National Exam? Bring it on!!!

Dear twelve-grader students,

Unfortunately, you have reached the peak; the last minutes of school program. Every single moment passed will not remain in vanity. Every happiness, every sorrow, every contrition, every boast done will form you unto the perfection. Tomorrow, 15 April 2013, everything gained in these 15 years has to be written in a piece of filmsy paper. Allow me to exhort and give you some discourses and admonishments.

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS!
God holds tomorrow!
Philippians 4:6-7; "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Horatio Spafford is a widespread-existence seventeen-century Christian hymn author and a prominent

attorney. He, concomitant with his family; his wife and his only begotten son, loved God so much. Furthermore, he is also a friend of D.L. Moody which is prevalent as the most influential ecclesiastes -he who made the fifth revival- of all time. Spafford is also a well-prosperous man; he had everything with.

Everything happened counter-productively. Initially, he lost his only begotten son infected by Pneumonia at age of four. It injured him a lot. Precisely a year after the tragedy, he invested his most enormous welfare in one of Chicago's real estate. Simultaneously, in the same year, the Great Fire of Chicago tragedy licked his investment to the ashes.

Two years after, they decided to had their holiday in England. For some reasons, he could not go together with his family, so he sent them -his wife, and four children- over. Alas, something happened. His boat collided the other boat, and his four children lost their life. Few years after that pandemonium tragedy, he again got three children. Similar with tragedy happened before, he lost one of his son caused by Scarlatina fever.

Eventually, he got mental trouble and started crazy. No wonder, why could he get crazy; he acted ostentatious strong, he thought that as a Christian, he may not sad, he may not lament, he should be strong; as strong as an iron, instead wrote a song "It is Well with My Soul", whereas this is intolerable false! God created you as an ordinary human that posses human nature. Moreover, emotion is entitled to glorify God, lest human become a robot. Realize it!

In the verse written, Paul did not say that we have to be a 'robot' prohibited to experience human weakness - Jesus he himself had ever been anxious (c.f. Mat 26:37) -. Paul did not speak frivolously when he wrote the phrase "stop worrying"; he did not say about imaginary trouble or phantom anxiety. That in fact, Paul was echoing and recite the things done by David (c.f. Psalm 55:22) aiming to exhort Phillipians' church afflicted by dozens troubles. He also did not give fake idiot hope the church, like "God always eases, always lightens your trouble", yet he aimed to say "God is greater than all troubles!" (c.f. II Chor 11:23-31, I Chor 7:32, I Pet 5:7); it, therefore he said not to anxious.

It brought me to ponder more profound. How to be not anxious? Nearly entire of Paul's epistle stresses at "PRAY"; "the way to be anxious about nothing was to be prayerful about everything". More than this, prayer must be based on "GRATITUDE". Karl Barth defined that "Thanksgiving means giving God the glory in everything, making room for him, and casting our care on him."

In the verse 7, it can be perceived that Paul expounded the implication of the verse 6, that is "the peace of God." Herein, he did not speak about "peace with God" or "peace of soul that come from God."  Meanwhile, the God he himself is eternal peace "surpassing human understanding" (c.f. NIV, RSV, KJV, and TEV translation) that able to annihilate human anxiety which is unable to be erased by human effort including intellectual efforts.

Humans are more likely hold their own intelligence firmly causing increment in anxiety. John Calvin said "There is no worse screen to block out the Spirit than confidence in our own intelligence." Human total depravity embraces intelligence (Westminster's Creed). Human intelligence has been bondage in sins and transgressions eliciting the skyrocket of anxiety.

At the end of the epistle, Paul stressed that "peace of God" itself gives "protection" to man. The word "protection" is derived by word "fronresei" in Greek associating with Hellenic culture designating the "soldiers" which is "standing guard over". The protection surpassing everything that can annihilate man's anxiety. Peter T. O'Brien explained that no other path to gain those divine attributes, unless "those who are in Jesus Christ that achieves the redeeming love". Westminster shorter catechism said "man chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever."; in accordance with these, Augustine said "love, and do what you wilt."

If a man love God, he does God's will (c.f. John 14:15). By doing God's will, he will bear a fruit which one of the fruit is "peace" (c.f. Gal 5:22-23). It is obvious that bear fruit is differed with repent and reborn. Reborn is aorist imperative passive (occurred in the past, only single time, and man is totally passive; totally God's work). On the contrary, in this case, man is obligated to endeavour; man has to make efforts to gain those divine attributes. It is by preserving the intimacy with God.

To conclude, let us not act ostentatiously strong like Spafford. Moreover, if you have a problem, you have to express it. However, do not let the problem enthrone, and enslaves you. Nevertheless, surrender all things to God with prayer and gratitude. Keep active by studying hard to face tomorrow's national exam. Barth said that one of the sins that was not removed after reborn is "laziness". Hence, stand-firm in God, be prayerful.

YOU CAN!!!

ORA ET LABORA

Best regards,
Jerren