Devotion—The Tedious Task

This is something that I’ve been struggling with. What are devotions even for? We’ve heard how we’ve got to read the Bible daily and meditate on His Word because this is the only way to fight against the devil’s schemes. We know all of this to be true. But it just never feels true. 

I am not writing some  experienced testimony but more of ‘let’s think about this together.’ I’ve recently struggled to read my devotions in the mornings or even during the day. It just seems like I don’t have enough time for it. Waking up before I need to for school seems impossible, and once I get home from school, I’m so tired and have no motivation to do anything let alone devotions—and I’ve wrestled with this for a while. 

On one side, I know that I must fight against my laziness and specially set time for God. But on the other hand, I try to suppress the guilt of not doing devotions and say to myself, ‘All is fine’. I’ve tried to pray and ask God to give me the joy and desire to be motivated to read His word. But it just still seems impossible. But I’m willing to learn and take this seriously, and I hope you can, too. 

The importance of devotions

Remember the Armour of God? All the pieces of armour are a metaphor for how we can defend against the schemes of the devil. As children of God, Satan will never stop attacking you in this life. You’ll be tempted and made to suffer, and it’s hard. But God has given us a great grace, the grace of His Word, which allows us to stand firm. 

“…And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Here in Ephesians 6:17, the Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit. Usually, a Roman soldier would use his sword to attack, fight, and parry against the enemy—the most versatile of the tools. Without the word of God, how can we stand our ground against the enemy?

The Word of God is also how God speaks to us or reveals His will for our lives. Sometimes, this may seem so far-fetched, and to be honest, it’s hard for me to grasp my head around the fact that the book that has been lying in the corner of my desk for the past few weeks can reveal to me prophecies and my ultimate way of life. It often doesn’t feel real. But that’s where it goes wrong. Oftentimes, we are too prideful to think that something or someone else can and should govern over us. Yet the Bible often rebukes us through the words we read, and it is up to us whether we turn away from it or humble our hearts to listen to His rebuking. 

For it is through God’s word, that He speaks to us and reveals His character and the nature of His great plan for His people. 

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11). The Word of God speaks to you; sometimes, it may not be as evident as other times, but to keep our lives holy, we need His Word. I mentioned before how our lives as Christians will be hard, with many challenges and difficulties throughout life’s journey. Yet it is in times of hardship and dire distress, we are able to remember the word of God that comforts us.  

I know you may be reading this and feel like you’ve heard it before, but I urge you to think about it. Reflect on your life,  and judge whether you take devotion as a priority.   

Baby Steps 

It’s hard. We are exposed to godly and spiritual giants who read their Bible for hours daily while also managing to wake up before the sun to meditate and study it. And sure, that is good that they ‘can’t get enough of Bible reading’. But if we take that as a standard, we will never try and even start to reach it in the first place. It’s like comparing a professional athlete who does hours and hours of training to a beginner who can only endure training for a short time. 

I’m graced by God to be surrounded by many godly people in my life. And it’s almost an expectation that I’m an avid Bible reader. So, I set my standards high: reading the Bible every morning for at least 30 minutes daily. And it was never achievable. The task became a chore, leaving me no motivation to try. It took me quite a while to humbly realise that I’m still a baby learning to crawl. A baby can’t instantly learn to run before it can crawl. So, take baby steps. 

Start by reading a short devotional and pondering one point that stood out. And throughout your day, just remind yourself of this one point. I’ve recently been turning to audio so I can listen while I’m on the go. But as it progresses, we will learn to love His word more and more.

I have one point to emphasise. All these efforts could be backed with a knowledge of what we are meant to do. But what is more important is the frame of heart that we hold. 

“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9). Only when we come before Him with a heart that seeks and searches for His Word, then may His Word be revealed unto us. We must pray and ask God for His mercy, that He may give us the joy and revelation of His Word every day. 

Lord, I pray that you may reveal your grace and truth to me day by day. Give me the heart that earnestly seeks your face. I realise my weakness before temptation, and I need your word to rebuke me. Please give me the joy and desire to continue to search for your word. This is my prayer. 

