Category Archives: Society

Delayed Gratification

We are living in a fast-paced world where things move very fast and instant. Information can be obtained with just a click of our fingertips. Technological advancement has made it possible to purchase food and products without the need to step out from our house. Slowly but surely, this will shape future generations who demand instant rewards and cannot stand delayed gratification.

What is delayed gratification? It is resistance to the temptation of an immediate pleasure in the hope of obtaining a valuable and long-lasting reward in the long term. It is akin to the saying that “good things come to those who wait.” However, teaching our kids to practice delayed gratification is pretty tough in today’s world of instant gratification.

Let us look at what the Bible says about the spiritual aspect of delayed gratification and later, we will discuss some ideas on how to help our kids develop this virtue.

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Reflecting on Your Social Media Usage

Social media has changed our lives. Especially during the pandemic, people are spending more time on social media as a way to stay connected and to be entertained. Depending on who you ask, social media has made life better or worse (see this article on the impact of social media on mental health).

However, as Christians who engage in social media, we should continuously:
1. Reflect on how it is impacting our faith and relationship with God
2. Examine our motives and recognize the deceitfulness of the social media culture*
3. Use social media as a way to glorify God

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How Deep Is Our Love?

As the children of God, apart from abiding in God’s commandments, to show love to one another is part and parcel of our lives. To love mankind is to love God as God is love.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)

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He Lifted Me

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Ps 40:2 NIV)

Seeing the injustice, unrest, and chaos of this society, we may have feelings of uncertainty, fear, anxiety, anger, helplessness, or even hopelessness. Is getting trampled on by ruthless scoundrels justifiable? Violence is not the answer – we need to come together, lift each other up, and ensure justice will be served. Most of us are going through the same storm, albeit in different boats. The storm may be uncertain, but we certainly are in our own boats and trying to learn how to navigate through this storm. When I am in despair, I look to King David and his words of wisdom in the book of Psalms.

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Live life meaningfully – In the face of an unending coronavirus pandemic

If there is to be a reckoning over the second coming of Christ and the urgency to get ourselves prepared, it has now been spotlighted by the coronavirus pandemic. Suddenly, the entire world seems to be at a loss with how to deal with the outbreaks. The only option left, to many countries, is to place more of their cities on lockdowns. More stringent rules are enacted to enforce social distancing, to suppress the spread of the virus. The vibrancy common amongst so many cities is fast-vanishing. The once-bustling cities are beginning to turn into eerily lifeless towns. The world is now hysterically being ground to an abrupt halt.

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