Guarding My Heart

The last several weeks have been quite intense for me. As part of my Bible College program I took an intensive 2-week course in the last week of June and in the first week of July. We started the course with the introduction of the course syllabus and by the end of the second week we needed to hand in an assignment. It was a group assignment thus as a group we faced a challenge of merging 4 different opinions and working styles. The remaining of the assignments are due this week and in the next few weeks.

In the last three weeks Lean Choo and I have also been spending time with my brother, his wife and our second nephew from Australia and on a separate occassion with my cousin from Indonesia who just came to Singapore to study. We had a great time with them. This week some relatives are coming from Indonesia. Next week my sister and her family are coming from Australia. It seems that we are really becoming an international family.

On Saturday afternoon I attended NG12 Male Group Shepherding or rather NG12 Cool Hunks Gathering? Unfortunately, I had to leave half way as I needed to preach in the Indonesian Service. I asked for the guys to pray for me as I struggled with the lack of time to prepare for the sermon. They guys prayed for me readily. That was brotherhood. I struggled a little bit with my sermon delivery but I was surprised by the responsiveness of the people in the service to the preaching. I really believe that God answered their prayers. Thanks a lot, bros. (you know who you are) Next time, it's my turn to pray for you.

When I look at my schedule for the next two and half months I have to take some deep breaths. Besides having to submit my assignments, making a trip to Kenya and doing some other things I noted 2 interesting 3-week stretch. In Aug, I will be preaching for 3 consecutive Saturdays. In Sep, I will have the privilege to solemnise and share the message for three couples for 3 consecutive Saturdays.

In the the midst of this busyness I was recently reminded of this important exhortation from the Word (Prov 4:23 - NIV):

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

When we are tired, stretched and under a lot of pressure we may allow certain character flaws to manifest that we wouldn't allow under normal circumstances.

Through my personal experiences there are some character flaws that we need to guard our hearts against whenever we are in those pressure cooker situations.

*Unkindness

We can be unkind, impatient and rude to others in those times. We feel that we have the right to do these things because of the difficult situation we are in.

* Pride

When we are busy doing many things we can develop a false sense of self importance, "I am doing many things therefore I am important."

* Self Pity

When we are overwhelmed by things we can have a pity party with ourselves, "Why must it be me all the time? Why am I the only one doing these things? Why aren't others sharing my loads?"

The last few weeks have been intense. The next 2 and half months are going to be intense too. It is time that I am more conscious and deliberate in guarding my hearts against those character flaws.

I must guard my heart for it is the wellspring of life.

"Dear God, please help me and I shall be helped. Amen!"