Elza and Junting, what you both said really resonated in me. This is exactly what I've been thinking! I'm so excited seeing how mature you all are. What both of you said tied in together very well.

Junting, not many people our age have the maturity to say that. And I know what you've been going through. Sometimes problems help us realize this. When I was in BMT last year, one night during my quiet time I was looking at this write-up, title was "Poured out like a drink offering". I forgot what was the Bible reference. But that title became stuck in my head. A week later I had a breakup, and I was struggling to trust God and let go. As I was praying I thought back on that title and it occured to me how much I've been wanting a comfortable life MY way. But when I look beyond my small problems and see the huge needs around me, I don't want to be caught wasting time nursing my own scratches when there are so many people who have not found God.

Jesus came "not to be served, but to serve, to give His life as a ransom for many." He also said "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me."

What do I want to do with my life? To love God with all of my heart/soul/mind/strength, then I will be able to love my neighbour as myself. That will turn the world upside down, because God's love turns a world like that upside down. A world that Elza described well.

Elza I really agree with you. Surely must be God showing all this to you! Not many people our age have the maturity to actually realise that the world is in such a state. I think we look up to the wrong people these days. The celebrities and stars, even those who are obviously non christians. The world is steep in sin, that's why its urgent that we make up our minds at our age how we want to live our lives. To be happy to take the most comfortable route? that would be ignorant of how in need the world is of God, and I don't think such a life will be very happy anyway. "Whoever finds his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matt 10:39. And its because the world is so in need of God, we pray for our enemies, do nothing out of selfish ambition, put on love, because doing otherwise is only adding more fuel to the fire.

And we think that the evil is in an obscure part of Africa, or faraway places with war and killings, but it is right in our hearts. That is why we need Jesus' forgiveness so much every single day. Someone once told me about a Christian group, seeing how far the world is from God, went into a desert to pray for the world. When they came out, they went around encouraging Christians to pray a simple prayer many times over and over "Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner." Sin begins right in our hearts, and until we realise that, we can't understand how much the world needs God cos we can't even see how much we ourselves need God.

I especially like what you said "make the right choices even if the people you don't like will reap from it". Like, that is so hard isn't it. Haha.

Oak are we willing to be poured out like a drink offering?