This trip to Shangri-La has been enriching for me. Finally after 6 years, I managed to return and it was just a well-spent 1 week.
I went with almost zero expectations. I figured I would be task to help out at the cafe and that was just about it.
I was not on a mission trip but it was nothing stressful to sit at the counter of the bakery and help to pack freshly baked bread/muffins/cookies and selling them. In fact, observing how professional the staff was left me very amazed at what has happened in the last 8 years, since I did my mission internship there.
Conversations with the staff and, especially Jo, were food for the soul. Without fail, every conversation usually would leave me pondering on many things. If this was how God wanted me to spend my holidays, I definitely would not have traded it for something else.
One of the many takeaways I had from this trip was about DISCIPLESHIP.
I kept thinking about YA during my time in SL; the lives and how can we (as leaders) further impact their lives. DISCIPLING is the key. And it has to be the core of the ministry. Without (intentional) discipling, what is cell and the community for? A few things I had in mind and if God permits me to share, this would be it :)
We as young adults need to GROW UP:
1) To be spiritually in-tune with the Holy Spirit ourselves!
Stop relying on Pastor, Queenie or cell leaders to be God's mouthpieces. Learn to listen to Him ourselves and take ownership of what He tells us. Being a pastor or ministry staff/leader does not mean we hear more than the rest. God speaks to all, and so all has to hear Him.
2) To not be 'babies'.
For most of us, it is time to learn to feed ourselves. The period where we had 'mummies' & 'daddies' feeding us is over. As we mature, we need to nourish our own souls with fresh manna.
3) To not play punk with God!
Yes! God is not to be messed with. As much as He is a loving and compassionate Father, whose grace is abounding, yet we need to always have the sense of reverence of His God-ness. If so, do we want to play punk and take God's things lightly? Church, cell, serving, QT etc are non-negotiables.
We cannot use "being legalistic" as a convenient excuse to excuse ourselves from being consistent in being intentional in investing in God's community and Kingdom.
Enough of giving excuses but submit ourselves to do His will, no matter how much our flesh wants to overpower the Spirit.
As I figured this week, if I have the guts to face the consequences of playing punk with God in my decisions and choices, then I think God will not stop us. If He so does and we are still oblivious, then we all know where that path leads to.
It is a matter of black and white. In God's Kingdom, the 'grey areas' do not exist. We cannot and should not allow grey areas to be form.
Accountability to allow one another to speak hard truths into our lives and we do not take the bait of Satan and take offence. Accountability to view each individual as "beautiful, precious & unique", therefore worthy of us investing our time to build one another up. It takes 2-hands to clap. We must want it.
If so, I cannot imagine how 'explosive' a dynamite we can be as a YA community.
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