Learn to take these steps, just baby ones for now. 

Operation London Bridge

“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.”

–      King Charles III

We’ve all heard the news and seen the flags at half-mast. Today­ marks D-Day+4; the queen’s body is being prepared to be transported in a procession from Buckingham palace to Westminster Hall, where the body will lay at rest for three days. The Westminster Hall will be open 23 hours a day, where civilians can pay their tributes and condolences to HM the Queen. On D-Day+9, The queen will have her funeral, and the whole nation will pause to have 2 minutes of silence for HM Queen Elizabeth II. Her body will then be transported again in procession to Windsor Castle, where her body will be buried at her final resting place. 

The National Anthem will be changed to “God save the King” as King Charles is coronated. Currencies will change and have the profile of the new King. And all members of parliament must pledge allegiance to King Charles. Operation London Bridge has been brought to such detail in commemorating the queen’s passing. 

But I now want to bring your attention to a more significant death; a victorious death on a dark day. 

There were no processions. There were no flowers or deep condolences. There was only a display of humility, an exhibit of blood and suffering. Crowds only gave their deepest hatred and pride for Him to carry on His back. A walk of shame in Golgotha, to the hills of calvary. Bloodshed and suffering, in obedience to God, as our one and only King of Kings was crucified on a cross. 

There was no anthem. 

Only Love. 

Every person on this earth will pass. The monarchs, people of power, and civilians. Nothing can save you. No amount of money can prevent death. No power will last forever. There is only one sacrifice that saves us all. 

Because nothing can separate us from the love of God. 

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? …  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What differentiates the deaths of Her Majesty the Queen and the lowly servant Jesus Christ? 

Great sacrificial love. Love for His people, in obedience to God. Although the queen’s death is a great mark of darkness, we can never forget the sacrifice that God made for His people.

There was a rainbow on Friday the 9th of September at Buckenham Palace. Coincidentally, this was the day after her death. Rainbows are a sign of God’s Covenant with His people. It may or may not be a coincidence, but it is just another reminder of His love. 

My condolences,

Jeremy Sangtoki

Jeremy Sangtoki (15) is a writer and videographer for RE Generation-Z. Through his passion for videography and photography, he hopes to proclaim the truth and bring more teens to Christ. Like his brother, he has a predilection for classical or baroque music. 

Humility in Maturity

Humility in Maturity. 

How would you rate your spiritual maturity from one to ten? Before answering that question, we must first ask, what is maturity? In a nutshell, spiritual maturity is growth—to become more Christlike, to know God more, and to the piety of the fear of the Lord. So, in a ‘rating’, ten would be Christlike, and zero would be immature. 

This was one of the discussion questions that struck me during the retreat a few weeks back. As the people around me tried to answer this question, I thought about what I should say before being given the spotlight. It sure wasn’t an easy question to answer. Most of the people in my group rated themselves in the lower half of the spectrum. But as I pondered hard, I couldn’t settle on an answer. Who are we to be the judge over ourselves? Who are we to set the standard? The standard we judge against must be of the absolute truth—the Bible—through God’s lens. 

To grow, we must know the truths

We must build the foundation of our growth on the truth, which is the Word of God. Not only that, but also on the unity that we can have with and in Christ. Only when we are in this union, this one ship in Christ, we may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit. And this relationship that Christ has offered us is only through His sovereign grace. Christ is the one who has initiated; He loved us first, allowing us to be sanctified and grow daily in oneship with Him. And because of that, we cannot take our short life lightly. Only through knowing Him we can grow to be more like Him. Only through knowing Him may we understand the truth. 

To know the truth, you must have Humility. 

Without humility, you will never be able to learn the truth. We are such prideful people. I know it’s an easy thing to say, and listening to that just turns into a breeze. But trust me, I understand how hard it is to be humble sometimes. I cannot stress how much of a trap false humility can be. 

