Check Our Motives!

Outlive Your Life! by Max Lucado

Chapter 9: Do Good, Quitely

Hypocrisy turns people away from God.

“Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.” (Matt. 6:1 MSG)

Hypocrisy turns people against God. So God has no-tolerance policy. Let’s take hypocrisy as seriously as God does. How can we?

1. 1. Expect no credit for good deeds. None. If no one notices, you aren’t disappointed. If someone does, you give the credit to God. Ask yourself this question: “If no one knew of the good I do, would I still do it?” If not, you’re doing it to be seen by people.

2. 2. Give financial gifts in secret. Money stirs the phony within us. We like to be seen earning it. And we like to be seen giving it. So “when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” (Matt. 6:3 NLT)

3. 3. Don’t fake spirituality. When you go to church, don’t select a seat just to be seen or sing just to be heard. If you raise your hands in worship, raise holy ones, not showy ones. When you talk, don’t doctor your vocabulary with trendy religious terms. Nothing nauseates more than a fake “Praise the Lord” or a shallow “Hallelujah” or an insincere “Glory be to God.”

Focus on the inside, and the outside will take care of itself. Lay your motives before God daily, hourly.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of ever-lasting life.” (Ps. 139:24-24 NLT)

Do good things. Just don’t do them to be noticed. You can be too good for your own good, you know.

The Step

I forgot ... in 2005, berapa bulan aku bergumul setiap hari dengan pertanyaan (dan pilihan)...

~ mau akselerasi 3 tahun? ~ 3.5 tahun? ~ 4 tahun? ~ bikin skripsi or abisin credit dengan ambil kelas semua ~ kerja jepang or indo?

fyi, aku harus took the decision (karena satu dan lain hal) pada tahun ke 2 kuliah.. *yes, exactly, ketika aku ga tau apa yg terbaik untukku saat itu.

Dan jreng2, setelah setiap hari bergumul, I decided aku tetap kuliah 4 tahun, termasuk skripsi -- (tuk menikmati masa2 ku di jepang, sebelum kembali ke Indo...)

Aku berencana 'tuk tetap abisin semua kredit di 3 tahun awal. Sehingga pada tahun ke 4, aku bisa stay di Jepang, cuma untuk kerja part time sambil menunggu graduation.

Dan apakah itu yang terjadi? Ga tuh! Aku di jepang hanya 3 tahun 2 bulan, karena popo-ku sakit keras (kanker!). So, begitu aku beresin semua kredit-ku..aku pulang Indo! Waktuku cuma 1 minggu saat itu, untuk packing semua barang (untuk FOR GOOD! mendadak)...dan farewell dengan teman yg sedombreng banyaknya! Seminggu sebelum pulang Indo setelah aku ujian.. aku harus say bye2 dengan semua bossku tempatku bekerja part time (I worked di 3 tempat yg berbeda), tiap hari pulang malam karena tiap hari farewell dengan teman yg berbeda.. dan tetap harus packing malamnya! It was a crazy week... tapi I was glad, I did come home early. It gave more time to spend with my grannie on her last days on earth.

Rencanaku adalah rencanaku, tapi Tuhan bilang lain. Sebulan setelah aku pulang Indo, my grannie passed away. 1 month after that, I had started to work! Real job! (sambil kerjain skripsi), and I went back to Japan, only to attend my graduation.

Kenapa aku ceritain ini semua?

Dalam banyak kondisi dimana aku harus mengambil keputusan besar, seringkali aku berharap...

"Tuhan!!! Could u just tell me what your plan is? And I will just FOLLOW YOU with all my heart" Karena deep inside my heart, I know that God's plan is always the best for me.. Though, sejujurnya alasanku mau ngomong itu adalah, "Tuhan...eyn takut kalo eyn salah ambil keputusan.. dan salah jalan... cemeyangpan?????!!!"

And..pada saat ini, ketika aku harus dihadapi dengan choices... I, once again, said it to Him!

But I know that in my life, I do need to take part. I am the one who has to take the decision. To take the step of faith.

Hampir semua hal dalam hidup kita, kita harus memilih! *Kecuali tentunya, kita tidak memilih lahir di keluarga mana. Or..hmm pas TK juga kita ga pilih masuk TK mana, ortu kita memilihkan untuk kita.

