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Spiritual Awakening, Singapore (2026)

17/02/2024

𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 (B24/2)
The news that was trending in Singapore in recent weeks was ex-cabinet minister, Iswaran being charged with corruption. He was alleged to have received some inducement to advance someone else’s business interest. Many were surprised as the inducement were mainly tickets, flights & hotel stays which as a cabinet minister, he could have easily afforded. This brings to mind the challenges we face trying to live out our faith at the workplace.

This blog is about me documenting my spiritual journey in the hope of helping others. One major challenge is, how do we practice our spirituality at the workplace? Temptations and triggers can arise which can bring out the worst in us. These temptations can be instigated by others or be self-induced. If we are unable to resist them, we can start going down a slippery slope which can cause us to compromise our integrity and values that we are supposed to hold dear as Christians. Jesus calls us the be the salt of the earth and a light of the world. What does this mean at the workplace? As I shared in my earlier posts, it’s easy for us to be fragmented and not live out our values when we are all alone or not amongst our “brothers & sisters”.

I have just finished reading the book of Daniel in the bible. He’s quite an inspiring character.
Daniel was an Israelite from the nobility class who was brought into exile when he was about 17 years old, when Jerusalem was besieged by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon in 605 B.C. When he arrived in Babylon, he was picked (together with 3 of his friends) to serve the king. Initially, they were offered food & wine from the king’s table. Let’s look at his response.

𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍 1:8-20:
“8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your[a] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the
wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom..”

Apart from being a great passage to go vegan, it shows Daniel and his friends’ resolve to be obedient to God’s dietary laws. Consider the many excuses that Daniel could have come up with for not doing this, such as:
“God has abandoned his people & sent us into exile. It’s pointless to be obedient!”
“I am away from the holy city for who knows how long! It’s time for a spiritual sabbatical!”
“I am 17 and in a foreign land, time for me to explore & experience the local culture & cuisine!”.
“I have been obedient all my life but look what it has brought me-exile!”
“Hard to practice God’s laws here in this strange land. Like what they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do!”

Yet he was so determined not to defile himself before God. Being a foodie myself & someone who enjoys the occasional drinks with friends, I find this law quite a challenge! Yet, the passage tells us God blessed him after that! In v17-20, God blessed them with learning, skill, wisdom & strength to serve the king & they excelled in their new job way more than the others! What was his motivation to be obedient in a less than ideal environment? Maybe it was years of learning to fear God when he grew up in Jerusalem. Perhaps, Daniel was also clear of his identity & calling to serve God wholeheartedly. God is always looking for individuals who are willing to partner with him to be a “light to the world” even at the workplace. Do we see ourselves in this way? Or is working just a means to earn a living, pay all the bills and afford a comfortable lifestyle?

If we can grasp our calling at the workplace, perhaps we would be better able to manage the many temptations & triggers that we face. Triggers can come in the form of office politics, dealing with slander & gossip and facing difficult colleagues & supervisors. How best can I respond in such instances?

𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍 6:1-13:
“It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.

10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.”

The account of Daniel in the lions’ den probably happened when he was 70 years old. As we can see, he was still the same! Still faithfully practicing his faith for decades! He was still the same guy who simply loved God (he prayed 3x/day) & knew what he stood for and understood how God called him to live his life. In v3, Daniel did so well that he was up for promotion! Yet there were office politics at his workplace as well. In v4, his “colleagues” out of jealousy tried to find grounds for him to be charged but they found that he was “neither corrupt nor negligent”. In his service to the king, you can just imagine Daniel being faithful in discharging his duties day in, day out for decades! He didn’t take short cuts & was not tainted by any corruption.

They knew the only way to get him was through his faith! They were probably quite aware of his habit of praying 3x/day. In the past when I studied the bible with others, in the context of practicing our Christianity, I would ask the question, “If someone were to record a video of your daily lifestyle, would they find evidence to convict you for being a Christian?” Daniel knew about the edict that prohibited anyone from praying to any god except the king. Yet he left his window open & was not afraid to pray to his God. He knew what he stood for & what he would never compromise. We know how this story ended & how God protected Daniel & blessed him for his faithfulness.

