My 4 Core Values in Life, of which i've just chosen in Dec2008.What about them, you may ask? They are 4 key words to help survive the year in God! of course, you need the 'God-factor' in. Without God, what is life? [taken from my own life experience last year]
I've even put them at my bed to remind me constantly of these 4 values!! to make sure I wont forget them, just as I told my SURGE! group - Flash - tat i would do. =)These 4 values may seem the same, like commitment and faithfulness, perseverance and determination, and indeed they are simliar, but given it deep consideration, you'll realise that they have their unique meaning, and are different in their value.
Analysing these 4 words from Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 7th edition:
Faithfulness:
staying with or supporting a particular person, organisation or belief; loyal
Commitment:
the willingness to work hard and give your energy and time to a job or an activity
Perseverance:
the quality of continuing to try or achieve a particular aim despite difficulties
Determination:
the quality that makes you continue trying to do something even when this is difficult
hmmm.. wow. well, to me, these words hold a similiar but slightly different meaning than these picked out from the dictionary.
to me...
Faithfulness is the unyielding spirit that remains constant despite circumstances, that keeps to the promises and commitments made.
so 'coincidental', which i would say is the leading of the Holy Spirit, there was this sermon preached on 11Jan09 - Faithfulness.
Here, sis Gwen defined being Faithful as...
...to remain loyal, dutiful, responsible
...long term, despite of every difficulty or whatever we may be going through
then she went on to talk about being faithful in serving [attitude of pleasing God], of which many do not have this problem, and being faithful in Loving [attitude of pursuing God], of which many of us may lack despite us faithfully serving.
The word faithfulness hit me when just before camp, aN. was telling me about the meaning of faithfulness of which he came across in another fren's blog. Faithfulness means being faithful to God no matter what you're going through. Whether through the desert, even in times when God seems far away, we remain faithful. When aN. told me that tat day, which i think was at Changi Airport, it shook me. Faithfulness. I dint realised tat i have fallen off so much tat i lacked faithfulness. I wasnt faithful to God though He was faithful. Unknown to aN. i pondered over these thoughts for a long time, even days after it was spoken, it kept coming back to me.
yup yup. so this year, in the new year of 2009, i am committed to be faithful to God, in LOVING Him and serving Him. that no matter what comes my way, i will not turn away, i will not give up, I will not abandon God again. and just from my last sentence, you can see that to remain faithful, faithfulness is closely link to the other 3 values - Commitment, Perseverance, Determination.
Commitment is the willingness to give one's best in what one have agreed to do or have been assigned to do.
Yup. I think this round, the dictionary's description of commitment is very agreeable - being willing to work hard and give energy and time to what one has to do. This means in regardless of whether you have voluntarily agreed to do something, or it's your duty to do something (though you may be resistent to tat idea), you will give your best to bring it to completion, 'investing' your time and energy into it, being determined to persevere to the end. Something i used to be quite good at in secondary school, before i sortta fall out with God last year.
From a sermon by Bro Kah Fei, not long ago, in last dec SURGE! camp, commitment is defined as...
...a promise
...meant to be fulfilled
Not only that, but commitment requires us to...
1. Endure - thru the mundane, through the challenges
2. End well - persevering thru the end, and emerging victorious
This sermon was one that strike me deep. Commitment means I'm to endure through mundanity, even through life's challenges, which was something I failed terribly last year.
so in this new year of 2009, i will be commited to what God has called me to do, and the other responsibilities of mine (such as studies), and i will have commitment, persevering through mundanity, having the determination to endure and overcome all obstacles/challenges, being faithful to my commitments made.
Perseverance is the quality of refusing to give up, regardless of difficulties, but continuing to strive to the end, finishing what oneself had started on.
Determination is the willpower not to give in, whilst perseverance is the action. Perseverance prompts a person to keep trying and trying despite failures. Perseverance refuses to admit lose to difficulties no matter how gigantic they may be. Perseverance refuses to acknowledge how great the difficulties can be, but rather focus more intently on overcoming these difficulties as these difficulties get greater.
yupz! so 2009 is the start, the re-establishing of this quality of perseverance in my life. This means that i'm determined and committed this year onwards to persevere in every thing i do; when difficulties come rolling my way threatening to crush me, I will focus more on the 'NOT IMPOSSIBLE' than 'difficult' in the saying "It may be difficult, but it is not impossible!"; i will not give up but i will keep trying again and again, being committed to find a way to overcome the difficulties.
Determination is the strong willpower that has set in one's heart, mind and spirit not to give in to any obstacles and hindrances that will come one's way as one takes up a task.
sounds similiar to perseverance, but it's different. Determination is kinda what one have before one start on something, and ensures one takes up steps (such as being determined to persevere) during the process of completing the task to ensure one does not fail. While perseverance is actually what one gains/display during the process of completing the task to ensure that the task is successfully finished.
Determination is like making an agreement with oneself not to give in to anything tat may come one's way, setting one's heart, mind and spirit to the goal/finishing line, and going full speed into the course towards the finish. Determination is immediately detecting any obstacles and taking steps to ensure it will not hinder oneself reaching the finish line. Determination is to keep reminding oneself that "I can do it!". Determination is to bounce off any hindering works.
Sooo... 2009, a brand-new year for me, will bring along a determined rachel who will keep persisting in perseverance, never giving in to negativities, never giving up on the tasks called to complete, being committed to be faithful, and not going to lose out to the devil, tapping on God's strength, guidance and wisdom.
However, these 4 values are not so useful in life to overcome all obstacles, if you have no power source to tap from. For so much energy needed for these 4 values, one needs fuel, special superb, extraordinarily strong and powerful fuel - God's fuel. For He can grant us a determined spirit, and strength to persevere. He can remind and convict us of our commitments and the need to commit to the cause. And he himself is a live example and perfect role-model of faithfulness, always being faithful in His love towards us, regardless of how we may be treating Him. Don't struggle with trying to make these 4values part of your life by yourself, but let Him disciple you in letting these values slowly become part of you, become Him in you.
well, you've heard about these 4 values already. Question to any readers who are reading this is, what then are you gonna do about your own life? I've made these 4 words part of my life now, to remind myself how i can live my life in God, to reach my end goals, beginning right now with the end in mind.
Will you be faithful in loving God? Will you be faithful in seeking God, in your relationship with God? Will you be faithful and committed to what God has called you to do? Will you have that commitment to endure through mundanity and challenges, to end well? Will you be willing to persevere in your walk with God, even through dry times, determined not to let God go out of your life, determined to 'wrestle' with God like Jacob did till God has blessed you?
What will you do?
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