Sometimes we even act humbly to be seen as humble people, and I am sure guilty of doing that. Whether we realise it or not, we bring our pride and ego into the most minor things. I’ve recently been struggling with my pride and anger. To me, everyone and everything seems to be against me. My parents would get mad at me for what I considered small and petty things, which would constantly be tiring. I’m sure that all teens can relate to me here.

It’s been quite a struggle for me recently, and it’s pretty contradicting for me to write an article about humility when I am struggling with pride myself. But the words shared from the last retreat have allowed me to reflect on myself and my spiritual maturity. From the outside, you might see me as an avid churchgoer involved in so much ministry. But just because I live with that culture, it doesn’t mean that I’m growing and having that personal relationship with Him. Because to grow, our faith must be nourished. Just like a pot plant, if it is not well kept, watered, and given sufficient sunlight, it will surely die. It is the same with our spiritual lives. If we do not nourish our faith with the Word of God, our faith will surely wilt.

The Bible is what can refresh our souls. It sounds quite cliche and abstract. But personally, sharing from when I genuinely ponder on His Word is very sweet. Whenever we have that personal and intimate relationship with Him, it is beautiful. We cannot fill our lives with worldly things because it will only take away from the strength of our faith. But only picking the Bible up and reading it won’t cut it.

We must deny ourselves if we want to accept the truth and learn and know the truth. Deny our pride. I’ve used this analogy many times, but there is only one seat in your heart. And on it, it’s either you or Christ. If it is not Christ that reigns in your heart, then you cannot grow in the truth. Even if you are surrounded by godly people, the church community, or you study theology. 

If we reign over our own lives, we will never be able to accept Christ as our Saviour nor grow in Him. But when we humble yourselves, then we can accept His Word and allow it to rebuke and change us.

To grow more like Christ, we must increase in the knowledge of Him and grow in godliness with the fear of the lord. But, first, we must learn to humble ourselves. The bible states this countless times. 

2 Chronicles 7:14 

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Psalm 18:27 

For you save a humble people,

but the haughty eyes you bring down.

Psalm 149:4 

For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;

he adorns the humble with salvation.

This is a short article with one message. I hope that I’ve made it clear. You cannot know God without a humble heart. So ask for His grace, because when we humbly and truly thirst for His Word, of knowing Him. James 4:6, says, “He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”. 

So pray, ask God to have a heart that yearns for His Word, and ask for a humble heart to grow in spiritual maturity. 

Psalm 147:6 

“The Lord lifts up the humble;

    he casts the wicked to the ground.”

The Mind

I would very much doubt if you told me that you had never gotten angry before. I would also question if you said you’ve never thought badly of someone else. I’m going to delve deeper into a larger topic, but it is all going to be up in your head (Idk if that was even good enough to be a pun, but if it was, it was intended). 

Everything you see, learn, situation, and everything around you goes through your mind. You’ve probably heard this before, but your mind is very powerful. However, it is tough to control ­— just like a superpower. This makes it a great danger, especially for mentally unsound teenagers. 

Thinking about the process of thinking

You receive information from your five senses, whether it be knowledge or information.

From there comes the thoughts and perceptions, based on what you now know.

Then, what you think changes into something more substantial: a belief.

Afterwards, you start to develop emotions and desires.

And as these get stronger, these will lead to specific actions or behaviours.

This is how we process information; I am showing you this because when any one of these processes becomes negative, then as the list goes on, the impact will double. For example, suppose you perceive a situation as negative from the top of the list. In that case, everything underneath will also become negative. Your thoughts will be negative. You will start to have negative self-talk, and this negativity will develop into sinful thoughts and actions. 

According to  stats, in the next 24 hours in the United States:

  • 1,439 teens will attempt suicide
  • 2,795 teenage girls will become pregnant.
  • 15,006 teens will use drugs for the first time.
  • 3,506 teens will run away.
  • 2 teens will be murdered.

As mentally unsound teenagers, we are prone to developing negative thoughts and perceptions. The stats above all start from thoughts, eventually growing into something bigger. Therefore, we must be cautious with our thoughts, and not only that but if we can limit the negative things that we see, do so. 

