Clean Hands, Pure Hearts, and Beautiful Feet

Written by Ng Zhi-Wen

The Circuit Breaker has had a terrible effect on human relationships: silence and distance (“keep your droplets to yourself”). But at the same time, we’ve seen new opportunities open up for discipleship and mission.

We’ve gone door and door to distribute care packages to the vulnerable elderly at Golden Jasmine. We’ve been delivering food to needy families in Bishan and in Shun Fu; We are providing hospitality to a few guest stayers on our church premises. The Living Room continues to serve guests (takeaway only), and regularly contributes food for the programs described above.

All this is possible because of the many volunteers who have stepped forward, and the generous contribution of members to the Mission Relief Fund. Imagine the thanksgiving that this is generating to the Lord! (2 Cor. 9:12)

What about our Home Missions ministries pre-Covid19? They are actively exploring ways and means to continue. For example, our soccer ministry has been having online training sessions; our Domestic Helper Fellowship zoom meetings have also been registering a good turnout! Thanks be to God!

I’d like us to consider how all these activities are more than just mission taskings to fulfil. They are an exercise in discipleship. If we have been discipled rightly, convicted by the Word, we would (as much as we are able) be on the look out for opportunities to serve. The ministry of service and hospitality will be “in our DNA”.

Then at various points in our lives, many of us would have heard the Spirit’s prompting in our lives – “You see that person over there? Go speak to him. Go offer your help.” Everything depends on whether or not we will obey. Each decision makes us either more responsive to the Spirit, or more hardened. Then down the rabbit hole we go.

And as we step forward to serve, be open to all that God will teach you. Here are some ‘lessons’:

• We may learn how blessed we are.
• We may realize how impatient and selfish we are.
• We may grasp more of the depth of sin – personal and systemic sin.
• We may discover how human our neighbour is. And that it will not do to see them as ‘projects’, or to help them in a ‘one off’ manner. Because they are human too.
• We may grow in compassion for the last, the lost and the least.
• Our prayer life may be deepened, as we persevere for the ones we are reaching.
• God may open our eyes to see how loving He is (and patient with us!).
• God may give us insight into the heart of God… as we practice being His hands and His feet, the word made flesh.

All of this is discipleship, the God-appointed journey of life where His abiding interest is to shape us to become more like Him, reflecting the beauty of Jesus. Perhaps we should not be surprised at how God can do glorious things even in the midst of a pandemic. Even in us.