We all have our own career aspirations. We may have our own definitions of what it means to have a successful career. It’s “normal” to define success as how “high” my position and monthly salary at the office is. In such scenarios, how do we manage triggers & temptations? I believe if we are willing to partner with God & be his vessel at the office, maybe our aspirations and definitions of success might be different. Part of partnering with God is to be mindful of our humanity and how we treat others, even the “difficult people”.

I currently work as a Counsellor at a community & social service organization. It is easy for me to be reactive at the workplace when I feel attacked or undermined. It is easy for me to treat people unkindly when they do the same to me. How can I find strength to be kind at such instances? At other times, it’s easy to give in to gossip, to cut corners as I discharge my duties especially when I am mostly in WFH mode. At times it’s tempting to just give the bare minimum and not care about the impact I can have on others. I previously ran my own company doing what I am doing now and at times I am asked by my previous clients if I still offer the service. Yet I am quite aware that this can be a conflict of interest as I am a full-time employee. It is easy to compromise & be motivated by other rewards & inducements.
Can the story of Daniel inspire us to partner with God and be a light to the world?

𝐌𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
1. What are my biggest temptations & triggers at the workplace? How can I be more mindful rather than be reactive instead?
2. What does integrity at the workplace mean to me? How does my view of God affect how I practice this at the office?
3. What is my reputation like at the office? How would my colleagues describe me?

16/01/2024

𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒! (𝐁𝟐𝟒/𝟏)

During my reading of the latter half of the book of Isaiah, I have been reminded of joy in some form or other. Maybe that’s what the Holy Spirit wants me to share this time around. I have also been mulling on my inner motivations on this phase of my faith journey. I believe joy comes when we cultivate a desire to please God. In my previous church, I was at times motivated by guilt, obligation, peer pressure and even selfish ambition. It definitely was a barrier for me to grow spiritually and experience the joy that only the Holy Spirit can give. Why then do I still persist with this? I can’t deny times when I did experience joy in my faith journey. Those times invigorated and energized me; it gave me a sense of peace and inner strength. How can I experience more of this? Maybe I could make 2024 a jubilant and joyful year! Here are some thoughts of how we can do that:

𝘈𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘎𝘰𝘥:
Isaiah 55:1-2 NIV
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.”

This was written at a time of the exile of the Israelites when the people may have felt abandoned by God. Yet God assured them of his faithfulness if they decide to go back to him. Since time immemorial, people have always thirst after all kinds of stuff such as a meaningful job, spouse, wealth, popularity, social media likes, the latest gadget (you are always one product away from satisfaction😆) just to find that elusive happiness. Yet here in Isaiah 55, God in his kindness and generosity tells us to come to Him. It cost nothing (we love free stuff in Singapore, right? 😉); so, the offer goes to the rich & poor alike!

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself also in the LORD and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Learning to enjoy praying & reading God’s word can help. In the past couple of years, as a House Church, we have learned to focus on the nature of God whenever we read any passage, which has helped us to rediscover God’s wonderful traits. God has been gracious to me in this regard as well; I have had jobs this past decade or so which are not the conventional 9-5 “rushing to the office” jobs🏃. As such, I am able to begin my days in the mornings not having to rush through my prayer and bible reading; but to savour it. I have also learned to be more attuned to the prompting and work of the Holy Spirit. That has helped me to sense God’s presence in my life instead of giving in to my anxieties & worries. I believe many of us have experienced this as well but it’s easy to be bogged down by the “pursuit of happiness”. God is inviting us today to experience the joy that only He can give.

𝘞𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧?
Isaiah 58:2-3, 13-14:
For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 3 “Why have we fasted,” they say, “and you have not seen it?
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

In this passage, the Israelites were complaining why God had not blessed them despite their religious practices such as fasting. God’s response was that their treatment of people did not match their religiosity. They were also either oppressing people or ignoring the oppressed. What were their motivations for their religiosity? Was it to simply seek for quick blessings?

I think God cares about why we do what we do. Jesus said in his “sermon on the mount”, don’t do stuff just to appear spiritual or to gain adulation from others; rather do good deeds even when no one notices but God! Easy to be obedient when others’ eyes are on us & yet disregard God’s commands when we are alone or away from church members. I felt I was like that for years. I can struggle to practice obedience when all alone whereas at church, I love feeling “spiritual” in the midst of others😂. I think it’s hard to experience joy when we are fragmented as an individual.

