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Bonus post: Have some music.

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Mission Possible: Operation Jesus

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

- 1 Peter 4:10

    Having a sense of mission is very important. It helps us understand our goals and stay focused on it. Because of that, we are determined to reach what we want to achieve and put us toward success.

    That is what I want to see within everyone, especially those disciples out there who opt to continue Jesus’s mission.

    Though nowadays there are still people in our community who continue the mission of Jesus, there are several others who do not have the sense of mission to do so. One reason why is because they do not prioritize Jesus in their lives. To my fellow Christians, please do note that prioritizing Jesus is significant as his influence can help you develop into a better person and understand that the current condition of the world needs people like disciples to improve it. This is why it is important to implement Jesus’s mission, for the intentions of the mission of Christ is to preach his word to the world in order to inspire and enlighten others to do good things.

    If following the mission of Jesus is so important, then what can I do about it as I am also a disciple?

    Firstly, I could use my talents to spread his name. A talent of mine is illustrating, and I could express Jesus through art. Secondly, another way is serving the music ministry of my local church through the choir my parents established there.

    Fulfilling the mission of Jesus does not fully require great lengths of action; what really matters are the efforts you have pushed forward with all your heart.

(Picture source: istockphoto.com)

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Leadership is no gentle breeze.

     We usually think of leaders as invincible, ideal, and flawless. They get everything their way, and there are no problems. They can carry everything on their shoulders, no help is needed.

     However, that is not true. Leaders are not more of what we are: human beings. They still have the capability to make mistakes, have moments of weakness, and be exposed to the pain of hardships. Not everything turns out successful for them. For a strong and capable person like a leader, they still need help from others because no man can pass through difficulties alone.

    What they go through is a bumpy road and it is never an easy life for them. I realized that because I was once placed in the position of being a leader.

    When I was in my younger years, I had always wished to be a leader in group activities. I both envied and adored my classmates who were frequently chosen as one. I longed to feel the admiration and power they got, as I was a rather lonely, ignored child in the classroom. I yearned to be what they are, which was in an unrealistic view: failure is not an option for them and they can do everything perfectly, even without the help of others. Because of that, I thought being a leader was an easy task.

    It was like that until I was appointed to be a leader for a group project correlated with Math.

    I was honored to have the position. I was excited to embark on my journey as a leader. Sadly, the smile I had on my face would fade away once the actual making of the project started. It was a nightmare, I tell you. I was severely unlucky for being assigned with classmates that didn’t really wish to cooperate or wanted to perform their best.

    I had difficulty in handling several things. Most of my groupmates were doing irrelevant shenanigans, they did not do their assigned tasks properly, they did not listen to me, and only one out of four groupmates actually came out to help me when I asked for help. It was a disaster, what we had done is rushed and definitely not in good quality. Because of that, I had decided to take matters into my own hands to fix everything. I ended up doing the rest of the project myself. It was a stressful time, but I got through it because of God. I prayed to him to ask for his guidance in order to get me out of this mess. He kept my hopes high that I could finally finish the project.

    After the experience, I was exposed to the true struggle of leadership. It is not all sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes, the people you lead are hard to settle down and the sense of teamwork is low even if you try to make everyone cooperate. This is why patience and commitment is needed. You will need these qualities to understand your group and get through any difficult situation you might get placed in. You will also need God; he will give you the strength to carry on.

    I have come to a conclusion as well that being a leader is not just being in charge, but also being there to guide those who do not know what to do and to assure those people prosperity in their lives. That means for us that leaders are not just authoritative figures, but as well as servants. It is because they lead, and at the same time, serve through the means of selflessly putting the needs of their comrades first.

“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth.”

- 2 Timothy 2: 24-25

(Source: cgg.org)

(Picture source: giphy.com & shutterstock.com)

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Apostleship? That’s nice.

  When we hear the word “apostleship”, we tend to think of something in between the lines of “another thing involved with Jesus” or “being super religious”.

   You know, apostleship is more than just being holy. Apostleship means to have the courage to partake the tasks God has specially given to each one of us. Whenever you are unsure of what you should do as an apostle, remember that we are assigned to preach, baptize, and heal. The things we can do in the name of apostleship do not necessarily need to be something extravagant or something big. You can always start with small things, like doing good deeds that can make someone’s day.

   Being an apostle is no easy job. Of course, there are certain requirements that are expected to have: like great faith in Jesus, trust in Jesus, devotion, and the will to spread the Word of God in any condition. It is not something we can just do on the spot, it requires patience and a strong willpower. Committing ourselves to such a task takes us some consideration. We then ask ourselves this question: “what can apostleship even give us in return?”

    As an apostle we can understand the significance of the well-being of others and guarantee the strengthening of oneself. We start to realize, in our life, that there are people out there who are not fortunate and are suffering. That is why we are tasked to help and understand them. In that way, we are able to learn how to sympathize with others. As for ourselves, our will to do such actions no matter how daring, gives us the fortitude to continue doing the right things for this world. This courage also helps us mature in a way where we are able to take risks, sacrifices, and our own paths in life.

    So go forth, and pursue apostleship. As 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”, let us proceed in fulfilling the mission that God destined us to bring into the world.

(Picture source: gfycat.com & tenor.com)

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St. John Baptist de La Salle: Memoirs of a Saint’s Deeds

A man of high status

Born with a silver spoon

A humble heart he owns

Though among tycoons

While bathed in luxury

He was able to acknowledge

The tedious amount

Of those without privilege

Moved by the plight

Of those who are poor

He decided to give up

His life of grandeur

With blood and sweat

Into intricate fabrication

A revolution to enlighten the masses

A wonderful creation

A pillar of hope

He built with determination

Education, that is

For the children of deprivation

God’s work, he continued to do

To give gifts of opportunity

A righteous, noble act

Inspired by Mother Mary

If not for his example

We would not have learned

To yield selflessness and humility

Both qualities we yearn

Truly a role model

Whose legacy is to be treasured

A man of change

Whose devotion remains unmeasured

(Source: https://lasalle.org)

(Bible verse of reference: Hebrews 13:7)

(Picture source: medium.com)