Skip to main content

The Cold Within


It's a cold day. Wrapped up warm, ready for bed, I was thinking about what my plans are for tomorrow. There's a lot of following-up to do from today, and the thought of the work waiting for me tomorrow almost sends me to sleep an hour before my scheduled bedtime.

But I regularly do some reading before bed, and today, I have come across an article by Jon Bloom on Desiring God. It is about Robert Chapman, a relatively unknown leader, however, one of great reputation. His legacy of love was outstanding and Charles Spurgeon referred to him as the saintliest man he ever knew. 

So what  does this have to do with being cold? I looked at my life after I read of his. I realised that although my intentions are to love like Jesus commanded (John 13:34), I seldom go out of my way for others. Rarely do I choose the interests of others before mine (Philippians 2;4). Slowly, in harsh conditions, the heart becomes a cold heart of stone.

Age and experience have bred cynicism; heartbreak and disappointment have reared distrust and selfishness. "One must look out for their own needs, 'cos it's a dog-eat-dog world out here!" This is society's common rhetoric and slowly it takes root into the hearts of those who want to love and love well: Thoroughly, Deeply, Sacrificially, just as Christ has commanded.

So where can I go from here, I ask myself? Well, I start by asking the Holy Spirit for help. Love is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). I also need to read the Word to follow Christ's model, imitating Him (Eph 5:1-2), And then I ask for prayer, that my heart may be healed becoming a sensitive, feeling, tender heart. I believe the prayer of those who have been made righteous in Christ is powerful (James 5:16).

I must believe that God is working in me, not just in my willing to love sacrificially, but in performing great acts of love-- these outward actions being a result of the warmth of His love thawing the cold within.



Thanking you for your prayers,

FeyVored



Photo credit: Photos by FeyVored










Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How Great Thou Art: God's glory in the Arts

I remember how I saw colour that day. The green trees, the blue sky, the brown soil, everything vivid and bright. It was the usual walking route with the usual after-work tiredness, but, as if my eyes had been opened from blindness, the mundane became vibrant and I stopped to take it all in. The words from the popular hymn, How Great Thou Art, come to mind: When through the woods and forest glades I wander And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze The greatness of God’s works was displayed before me, like an artist exhibiting his masterpieces in a gallery. Hidden in the seemingly dull and ordinary was His beauty being uncovered. I thought to myself “how great is His creation, the work of His hands.” “The heavens declare the glory of God, the sky above proclaims His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder, Consider all t...

Power

Carrying on from the previous post , this post is about where to get courage against despair. I am no counsellor or therapist; I write from personal experience. I have also come to learn from research that many share similar opinions as I do which have helped them as well.   Depression causes one to feel alone in the dark; the cloak of gloom never lifts and it traps you from seeing anything in life as good, enjoyable, dependable or worth it. For many, there is a heavy feeling of shame and worthlessness and that you have nothing to offer this world. It is really difficult to go through this nearly every day and some have tried to find freedom by ending their own lives. My interactions with people who have made suicide attempts have showed me that many regret the decision. I heard of one man who jumped off a bridge and survived. But his thoughts when he let go of the railings were “What have I done?”, “I don’t want to die”. Each of us have a fighting spirit that wants to live...

21 things I learnt at 21

In approximately two and a half months, I will be turning 22. Don't mind that my blog profile still says I am 19, it is obvious little has changed on here since then. Having evaluated the last year of my life I thought I should share a few life keys I learnt these past months. In no particular order, here's to being 21! 1) Being 21 doesn't change much. To your mum, you are always a child. 2) God answers prayers, sometimes you'd have to look even closer to see it 3) I have a very different sense of humour. 4) Time flies when you are not having fun too. Think trying to study the night before the exam. 5) Real love is hard love. 6) Clogged arteries aren't pretty. 7) If someone really wants to be with you, they will be with you. 8) Lactose-intolerance is not all in the mind. 9) Les Misérables is a fantastic musical. 10) Build your silos as you are praying for the rain (Prepare for what you are expecting) 11) Planning is only fantastic when you ...