Sometimes we have negative thoughts because of our hormones; we quickly get moody and often get mad at little things. But at other times, we’re just angry. Sometimes we are just the stereotypical troubled teen. But it’s not right, and we must break that stereotype. How?

Then what must we do?

Rely on God; you cannot rely on anyone or anything else. My brother bought me a book the other day about anger and calming your heart. It’s a 31-day daily devotional on anger. And on one of the days, taken from James 5: 13, it questioned, when you get angry or sad, what is your first reaction? It may be talking to a friend or putting pity on yourself for some. James 5: 13 says, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise”. But what James is saying is that in everything, go to God first. If you are in suffering, pray and go to God. If you are cheerful, praise God. We cannot rely on anyone else from God; our friends cannot sustain us, and they can fail us, but only our faithful God can sustain us. 

All in all, we must go to God; our mind is a Dangerfield to teens. Our thoughts may haunt us, but His rod and His staff will comfort us. However, we must be careful in what we think, see, and do because it may lead to something bigger – into sin. 

This is probably one of the shortest articles on this website, but the point of this is to warn you about your mind, and that we must go and pray to God and God alone, for His perfect and unfailing guidance.

Source:

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-happening-to-our-children-2606269

Jeremy Sangtoki (15) is a writer and videographer for RE Generation-Z. Through his passion for videography and photography, he hopes to proclaim the truth and bring more teens to Christ. Like his brother, he has a predilection for classical or baroque music. 

The Importance of Family

Family, you know, the people that you kinda see every day. One day you might love them to bits, but other times they might be the last people you want to see. They are hard people to live around sometimes and arguing plus emotional rollercoasters are inevitable. I’m sure that we are all familiar with family even though all of our families have imperfections and differences within our family relationships, but, we can all relate to one thing, we all have a Father in heaven. Aside from having a strong relationship with God, family is important. Without our family, we would not be alive, and you surely wouldn’t be the person you are today. Before we continue, let me ask you this question. What is the point of family?

Father in heaven

Everyone has different families (unless you are siblings, of course), but there is one thing that we have in common —Our Father in heaven. I’m putting this at the front of the list, not only because it’s one of the first things that I thought of, but because it’s the most important. Many teens in this age neglect this, and many don’t realise that this relationship is the most important.

He is invisible; you can’t see Him. How could a person be your father if you can’t see Him? How could you love someone who you cannot see? How can you rely on someone who you cannot see? A lot of us teens stumble here because we do not have faith. It’s quite hard to depend your life on a father that you cannot see. Yet, by reading the Bible, praying, and talking to God, we can have faith, and surely, that faith will grow. Just like a normal father, you must spend time with Him for the relationship to grow.

Family is important, don’t take it for granted while you can.

Sometimes the people around us will frustrate us, and they might be hard to love at times. For example, I used to get angry at my older brother a lot. If you grew up with me, you probably know that my temper back then was pretty short. There was a time when I w nine (I think) I got so mad at my brother I tackled him to the ground out of anger. But now I’ve grown more mature (I hope), and I’ve come to realise that the time left living with your whole family is not much longer. My brother just finished school, and his leaving the house feels like it is right around the corner. Time with your family is precious, sooner or later you and your family will depart from each other, and you will have your own family to take care of.

If you look at what lies around your house, the things they have done for you —the roof they put over your head, the food that you had this morning, not only from your parents but the atmosphere and care that your sibling may bring—hey have done all these things, and often we forget the love they have for us. Do we love them back as much as they love us?

God chose who your family is, so be grateful.

What is so special about a family relationship is that we didn’t choose to be in any of our families. We were born by God’s will in His will. God chose who we were going to grow up with, what last names we would have, and who would teach and guide us to grow into men and women for His glory. I’m not trying to focus on how we didn’t choose to be brothers with our brothers or sisters with our sisters—even though that is important‚—but I’m focusing on being grateful for our family and God’s providence. God put you in your family for a reason. Even though you may not think so, God’s plan is always the best plan for your life. Remember that God is always in control, and when things happen, God is trying to teach you something.