Semakin besar though, seiring dengan semakin besarnya tanggungjawab kita.. again I would say it.. we are the one to choose! To take that first step to our next journey! A step of faith!

Beberapa bulan belakangan ini, aku "uring2an", yang setiap hari memikirkan setiap goods and bads 'tuk setiap options yg ada! Aku yang "Tuhan, let me intip sedikit kehidupanku in the future, biar bisa tau pilih yang mana........."

and today..tiba2 aku ingat kembali bulan2 di tahun 2005 itu. Dimana I was extremely clueless about my future. Yet, I am here now.. in a much better version of me than I ever could imagine.

And I do really think, at this very moment, walau aku ga tau anything about my future dan aku seakan ga bertenaga tuk berpikir langkah mana yang harus kuambil.. Tuhan begitu setia dengan mengingatkanku tentang perbuatanNya di masa lalu dan pimpinanNya dalam hidupku sampai saat ini.

Dia Allah yang setia!

Ketika Dia membiarkan kita memilih. Dia memberi kita hikmat 'tuk menjalankan hal itu.

I always like this verse = If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5

Ooooh, how we need wisdom! and what we can do? We simply need to ask Him!

Dan aku belajar satu hal, keterbatasanku tuk mengetahui masa depanku membuatku bergantung sepenuhnya pada Dia. Membuatku tidak berdaya! Dan aku suka dengan ke-tidak berdaya-an. Aku suka ke-tergantungan! Karena aku pasrah kepada Tangan yang tepat. Kepada Tangan yang tidak akan membiarkanku jatuh. Kepada Tangan yang memegang erat masa depanku. Dan bukan hanya janji palsu, Dia sudah membuktikannya dalam hidupku sampai saat ini.

"But I am trusting You, O Lord, saying, 'You are my GOD'. My future is in Your hands."

Lord, I know, most of the time in my life. I need to take a step of faith.

Sometimes, it is only a simple stuff, which road I take (literally, road di jakarta misalnya tuk menghindari macet).

Sometimes, it is very BIG......... which road I take too (though this time, it is a road that defines my future!).

But dear God, always remind me, that nothing is too big for You. And moreover, You got the bigger picture. Thing that is so big for me, it's nothing for You.

Though I am the one to take that step! The step, God! But dear God, always remind me, that You hold my hands while I take the step. I will never be alone.

You are here with me now. You are with me along the way. You are there waiting for me at the end of the road.

Lord, You hear my heart shouting for You. Shouting, "I surrender! ~~ grant me wisdom. I believe in You, that the answers will come out from the heaven at the very right time when I need them!"

There!!! I have taken my very first step, to surrender and wait for Him for the answers.

Let's DO FUN Learning!

Hello, finally ... saya melanjutkan our Preparing to be a Help Meet Journey ..

*i am really sorry for the long pause.. :(

The next chapter of this book, chapter 7, is about Knowledge.

I'll write the review short saja... (hmm, that's my first intention..haha let's see apakah tiba2 jadi panjang)

Since ini buku ttg preparing ourselves to be help meets - one thing yg we need to do while we prepare => gaining knowledge. About apa saja? Later!

First, why?

Marriage life is not all romance and passion - maybe five percent. The rest of your time is devoted to the routine of living. There will be unexpected trials burdens that will catch you and your sweetie totally by surprise. Whether your family, not to mention your passion, survive life's curveballs depends on knowledge..yours..

In this book, Debi Pearl shared her own experience, where due to her lack of knowledges tentang obat2an - vaksinasi bayi hampir merenggut nyawa baby-nya! (intinya, she let her baby di-vaksin, padahal harusnya belum boleh). Nah, the moment pada saat bayinya sakit keras hampir mati (karena dia sudah melihat ada Death Angel menghampiri....>.<), adalah turning point buat dia bahwa she has to learn stuffs!

Life is not complicated. There are only a few simple principles that God set into place that make the whole process not just run smoothly, but really fly.

Proverbs 24:3-5

"Through wisdom is a house built; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is strong; yea a man of knowledge increase strength."

