My journey...

I watched the movie racing stripes on Astro the other day. It is rather interesting. It talks about a zebra who grew up with race horses and thought that he is a race horse. His ambition is to race and to be the fastest runner. Then oneday, he finds that he is actually a zebra, he wanted to give up his ambition cause zebras don't race.

It sort of reminds me about us human beings. Often times we give up easily cause we do not see our potential in God. Discouragement comes and we loose sight of who we are in God. We are just human beings. Who are we that He would use us? I am not born for great things. Look at me? I am just a zebra not a race horse. How can I win in that race track? There are so many born winners. They have the looks and training. Perhaps better qualified. When we realise who we are in God, it is not us who can do great things but God in us that works together with us. It is not about our qualification but our heart.

You would have guessed the story. The zebra races and wins in the end. We are who God made us to be. We cannot look at our past or background and measure who we are by it. We are who God says we are. His beloved son/ daughter. There may be lots of discouragement and judgements from people around us. You are not smart enough. You are too fat. You are too thin. You are too young. You are too naive. You are too stupid. But as we hang on to know who we are in God, let that be the foundation in our lives that we measure our worth. We can do great things because of God in us. He uses the weak to shame the strong. Allow God to shape who we are.

Another statement from that movie which spoke to me. The race horses were all making fun of the zebra cause he is not like them and the zebra's friend encouraged him with this words "They are afraid of anyone that is different." This is so true. Society today will try to make us to conform to it. If you are different in conduct, thought or character, you would be the talk of the town. Unfortunately the church is the biggest culprit in this. Everyone is made to act the same. When you become a Christian, you have to now be "one of us". There are so many pairs of eyes that search to judge you when you are "out of line". Perhaps this is the reason why so many christians are hurt by the "church". People who judge them just cause they are "different". Is it time we embrace people for who they are and not be afraid of confrontation in their different ideas and characters? We are so confortable in the way "church" has become that any form of change seems to be a threat. Of course this is not true of some churches but church in general. If someone of a different orientation say a gay person (and I don't mean "happy") comes into the church, do we try to fix that person up to be "one of us" before he is accepted into our community?


In my journey in life, I have seen so many who have been hurt not by the people outside of church but sadly by those in the church in the name of "righteousness". People who seem to be more righteous than others which then give them the right to be the judges in church. Are we then any different from the religious leaders in the days of Jesus?

Help me Lord not to be afraid of people just cause they are different but to embrace them like you would. I know that it may be hard to. I need your help Lord. Perhaps it is a dream that would never come true in my life time that the church on a whole will be what God has intended it to be but I can try to live a life that is a reflection of His kingdom. I am not there yet with my life but cause me to get closer to living out that Kingdom of God by the day. Dream along with me?