I am now striving to purify my motivations. I have learned to be honest with myself in confronting my evil desires or my deeds especially when I am all alone. One struggle for me whilst working from home (WFH), is completing my daily tasks when facing delays due to tech issues. At such times, I can easily vent my frustrations & even utter profanities (I feel ashamed even as I share this). Easy to rationalise such deeds as “no one is perfect”. I am learning to be more patient & coming to terms with difficulties calmly as part of WFH. Jesus was frequently interrupted as he went about his day and yet, he was always patient and responded with compassion. This is an upward call for me as I follow Him. Jesus calls us to be conscious of God and be clear about our identity whether in the public or private domain.

I believe as we purify our whys, it gives us strength to face difficulties and challenges and still somehow experience joy. This is the unadulterated joy that comes from pleasing God genuinely and consistently. Jesus calls this joy “complete” in John 15:9-11:
“As the father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

These are some thoughts for us to ponder. Here’s to a joyful 2024!

𝐌𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
1. What do I want God to do for me in 2024? What meaning does that give me?
2. How can I learn to “bring into light” my inner desires and motivations?
3. What is one action I can do daily that will bring more joy to my life in 2024?

25/12/2023

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 (B23/3)

I must admit Christmas is one of my “most wonderful time of the year”. It’s a time to reminisce cherished childhood memories. Yearly I enjoy the ritual of putting up the Christmas tree at home😁 and watching a holiday movie (Home Alone!) with my family. On the other hand, it can also become a hectic time especially with the Christmas preps & shopping of gifts. It’s easy to get drowned out by the consumerism of Christmas and then feel exhausted by year’s end and not really experience the “peace of Christmas”.

Yet Christmas is to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the promised Messiah. It was the time when our God almighty decided to enter into our world to let us know he is Emmanuel, the “God who is with us”. Yet when he entered the world, it moves me to note that the “King of Kings” was born in extremely humble surroundings. What was it like then for Mary & Joseph navigating the different challenges leading to the birth of Jesus? With a character like king Herod, drama, deceitfulness & deaths swirled around the birth of Jesus. In the midst of all this, is there something that we can glean from the first Christmas?

Mat 1:18-19 “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”

Luke 2:7 “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”

Firstly, the realization of Mary, a virgin being pregnant would be scandalous to their community as evident in the bible passage where Joseph wanted to “divorce Mary quietly”. Though eventually Joseph did not do that, what were the emotions & thoughts that may have consumed their minds during that time? Then of course, there was the birth in the manger. Not your wonderful A-class ward in a private hospital is it?

What does the phrase, “they laid him in a manger because there was no lodging available for them” mean? I read a narrative on Christmas from BEMA liturgy (https://www.bemaliturgy.com/1-b-15-peace-the-bethlehem-candle) that shares what it may have been like for this couple as they headed to Bethlehem, their ancestral town, as I quote here:
“The common narrative was that it happened because “there was no room at the inn.” We have grown accustomed to hearing this as, “the local Bethlehem motel was booked up.” We think Mary showed up at an inconveniently busy time. But that word “inn” would better be translated as “guest room,” which was customary for homes to keep for potential visitors. Apparently not these visitors, though. Mary and Joseph came to someone’s house, but no guest room was extended to them. What could be reasons for this? It’s possible they were being rejected not by an enterprising hotel manager, but by their own kin. Perhaps they had family in Bethlehem, the city of Joseph’s heritage, who were ashamed and upset, not just because Mary was pregnant before marriage (not as scandalous to them as to us), but because by becoming pregnant she was considered effectively married already, and therefore the family had been robbed of the joy of attending and celebrating a family wedding (much more scandalous to them than to us).”

Overall we cannot deny the sense of shame & rejection that was experienced at the first Christmas. Coincidentally this is the same emotion that Jesus experienced as he “made himself nothing” to die on the cross:

Heb 12:2 (TLB) “Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards; and now he sits in the place of honour by the throne of God.

Despite the shame & rejection experienced by Joseph & Mary at birth and Jesus at the cross, what propelled them to transcend it? Perhaps, it was the joy & peace that also filled them as they answered their calling & saw the good that it would bring.