If you remember the first paragraph, I asked you to think about this question, ‘What is the point of family?’ I’ve been writing about all these aspects of the importance of family, and you might be wondering where I’m trying to bring you here. And the question still lies, what is the point of family? Well, as you grow in relationships with your family, you yourself will grow, not only in relationship back with them but also in yourself, growing together, sharing in love. Just imagine if there was no such thing as family if you were born alone, what would you do? How could you survive? It’s the same spiritually. We are helpless, bound to our sin, born of darkness, and we cannot save our souls. But we have a Saviour that can help us, A Saviour that can save us from our own sin. A Saviour that will take us in as His own child. But the real question is, Are you part of Christ’s family?

Jeremy Sangtoki (15) is a writer and videographer for RE Generation-Z. Through his passion for videography and photography, he hopes to proclaim the truth and bring more teens to Christ. Like his brother, he has a predilection for classical or baroque music. 

Life After Lockdown

Welcome back from your first day back at school. How was it? Good? Bad? 

Well, now, lockdown is over, and we are all back to school, and our lives are starting to get normal again. Some of us have been vaccinated; some of us haven’t. Some of us have already been going out, some of us are still staying at home. Lockdown might have felt like an eternity, or the time might have flown by quickly. I don’t know about you, but these more than 100 days have gone by really quick for me. Of course, we all have different feelings about the lockdown and returning to normal. But what’s for sure is that all our lives are changing, whether it’s getting back into our regular lives or if your life has changed completely. 

It’s been two weeks since the locks have been lifted; I’ve got the chance to go out a bit. I went to the movies, cut my hair, went to church. But it all felt weird; I wasn’t sure if it was just a regular thing or if it really was strange to be back. I felt like I didn’t belong, like, I was separated from everything and everyone. It might have been the social distancing and the masks, but it just felt different. I felt vulnerable. I’ve realised that I’ve taken most things for granted. It made me feel that everything that we have could be taken away from us at any time.  

We are not in control.

We all come from different parts of the ‘excited or not-excited spectrum’ when it comes to normal life. But one thing is for sure, the life we are ‘returning back to’ is still only temporary. From lockdown, we got a glimpse of what it was like not being able to do normal things. Not being able to meet friends, not going to church, or not being able to do the things that were once so normal to do. Now, things are getting closer to what it was before, but the fact that our life is temporary has always been the same. Only after having these things taken away from me, I truly feel and realise this. Anything can be taken away from us at any time, including our life. Do you think that you are willing to let go of the wonderful things of this world? Do you think you are ready to have your life judged by God, looking at everything that you have done in your life? Do you think that you can say, “Lord, my work on earth is done.” I want you to realise that what we do matters. Take control of what you can control before the one who is in power takes it away. You have control over what you can do on this earth. Will you use your time and ability to serve him? 

Ultimately, God is the one entirely in control; he has the power to pluck you out of this world at any time. So do what God wants you to do before it is too late.  

Take every step like it is your last. 

Everything is temporary, our house, our world, and our life; it is all temporary. But there is something for sure that will last forever, the love of Christ, the knowing of Christ, that relationship and union with Him. That is the only thing that will last forever. If we take a look at Paul, while he was in prison, he wrote, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8). Paul says that everything is rubbish compared to knowing Christ. He knew that all the blessings on this earth would end and that the true treasure that lasts forever and is so great is the union with Christ. 

So, as we return back into our regular lives, know that it is all temporary. We must search for that treasure that will never end. I’ll give you a clue. It starts from your heart, alone with God. Take the time to contemplate, to meditate on His Word. It’s only through the personal relationship with Him that we can have the true treasure that never ends.

Jeremy Sangtoki (15) is a writer and videographer for RE Generation-Z. Through his passion for videography and photography, he hopes to proclaim the truth and bring more teens to Christ. Like his brother, he has a predilection for classical or baroque music. 

The Problem of Procrastination

Procrastination,

I’m sure you guys are familiar with this idea. Whether it be trying to do schoolwork or getting your chores done, we’ve all come across it at some point in our teen years. It’s human nature, a nature to be lazy, to have complete control of what you want to do. But this nature isn’t good, and it shouldn’t be able to take control of your life.  

