Let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. - Philippians 2:3-4

A community that has bonding and harmony would survive any outside threats. I remembered how in the 60s my Chinese neighbours would surround a Malay family and even stay in the house to ensure that the occupants were safe during a time of racial discord in Singapore.

Having the interest of others would ensure our own interest to be protected. It is like a train, each carriage is linked and when the locomotive moves forward, the rest would follow. Should any of the coaches decided to pull out of the line, it would cause problem for itself and others.

When we are all in the same boat, no matter who is rich and famous, if the ship sank, all will be affected. Equally important is the Captain of the Ship. We are in the Lord's command and standing united would ensure victories. We can lose a battle but never a war which is lead by our Master and Lord.

In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.

Looking to the needs of others honours Christ.

Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. - Ephesians 4:1

A product can sell just by having it's famous and well respected company's name or country of origin. Before, any product from China was received with some concerns but not any more. Once I bought a product in France and presumed it to be a French made one. Upon unwrapping when reaching home, low and behold, it was made in China. It was a good product. However with greed and dishonest intentions, some companies have brought shame to their companies and countries.

Reputation goes before us. People could avoid or welcome us. It is important that we need to be consistently reminded that any word or action can be a stumbling block for others. We must be mindful that our desire to have a closer walk with Jesus each day is not practiced only during our quiet time, in church or in the company of fellow Christians. 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, 86,400 seconds in each day is important for our Lord. He wants to be our Lord and Master every second of each day. One second of lapsed concentration can destroy 86,399 seconds of faithfulness.

A Christian reflects Jesus Christ.

Love the Lord your God, obey Him and be faithful to Him, and then you and your descendants will live long in the land that He promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. - Deuteronomy 30:20

Hard work with discipline is what most of us have been taught as the ingredients for success. If we add to it, God's love, obedience and faithfulness, we are assured not only success but everlasting peace and joy. 

To reach the destination, we need to take the first step forward. The beginning could be most difficult. Once we are on the way, the journey can be much easier. We need to take one step at a time and in no time we could accomplish half the journey and the end could be soon in sight. Rushing and actions done in haste will eventually go to waste.

The journey with Christ is the same. All we need is to take is one step at a time. Read and memorize one verse a day, seven in a week, thirty in a month and soon we will have 365 verses by the time we celebrate His birthday. Remember; do not let God down with one step forward and two steps back!

One small step of obedience is a giant step to blessing.

Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!" - John 20:28 

I empathized with Thomas. He earned the name of "doubting Thomas". He said that he would not believe that Jesus appeared to the other disciples until he had seen Jesus in person and touched His side. When Jesus appeared before Thomas, He told him to stop doubting and believe. Yes, at times we are not prepared to accept unless we see it with our eyes. Yet, we can be fooled and be deceived by magicians and con men. We could have been injured and had been weighed down by the wound in our lives. It is good to take some time in prayers and ask God to reveal the depth and scope of our wound. Revisiting the scene of our injury can be frightening but with Jesus by our side, He will help us to open our hearts to the truth once and for all.  

It is important to know that no matter what we have gone through; our God welcomes us home with opened arms with no questions asked. He will do His part as our Lord and our God. 

A child of God is always welcomed home.