We got choices..how we want to spend our youth..! After all, it's our own lives! (errr...not really, actually!)

Once, my friend cerita kenapa dia bisa il-feel sama satu cewe... "gile lyn, dia spend weekend cuma nonton film korea!" I am not judging her! Siapa yg ga suka? Tapi, spending entire weekend watching Korean drama (every week) only helps you to gain knowledge in Korean (annyongghaseeooo~!!) or maybe fashion, a bit. or making kimchi?

Remember girls....we are now being prepared (and prepare ourselves) for something! Something that you and I have dreamed for a life time, I know.

...and as in Proverbs 24:3-5 said...it is built by wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

And the time to gain all of them...... is NOW~!

Since, I, myself, juga belum entering the marriage life (though I have met my prince charming)... aku ga bisa suggest apa yg perlu kita pelajari, tapi mari belajar sama2, berdasarkan pengalaman Ibu-ibu di atas kita :D

In this book, Debi Pearl bilang... ini2 yang perlu kita siapin dan pelajari..

jreng jreng jreng...

1. Masak!! of course ga cuma sekedar masak asal jadi, tapi yang sehat. Including, belanja bahan yang bagus. (trust me, girls, I read this book several times.. and skrg saat aku ketik ini pun.. aku super deg2an about this! >.< )

2. Birth control! and pregnancies....

What??!~!! To be honest with you, aku sama sekali belum tau apa2 tentang hal ini ..cuma pretty much tau kapan masa subur itu >.< Detail-nya belum.. dan one day, make sure we learn about this before we get married.

What we can do now, though~ Know your body well! Aku started tuk mencatat jadwal menstruasi, untuk tahu normal ga-nya, + ini juga to help me tau kapan aku PMS, supaya aku lebih berjaga dan kasi extra kekuatan tuk si emosi nakal >.<

And including di dalamnya, we need to have a strong healthy body for our babies tar... (deg2an juga ketik ini!) Mari ber-olahragalah wahai wanita~!

3. Hospitality

4. How to make money! :D (or at least to save money..)

Jangan cuma jadi single ladies yang jago to spend money ..... !!! Semangaaaat!! Do smart shopping!

5. Responsibility --> ga lagi2 jadi anak papi/mami yang manja ...

6. Homeschooling

Gmana practice-nya? Start to learn a new thing each week, Debi Pearl suggested. Rajin baca, bertanya, dan praktek... Kata kuncinya = rajin. A Godly woman doesn't eat the bread of idleness. (Proverbs 31:27)

Oh and btw, learning stuffs - gaining knowledge ga selamanya se-stress belajar geografi (tiba2 aja inget pelajaran ini... >.<), it could something fun too! Like today, aku nemenin bumil belanja perlengkapan bayi ..(aku bisa saja liat2 baju, since i am not having a baby dalam waktu dekat, rite?) but! it was totally FUN! Here's one of the fun things... this cute tooth brush :D Don't u think it's super cute?

Why do I tell you all about this weird stuff? I want you to know that walking through the door of knowledge will make you a stronger, healthier, smarter and more resourceful person. It will make you more capable wife, a wiser mother and an interesting person. It could save your life or that of your child.

Mariiiiii!!!!!!!!!

Who can find a virtuous woman? -- oh, for us... :

who wants to be a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies.....? I do I do~!

Semangat! :D

Chapter 8 = Italian Prince, next ;)

September

Last year.... this day~! God answered my prayer ....

My written on my diary prayer:

February 24, 2010

"Terkadang yah, eyn yang bisa berasa, udah deh eyn bisa jalanin deh...

bahkan tadi sempet kepikiran, eyn bakal kasi kesempatan sampe September.

Ga tau kenapa, September!!"

Ini bukan karena aku punya penglihatan ... kalo the man I've been praying for selama ini - bakalan "dor der" at September 2010 ...

Hmm to be honest with you, kenapa waktu itu aku doa begitu .. karena..... ooooh...I was really scared..! Aku ga berani risking my heart terlalu lama... and ENTAH KENAPA aku bilang "Tuhan... September deh, kalo ga eyn bakal mundur!!!"

Now we know, 'coz God knew! He has been in control, He always is!

