe or to see, usually something remarkable to us. When we behold Christ, we are intently looking upon, we are gazing, taking time to appreciate Him. We let Christ be our centre. We can keep our eyes fixed on Christ and say, I trust in You, God, my hope and my light.

Would you come and behold Christ today?

God will give me my heart’s desires…right?

Kallos Team — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 09:20:00 +0000

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” – Psalm 37:4

How can we know we’ve made it in life? Some might say it is the ability to get what you desire. When we want something — a gadget, a job, a relationship, a certain outcome — and we can make it happen, we feel a sense of control and power over our lives. Christians know, of course, that God is the one in control — we don’t get to dictate how our life goes. But doesn’t Psalm 37:4 say, “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart”? To “delight” seems like an easy way to get what we want— and it’s from the Bible!

When I was in junior college, the desire of my heart was to get straight As. That was what I put all my effort into. Working hard for the grades I wanted gave me a grim sort of satisfaction. Bible verses like Psalm 37:4 and Matthew 6:33 (“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”) helped me to add a Christian spin to my desire: I thought that if I did my ‘quiet time’ and went to church regularly, it would count as “delighting myself in the LORD,” so God would give me what I wanted. And in fact, I did get straight As. But does that mean that I had applied this verse correctly?

THE PROBLEM

Psalm 37:4 is a verse that is often quoted to claim that if we love God, follow Him, and do ‘Christian things’, He will give us what we want. It has even been used more generally to claim that God will always give Christians what they want. But using this verse in this way is a misinterpretation. God doesn’t simply give us what we want or ask for just because we’re Christians. Oprah Winfrey, in a 2015 interview on Late Night with Stephen Colbert, interpreted the verse this way: “Delight thyself in goodness, delight thyself in love, kindness, compassion, and you will receive the desires of your heart … If you focus on being a force for good, then goodness will come, which is also the third law of motion, which is also karma, which is also the golden rule.” This is a common misreading, as it treats the verse as a magical formula whereby human action can directly trigger a response from “the Lord” to reward the person who exhibits such good behaviour.

Another problem that might arise from this interpretation is this way of thinking: What if we don’t get what we want? Could it imply that we have not delighted ourselves in God enough? Has something gone wrong with our faith? Such thoughts might cause us to work even harder to be a ‘good Christian’, or to lose faith in God’s promises.

WHAT IF WE DON’T GET WHAT WE WANT? HAS SOMETHING GONE WRONG WITH OUR FAITH?

How then should we interpret this verse? Here are some questions we must consider: What is the whole of Psalm 37 really about, and what is the context of the verse? What does “delighting yourself in the LORD” mean? How does God give us the desires of our heart?

UNLOCKING THE CONTEXT

Psalm 37 is classified as a wisdom psalm. Wisdom literature often presents contrasting ways of life to the reader in order to persuade them to choose rightly. In Psalm 37, the life of the righteous is contrasted with the life of the wicked. The wicked seem to prosper as they do evil (vv. 7, 12, 14, 21, 32, 35) — but only for a time. The wicked will eventually perish (vv. 2, 10, 13, 20, 36, 38). On the other hand, although the righteous will experience trouble, God will be with them (vv. 16–19, 24, 28, 33, 39–40). They will be rewarded, and this psalm paints a picture of what that will be like: dwelling in and inheriting the land (vv. 9, 29), enjoying abundant peace (v. 11), being a blessing to others (v. 26), reflecting the character of God (vv. 30–31), and having God’s help in times of trouble (vv. 17, 24, 33, 39–40). The choice is clear: trust God and be blessed, or forsake God and perish.

Moreover, the psalmist is encouraging the reader to delight in the Lord as a contrast to being angry about the wicked prospering, since the prosperity of the wicked is only temporary. Eventually, the righteous will

IT’S NOT THAT OUR DELIGHTING IN GOD CAUSES GOD TO GIVE US WHAT WE WANT

be rewarded. Both the rewards for the righteous and retribution for the unrighteous come from God, and God’s way of dealing with the world is based on His character: He loves justice (v. 28). Those who live according to God’s way will be rewarded, but the reward is \ dependent on God and given by Him — not earned by us.

The person who delights in the Lord, then, is one who is not focused on how others are living or fretting about it, but committed to living according to God’s design. It’s not that our delighting in God causes God to give us what we want. Rather, as we grow in God’s ways, we find that what we want starts to align with what God wants, and what God gives us is then indeed what we desire — in fact, what He created us to desire (Eph 2:10).

