WeeKeong speaks: "Jesus Had No Time Left"

Weekeong is our awesome pastor and currently leading the East Sector and Campus Ministry of our church with his beautiful wife, Joyce. He has two adorable sons and enjoys running, sports and reading.

Dear David,

It is so encouraging to read all the QTs posted everyday from all the smurfs & smurfettes :-) I just want to respond to your sharing today. I was using this very passage to study with someone last week who had a difficult time forgiving his sister. The reason? He feels that she was the cause of his depression for the last 7 years. He felt she has "robbed" him of his time. Now he is in his mid-30s with no career to show, he naturally pinned all his bitterness towards her.

As i showed him this passage, I reminded him that he needs to work towards forgiving his sister. But more so, even if his "illness" NEVER goes away, he should imitate Paul's attitude of total reliance & trust in God. Easier said than done. For who would not want to make their life count? As we get older, there are many empirical & sociological studies that suggests that we will want to leave a legacy behind & that this is a natural part of our cognitive development. In fact, yesterday at church, auntie Lily Young, who is a six time cancer survivor herself, came up to me & said she wants to write a book about her life story. That's so awesome, amen?!

But tell that to this guy I am studying with. Better still, tell that to Paul. How about telling Jesus. Go on, use your life well now & leave a legacy. But wait a minute. Have Jesus & Paul NOT left a legacy? Were they just meteors streaking across the night sky only to disappear after a brief, blinding moment of brilliance? Are we talking about two losers with no paper qualifications nor fat bank accounts to show? Nope. They chose to focus on what they have instead of what they do not have & still managed to impact all of humanity for all of eternity.

Jesus had no time left. His end was certain & near. He chose to work his buns off. He loved, cared & prayed & rebuked, taught & walked & sang & wept. All that and more, he did it out of love for people. But he never had a wife, never raised a family, never got to cradle his grandchildren on his lap...One thing he never did; he NEVER focused on what he can't have in life. Aren't we glad he did that?

Paul had a thorn. He didn't have the best of health. His travelling itinerary will put any jet-setting CEO to shame. His journeys were riddled with death threats & beatings. Is that the way to treat possibly the greatest apostle that ever lived? He chose to STILL do what is right.

He preached all night. He wrote letters to churches. First to the region of Galatia. Then as he was at it, the Spirit stirred him. "Why not write more? WHat about the churches in Corinth? How about the whole of Asia Minor?" As he lived his life out in the dungeons & cells, he churned out his letters with as much tenacity as his tormentors flex their flagellum. He never got his recognition, never had a comfortable life that a first class citizen of Rome should enjoy, never had a pay-rise...

One thing he never did; he NEVER focused on what he can't have in life. Aren't we glad he did that?

What is it that we have that we pray for God to take away? How about this: we can all leave our mark behind, regardless of our shortcomings or handicap. Question is, is God's grace sufficient for us? Do we feel truly strong because we realise that we're so dependant on God, or we derive our strength from our credentials, academic performance, talent, youth, popularity etc. Let's focus & use what we have, and God will multiply that, amen?!

Thanks for inspiring us with your QT all the time.