Procrastination is the action of delaying or postponing something. When we have responsibilities, we say in our minds that we will do it later, but in the end, we never get it done. For example, you have to study for a test, thinking it’s days away. You say, “I can study tomorrow”, but in the end, you leave all of it for the day before. 

Procrastination grows; the more you do it, the more often you will get caught in this sinful nature. Especially in lockdown, we think we have all the time in the world and can do things closer to the due date. But no. Having this mindset will create bad habits, and it can destroy our lives.

I’m writing this not because I’ve overcome this. I’m writing this because I see this as a problem for me and all other teens. I still get caught in this. For example, I had a maths test last week, and I thought it would be acceptable to study later. But the day before, I was stressing about how many formulas I didn’t know. I know I’m not alone and that this is a universal problem; we cannot let this be.

Distraction.

The most significant factor that tempts us to procrastinate is the endless amount of distractions that live at the touch of our fingers. These include the media, games, notifications, and other things that your mind will think are more exciting and important than your responsibilities. Especially in lockdown, where all the distractions become more appealing, our eyes are filled with screens. Our own room becomes our enemy. 

Now, anything can distract you, and it’s a matter of not getting distracted by the things that can distract you. It’s having that control over your desires, having control over what you need to do.

I’m sure all of us have responsibilities, and I’m sure you take them on. But I’m sure that you’ve been distracted by something or someone and end up not taking the responsibilities up. It’s hard; our heart yearns for everything except for what we need to do. And the truth is, we can’t do it ourselves. Ask God for help. Ask that we can keep our minds straight and do the task willingly.

Unwillingness

On the other side of the spectrum, it’s not things pulling us away from the task; it is also the things that make us unwilling to do our work. Whether it be boring homework, continuous study, or tedious chores, our willingness must have a purpose. 

Our purpose is to glorify God. Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”. 

We may ask ourselves, “how can I glorify God while doing my homework or doing chores around the house?” As students and teens, we are responsible for obeying our parents and doing our best in school. Our calling is to fulfil these responsibilities. And using our time and effort to fulfil our calling is bringing glory to His name.

If you know your purpose, that will drive your willingness to do something; that purpose will drive your determination. So we must learn that what we do, our tasks and our chores should be all for God’s glory.

Time flies, especially when we procrastinate.

Have you ever had that guilt, like after you were glued to YouTube or TikTok and when you realise, two hours just passed? I was writing an essay, and as I was researching, I somehow found myself on YouTube. Let me tell you, the recommendations on the side are tempting. By the time I realised, I had just wasted hours thinking that it was okay to keep clicking the recommended videos. 

There was also this other time; I said that I would do my homework at 5:00 PM. I kept looking at the time, “ahh, it’s fine, still got thirteen minutes left.” The next time I checked the clock, it was 5:12 PM. So then I said to myself, “Okay, for real this time, start your homework at 5:30 PM.” By the end of the day, I had not done my homework. 

Procrastinating doesn’t just affect the outcome of your responsibilities. It will change your life. And I mean, negatively. The habit will grow on you, and more problems will arise the longer you stay in this trap. Realise — it’s not a small matter. You may think so, but whether you realise it or not, it will grow on you. And this habit will devour your self-control.

All in all, it’s our decision—whether it’s getting rid of the distractions or having the willingness to take up our responsibilities. It’s having the self-control to do what has to be done. We have the choice to get caught in procrastination or use our time wisely for doing what needs to be done. Even though it is hard, being tempted by all the temptations that may come around, we must pray, ask God for help, ask for the strength to turn away temptation, ask for the willingness to fulfill our responsibilities. Walk away from this form of laziness; it’s a problem that is greater than it seems, and we cannot stay in this trap.

Jeremy Sangtoki (15) is a writer and videographer for RE Generation-Z. Through his passion for videography and photography, he hopes to proclaim the truth and bring more teens to Christ. Like his brother, he has a predilection for classical or baroque music. 

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