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?

Getting straight As in junior college didn’t make me happy. As I was holding my result slip, feeling empty and hollow, I realised that it wasn’t what I truly desired. I had tried to manipulate God into giving me what I thought I wanted. But God is neither a genie, subject to our whims and fancies, nor an unwilling giver, who needs to be arm-twisted into blessing us. He is a God who knows what our truest and deepest desires and needs are: to be known and loved by Him, and to live the life that He has intended for us. As we follow Him, He shapes and moulds our hearts so that our desires conform to His perfect will for our lives. May we pray in the words of the hymn: “Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.”

Dear Kallos: What does Christian dating look like, and how do I differentiate between Christian and un-Christian dating?

Alina Teo — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 08:43:00 +0000

There are many books, movies, songs, and quotes that describe what modern dating looks like. Some things are obviously not acceptable for Christians (like sex before marriage), but there are others that I’m not too sure about. What does Christian dating look like, and how do I differentiate between Christian and un-Christian dating? -Unsure

dear Unsure,

You’ve asked such a good question! Thank you for raising the issue of how the world defines dating versus the principles the Bible upholds with regard to dating.

Firstly, I think it is important to understand that as a Christian, dating is never the end goal in itself. The purpose of dating is to find out if this person you are getting to know is someone you can see yourself being with for life.

It isn’t a fling; it isn’t something just to occupy your time or have someone to make you happy; it isn’t something to be taken lightly. It is purposeful and above all, it should give glory to God (1 Cor 10:31). Therefore, if there is anything done in the stage of dating which does not align with God’s ways, for example, pre-marital sex (1 Thess 4:3–4; the Greek word for “sexual immorality” refers to sex outside of the context of marriage), making the other person an idol you put above God (Exod 34:14), using the relationship solely to serve yourself (Mark 12:31) — these are things to call into question.

In fact, the Bible does not explicitly talk about dating as a concept. In biblical times, people usually had their marriages arranged by their family members. What the Bible does have are clear principles about how we are to live out our lives unto God (e.g., Exod 20; Lev 19:2; Matt 22:37–40).

As a Christian, the journey of dating should include looking out for the best interests of the other person (Phil 2:3–4). This is because he is treasured by God. Dating isn’t about what makes you feel good. As fellow Christians, the journey of dating should draw both of you closer to God as the other person also considers your interests above his own. Therefore, even if the dating journey does not eventually end in marriage, both parties would have grown from this time of dating to be more like Christ.

As you consider these things, continue keeping your eyes fixed on Christ!

Anne Ng: Prayer Warrior for Revival

Quek Shi Yun — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 06:58:00 +0000

When Anne became a Christian, God gripped her heart to see more on her campus live with radical faith. QUEK SHI YUN finds out how she is contending for revival in polytechnics in Singapore.

Anne’s passion for Christ is unmistakable. As she spoke fervently about her desire to see more turn to Jesus, I couldn’t help but feel excited by the fire in her. Together with a few friends, she has been championing a movement called Poly Revival, a network of polytechnic students inspiring the next generation to live authentically for Christ. As leader of the Singapore Poly prayer space, Anne gathers with like-minded Christians each week to worship and intercede for the move of the Holy Spirit. Read on to hear her heart for Poly Revival.

What does ‘revival’ look like to you?

It is really to see the move of the Holy Spirit. When we look at revival in the book of Acts, we see people getting baptised in the Holy Spirit and being empowered to live for the gospel.

How did you get involved in Poly Revival?

When Poly Revival first began, I started out by helping with the publicity for a big worship night. It didn’t really work out, but afterwards, as we were praying, we felt that we should go in the direction of creating prayer movements for the five different polys.

I felt the Lord prompting me to start one in Singapore Poly. And I was like, yeah, I have a heart for that! I became a Christian three years ago, and then COVID struck, so I didn’t really go to the church, but I read the Bible a lot. And in the New Testament I saw the apostles getting persecuted for their faith. As Paul says, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).

I had been really excited to be a Christian in a polytechnic, because for the first time, that would be where I could live out my faith. But I saw Christians in my class who seemed like they were living in the world or it felt like there was this lukewarmness going on (Rev 3:15–16). So I thought, there must be more to

THERE MUST BE MORE TO CHRISTIANITY IF PEOPLE WERE DYING FOR THEIR FAITH.

