John 15:5: "...apart from me you can do nothing"

You know the verse in John 15:5 which says that "for apart from me you can do nothing"?

Since coming back from China, this verse has popped into my prayer consciousness a few times. First was during the GoFest at the Expo, when one of the speakers spoke of the need to really stick it close with God during mission trips, for apart from Him, we will absolutely have no power whatsoever to be the light and salt of the earth. I think that is quite a liberating statement, cos it removes all the self imposed stress as to how we could bring across important messages in a cross cultural environment.

This verse pops out again when I did my first ever 'sermon' in United World College last tuesday, to give a lesson on 'The Rational Basis for my Faith'. It was part of the Theory of Knowledge syllabus in UWC and they had invited people from different religions to present their empirical perspectives. Actually, I wasn't suppose to go at all, but it so happened that Pastor Ian, for the past 20 days or so, could not find anyone from his circle of Bible college and pastoral friends to deliver the lesson. Even the top two speakers in Youth ministry, Danger Dan and Huan Yang, were away in Cambodia. So in the end, it was down to three humble servants, Ailing Hanmin and myself, together with Pastor Ian, to take on 6 classes of UWC students who are known to be pretty agnostic in their worldviews.

The first 20 minutes of ppt presentation were manageable enough, but the subsequent 20 minutes of Q&A were pretty tough, as questions range from defining trinity, to explaining suffering, to summarizing the canonization of the bible, and even the difference between Jesus and Socrates.

Thank God that we went through some of the tricky questions the day before. But still, you know sometimes, the answers just don't quite flow when you are defending your beliefs in front of 20 strangers. Once in a while I would press the panic button and refer the questions to Ailing. On other times, half my cerebral was proclaiming out to God that 'Apart from Him, I can do nothing', and somehow the words kinda flowed and I know it wasn't me speaking but God using me as his humble vessel.

John 15:5 pops out again in this book that I am currently reading, When I don't desire God: How to fight for Joy, by John Piper. It is interesting that Piper says that given our natural state, i.e being fleshy sinners and all, it is impossible for us to naturally find joy in God.

"For apart from me you can do nothing" (even finding joy in God).

John Piper went on to say that the only way that we can really find joy in God is to actually pray for joy.

Now this is quite an interesting point. Cos lets say that I love photography, and I find joy in taking pictures. It is evident that I do not have to pray for joy, or even need to fight for some sense of contentment and peace in photography because I am naturally addicted to photography. So if I switch the focus of my desire from the camera to God, it is interesting that I have to pray to God that He may give me the gift of joy in Him.

I haven't finished reading the book, but I think what Piper is trying to say is more than just about finding joy in the Giver, and not its gifts. It is about understanding how apart from Him I can (absolutely) do nothing, even finding contentment in life, and should He lifts his finger off me, I am truely spiritually and physically dead. And yet because of his mercy, I live on, and hopefully in the transformation process of knowing Him as a friend, and not as a servant (John 15:14-15), He will help me find joy even in the midst of so-called sufferings.

Quite an interesting note to bring to Thailand. Friends who know me long enough probably know that I'm not always a very joyful person; more on the broody side. And I think it is true that in my natural state (when I'm not prayerful, when I'm swept away by schoolwork, or when I'm doing a few ministry activities at one go), I can keep on 'doing', but not 'being'.

So I am still learning how to be joyful. Not that I am currently depressed or whatsoever; it is just that an over dosage of too many commitments tend to take the joy out of joyful things. So I've been a social recluse in order to rest and sit still with God. I think God desires us to be happy human beings, not broody human doings. It is possible to believe in a beautiful world, if we can hear His heart for us.

I hope this blog can somehow be a form of encouragement to all those who are searching and finding joy in Him.