It’s fair to say that shame & rejection must be among the most difficult emotions to deal with in life. It’s very true for me personally. I experienced that at various stages of my life. Growing up in the early 1970s, status and success in education & work were emphasized in my family and community. I recall doing quite well in my first public exam as a 15 year old; Subsequently I began to put lots of expectation on myself to excel in my O’s & A’s. When I did not do as well as I had hoped, you can imagine the emotions that I had to grapple with. I would also frequently compare myself with others in different areas, which many a time left me feeling inadequate. Even at home, at times in harmless conversations, my inadequacy would get triggered. My struggle with self-acceptance was all too real. How do we typically deal with shame & rejection? It’s common to supress, avoid, suffer through the moment or even hit back at others.

Christmas is a time for gatherings with family & friends and yet wanting to “look good” and being perceived as “successful” can be a default mode for many. Even in many churches today, this culture is perpetuated rather than addressed. How can we be inspired by our Lord and the story of the first Christmas to learn to deal with shame & rejection differently and be more authentic with others?

𝐌𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
1. Peace (shalom) of Christmas can come from how we define success & learning to accept our weaknesses and imperfections.
2. How can I be more aware of my triggers and how to acknowledge and accept the emotions generated rather than suppress and resist it.
3. How can I use (1) and (2) above to build bridges with others rather than to isolate myself?

09/12/2023

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫? (B23/2)
Generally, when people think of what Jesus offers, what comes to mind? I believe it’s mostly about forgiveness of sins and being saved for the afterlife. The assurance of salvation for the afterlife is comforting, yet is that all that Jesus offers? Was Jesus primarily just focused on the afterlife? What about life here on earth? Is Jesus offering something else that if we seek for it could make a real difference in 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦?

When we analyse the personality of Jesus, doesn’t he have an attractive personality? Think of the way he made time for people, no matter how insignificant they might be in the eyes of society; the 2 blind men who cried out to him when he was on his way to Jerusalem to die. For crying out loud, Jesus just told his disciples he was going to be flogged & crucified. Shouldn’t this occupy his mind?? He even made time for children; not his own, mind you. When he was grieving the death of John the Baptist, he still felt compassion for the crowd that gathered. He dared to speak up against the religious establishment when he saw their hypocrisy & lack of humanity. He was “The King of kings”, yet he lived to serve others. He did the coolest miracles and was also very inclusive, always reaching out to the people on the margins. If you meet someone like this in real life, wouldn't we be drawn to him? In short, Jesus knows a thing or two about living on planet earth!

It’s easy to be a follower of Jesus and not really follow him! Think of these verses below:

Mat 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Mat 13:11-13: “He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.”

Why did Jesus teach in parables? He was not too perturbed if he was misunderstood! Think about that for a moment! Rather he wants us to think, question, seek and perhaps uncover the “knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.”
Was he looking for quantity in terms of followers or more quality followers when he said, “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. “
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 is Jesus offering when he said, “learn from me…and you will find rest for your souls”.

𝐌𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
1. Does Jesus want to be more personal & significant to me?
2. I have to admit I can get distracted with social media etc and it can leave me weary & tired in the morning. Easy to get into a rut and live for the weekend😂
3. There have been times (not enough) when I felt God’s presence; the sense of peace and that God is leading me. How can I get more of that?

05/12/2023

𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 (B23/1)
I grew up being part of a traditional church with my family and relatives for the first 2 decades of my life. It drew us together as we gathered for the traditional Christian gatherings especially Christmas. I guess it did help to build a foundation of a consciousness of God, yet it lacked the depth needed for any real life’s transformation or much application of NT “one another” passages with other church members.

I subsequently got involved in a very organised, fast growing, global church movement. While it brought some transformation initially, it came with the cost of tight controls and agenda driven teachings, and also perpetuated many other unhealthy practices. While it got people busy, it soon became apparent that this was not spirit-led and thus could not bring about the spiritual fruit to those seeking for it. It made me understand the difference between organized religion & being spirit led.

It took me a (long) while, but I am now on another journey 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 to hopefully bring more spiritual vitality to my life and build more authentic one-another relationships. It can be scary and at times can feel a little lonely. I no longer have “safety in numbers”.
Yet it’s given me the space & time needed to understand God’s essential nature, rediscover Christ and be more attuned to the Holy Spirit. It’s been 3 years since I started on this phase of my journey. I am refreshed each day as I uncover God’s treasure, and I am excited with what the Holy Spirit has in store.

Spiritual Awakening

17/02/2024

16/01/2024

25/12/2023

09/12/2023

05/12/2023

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