Christianity if people were dying for their faith. There must more as students that we can do to harvest the field. And that’s where my heart developed to see a move of the Holy Spirit in the campus.

Has your faith journey influenced your desire to see revival and for more people to know Him?

The day that I accepted Christ was the day the Lord rescued me from the depths of hell. How I view the gospel is that it is more than a story that gets you to church every Sunday. It’s a story that rescues you from hell — it is a story that changes your life, that brings about transformation. And it’s just such a beautiful story. It’s one where you get to have a personal fellowship with the Lord.

So, I want people to know that living for Christ is something you live or you die for, you know? Don’t be lukewarm. You’re either hot for Him, or you’re cold. Personally, I have a heart for evangelism. One of my goals in life is to make everyone I interact with either love Jesus so much that they’re either willing to die for Him or they spit on Him. It’s either this or that. Don’t be stuck in the middle.

WE ARE HERE TO CHANGE CULTURE, TO BE MORE LIKE CHRIST.

Why do you think this movement is needed on poly campuses?

Tertiary education is the season where people really craft out their identity. And what I noticed about poly culture is that it’s very secular, where it’s very easy to live like the world. What we want is to provide a platform to say, hey, there is more than just getting a diploma; there is more than just conforming to culture. We are here to change culture, to be more like Christ, to be a living vessel, and to be the salt and light to the people around us and on campus. We want this to be a place where believers can come together to strengthen and sharpen each other. We want to empower students to not just conform to the culture, but to be more than that and to live authentically for Christ.

Before someone enters poly, what would you tell them might confront their faith?

I think there is a pressure to be popular, to dress a certain way, or conform to certain worldly values. People will hang out with people who share the same values. And that can be tough, because when it comes to certain issues like abortion or LGBTQ rights, you will need to learn how to defend your faith [under such pressures]. But at the same time, you also need to learn how to win the person and not just win the argument, even as you might get challenged in your knowledge of God and the gospel.

YOU ALSO NEED TO LEARN HOW TO WIN THE PERSON AND NOT JUST WIN THE ARGUMENT.

It’s easy to talk about living out Christian values, but when everyone around you is doing something, it is hard to leave it, much less go against it, because that means that you might be persecuted.[In Singapore, it won’t be] biblical persecution where you get hanged [on a cross] or anything [like that], but you will not be well-liked [and even ostracised or bullied].

Do you have personal experiences of a situation where you had to defend your faith?

Being in design school, a lot of people in my cohort feel really strongly for the LGBTQ movement. When people ask me what I stand for, I do say that what I stand for is in the Bible. I do say that I love them as well, but for them, a huge part of their identity is their sexuality. If you don’t agree with them, they see it as rejecting them. So, because I’m a Christian, I get called homophobic, or don’t get treated as nicely because I don’t align with their values or ideology.

How do you deal with that?

What I can do is just be one-on-one with my friends, to show them that I love them. In John 13:35 it says that the world shall know we are Jesus’ disciples by our love [for one another]. And I think that is what we should do. We abide in Christ [together]. And then we grow the fruits of the Spirit and we love on others. Sometimes, it’s not about what you say, but it’s about what you do and how you show love consistently. And they can see how different you are.

Has being a prominent part of Poly Revival put you in a difficult position with friends who do not share the same faith or values?

When I was really involved with starting up the prayer space, I wasn’t there for multiple group meetings with friends. So I became the topic of the gossip. And at first, it was quite lonely. But I know that if the gossip is centred around my Christian values and not how I am as a person (for instance, that I am selfish), then it is a privilege to be able to embody Christian values. It was definitely lonely at the start, but I guess it puts you in a position where you understand just a glimpse of how Christ felt, or a glimpse of how the persecuted Christians feel.

What advice would you give someone who wants to see their campus transformed for Christ?

I will affirm them and say that the fire that you have, this desire that you have, the Lord is going to use it and it can inspire people around you. Practically, I would encourage them to get a mentor if they want to start a prayer movement in their school, and gather people with similar hearts. I would also encourage them to get connected with the wider praying community, such as Praying Schools for secondary schools, and Unity for those on university campuses. This community can journey with them to offer advice on how to start a prayer group and champion revival in their own spaces!