My daddy can do more than you

I was at the playground doing my regular Sunday duty, playing chaperone to my daughters while they played to their hearts' content, when a little boy came up to me, gave me a once-over and said "My daddy can do more than you". He smiled delightfully at me, as if my smile meant I agree with him. You see, I was just minding my own business doing some dips on the parallel bars, in between acting as a pedestrian for my daughters and their friends in the road traffic games, when this boy interrrupted me after I hit 20. Maybe I should have gone on till I hit 32 or maybe 40. Maybe I should have flexed my biceps, triceps & growled like a triceratops or The Incredible Hulk. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking :P You see, I am no longer as incredible as I was in my National Service days. These days, 24 is the max.

I excused myself and walked to the little bench normally occupied by grandparents and domestic maids, half-amused by what I have just encountered. I thought to myself, it sure is a highly competitive world. Some years ago, something similar happened at a church carpark. A little girl came up to me saying "My daddy's car is bigger than yours" and then walked away. I wonder when does the spirit of competitiveness first start to appear in a person? It seems almost natural (or should I use the word "worldly"?) for people to want to compete. My elder daughter regularly asks me if her drawings are better than her younger sis' and my standard reply for her is "You have both put in your best, and I love them regardless of which one seems better".

I believe God loves us for who we are, regardless of whether we are among the top or bottom 1% in school, regardless of whether we are a prominent high-achiever or a humble coffeeshop cleaner, regardless of whether we make $200,000 a year or $2000, regardless of whether we have McMuffins for breakfast or just yu tiao and plain water. 1 Samuel 16:7 says "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart". What is revered by man is often irrelevant to God; likewise, what God treasures, man often overlook or cast aside. Which was the reason why Jesus was so irritably different from the religious leaders of his days. Which was the reason for The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). Which is the reason why you and I have been urged not to conform any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). When we are in tune with God, we will be able to confidently cast aside all unnecessary cares and burdens, and focus on becoming what God wants us to be. Let God be our judge of whether we have done well, not some yardsticks society is throwing at us.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" Colossians 3:23.

May God bless you,

Thomas