He knew that this wonderful man would think and decide (and I so believe, it's all from Him) "harus sekarang or never..." and it was September :D

*I broke up with my first boyfriend after 8 years relationship -- en selama proses pemulihan aku tutup hati rapat2 (walau kadang2 ada juga celah-nya..haha)

-- and pas 2010, aku bilang... "Tuhan.. I am ready for a relationship" -- so, that's why, aku super takut 'tuk mulai lagi ...

Dan saat a great guy came~!!! Aku tambah takut kalo aku keburu jatuh cintrong, tapi ternyata bukan dia. Di sisi lain, I knew, kita sebagai cewe, juga harus do something, yaitu buka hati. (Bukan kejar cowo loooh - jangan salah), tetapi buka hati.

Kebanyakan takutnya nih, kalian mungkin berpikir begitu ... ! Yes... TAKUT!

Itulah kenapa, I started my whole PURE friendship with my Arief dengan sungguh berdoa ke Tuhan, supaya Tuhan jaga hati, sikap, dan perkataanku.

And...skrg, if I look back, aku sangat bersyukur kalo aku takut (baca= hati2). Dengan begitu, aku bersandar sepenuhnya sama Dia, and always chose to be still ketika hatiku gundah "ini cowo maunya apa sih?" atau saat aku ga sabar pengen tau the answer "ini cowo kapan bakal maju?" or "bakal maju atau ga sih?"

I learnt and put Psalm 37:7a into practice .. "Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act."

Remember, girls... we are to react ... not to act (kalian ngerti konteks ku disini) - bole lah kasi signal, jangan "ngerjain dan nyusahin" cowo!

Tetapi dalam hal pertanyaan "Mau dibawa kemana hubungan kita....?", aku ga tau gimana dengan kalian, tapi I did Psalm 37:7a sepanjang masa pertemanan, penantian, "ke-geje-an" (bukan TTM yah!)! I waited for Him to act through him!

Buatku pribadi, I experienced Tuhan sungguh bekerja pada waktu yang tepat dan terbaik. Aku sungguh merasakan bahwa He wanted this for me and for him! (So, I would suggest you to do the same = to wait patiently). And, yes, 12 September 2010, He answered my prayer! He kept His promise, He would act for me, what I needed to do was to be still.

"Gimana tapi kalo dah ga sabaaaarrrr, Lyn?"

Hmmm.... ada one thing yang aku suka banget dari buku Lady in Waiting, bahwa masa single kita adalah redeeming time~ Waktu yang ga akan pernah kembali.

So, daripada mikir "Kapan... kapan ..kapan..." pakai waktu penantian kita tuk menebus waktu kita di masa depan, yang ga akan lagi buat kita sendiri .. tapi untuk, pacar kita kelak, suami kita, dan anak2 kita! Tebus waktumu sekarang!

Kembali ke September ...

September 2011, aku juga udah ga sabar, tuk mencapai masa pacaran tahun, bukan hanya bulan. (haha..for those yang pernah ngerasain pacaran 8 tahun, ngerti banget rasanya :$)

At least, I wanted to say out loud!!! "YEAH, dah 1 TAHUN!!"

Though, aku menyadari dalam setahun ini ... really2 relationship ga cuma seberapa LAMA kita bersama, tapi seberapa DALAM kita mau berjuang tuk berusaha mengenal apa yang pasangan kita suka dan tidak, terus mengutamakan kepentingan yang lain di atas kepentingan pribadi, tuk mengasihi dengan kasih yang dimurnikan oleh Dia.

And, ternyata God did even better.. ga hanya aku sangat berbahagia ..... "it's one year, beibeh!!!", tapi much more than that! Super extra special one, yang akan aku share kapan2... ;)

To my special man,

I thank God for you... (ga akan bosen aku ulang2 saying it..haha, 'coz i really2 do)

Thank you for every decisions you made yang butuh courage and faith (so proud of you!)

Thank you for make me feel so much loved!

Thank you for all the magical things you do when I am with you.

We will go forth in grace alone.

'coz it takes three, Jesus, you and me, to make this relationship work!

I am so in love with you <3 and you make me wanna say I do!

12 September 2011