My Personal Journey – “All Of Grace”
SAVED BY GRACE
By the grace of God, my spiritual eyes were opened in 1962 when I was in Secondary 2 and heard the gospel preached by a Presbyterian missionary. I realised how horrible and sinful I was although my report card said “very good conduct” for many years. I was born again and experienced the joy of the Lord and major changes in my life.
God’s grace has been my portion right through and I continue to enjoy God’s grace and keeping power. Thanks be to God.
It is not that I have never experienced spiritual coldness or lukewarmness. After a few years of post conversion euphoria when God energized me to do well in my exams, I began to doze off spiritually. God gave me a wake up call during my HSC exams. I was flying high in the exams until I was brought down to earth in the last paper. It was a clear message to reorder my life.
STRENGTHENED BY GRACE
By God’s grace I rededicated my life through the preaching and teaching of a Methodist minister in 1967 at a Teachers’ Conference. The years in non-denominational Varsity Christian Fellowship and National Service gave me opportunities to experience God’s grace in the academic pressure chamber and physical torture chamber and to keep on smiling. Those were good growth years and anchored me to a Brethren church.
In the course of my life as a Christian, I have found that God keeps on asking questions of me. As bosses, we business owners are used to asking questions of others rather than being asked questions. But God asks the questions as I studied the Bible, attended church and read Christian books which I devoured. Let me share my personal journey by going through a few questions asked of me.
SERVE BY GRACE
Question 1 – WHOSE LIFE?
Knowing that I was saved by grace, and grace alone, and that Christ has bought me with the ransom prize of his sacrificial death, the answer is obvious.
“I am His” and should no longer live for myself but for Him.
(1 Corinthian 6:20, 2 Corinthian 5:15)
One bookmark my sister gave me in the 70s had these words:
“Only one life and it’ll soon be past
Only what’s done for Christ will last”
This gripped me and I read devotional books by J O Sanders, Alan Redpath, Michael Griffiths, F B Meyer, Watchman Nee and Keith Miller and biographies and autobiographies of many missionaries. One book in particular gripped me – Living For What Really Matters.
“Only three things are eternal – God, the word of God and souls of men.
Only these matter. How can I live for the greatest glory of God and the greatest blessing to men?”
It was around 1982 in my office when I read Luke 2:49 – “I must be about My Father’s business”. The words took special meaning and I felt a stirring in my heart. I was in SBS and definitely not in my Father’s business because I could not do a lot of things. Besides heading the Christian Fellowship after working hours, my time belonged to the company. Often, I had time to spare, but my conscience did not allow me to use company time to do my Christian thing.
SPURRED BY GRACE
This led me to the second question – WHO SHOULD I WORK FOR?
In 1984, I became an elder of my church at the age of 35 and the pressure began to build as I had four children by then, the last two being twins born in 1984. I knew that God’s calling for me is to be an effective elder. I knew I needed to have more time in the day, as the nights were pretty used up. This led to a serious consideration to go into full-time ministry. But for various reasons, this was not to be. God led me to the concept of being a tent-maker within Singapore through listening to a cassette tape about the life of Paul, the tent-maker.
Having been in the administrative service and being more civil than commercial in nature and experience, I explored lecturing and consultancy. But doors were closed. To teach me humility, and what it feels to be rejected by men and women, I got into insurance in 1985. I just wanted to do sales and control my time.
My aim then was simple, and in retrospect, far from correct. Make $3,000 each month in the shortest time possible and use the time saved to serve in the church. I was hoping to be able to do it in half the time. But being more a manager-type rather than an out-and-out salesman (nothing wrong with that), I soon found myself running my own business and managing others.
SUPPLIED BY GRACE
I felt led to choose the name “Promiseland”, a name which a few of my friends later said did not sound too professional. Nevertheless, by God’s grace, the business grew and competed for the use of my time. I was asked continually – Whose business is it? Who is the Boss?
There were many high points but also a few low points. Every year as I reviewed my life and my business, the answer was clear.
Psalm 127:1, 2
Unless the Lord builds the house, the labourers labour in vain.
As I built the business, all along one anchor point was that I will not neglect my ministry as an elder. In fact, I set my target that I must be able to spend more time in my ministry as an elder over the years. Thank God that somehow He enabled me to keep to this over the last 22 years and I still enjoy my church ministry.
STEWARD OF GOD’S GRACE
Over the years, I have learnt that, as a business owner, I am a steward of God-given resources and must be faithful in my duty. I am also an under-shepherd and take care of the people God has entrusted to me. Wisdom is required to do these duties as steward and under-shepherd in our pluralistic and multi-religious society.
By God’s grace, over the years, a few of the staff and advisers have become Christians. Presently, I am having Bible study with two recent converts.
The other question that I am continually asked is – WHOSE MONEY IS IT?
I am unlike most businessmen who set up business to get rich and are driven by money, but along the way the temptation to get rich has been very strong. When I see clients, friends and competitors getting very wealthy, I feel a pang and I have to go to the Lord in prayer to centre my soul on Him again. It is because I know I can get ultra rich if I play the game. The books – Money, Sex and Power; Celebration of Discipline and Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster – were much needed antidote. I have learnt over the years that “The Sermon on the Mount” is the best antibiotic against getting the money bug. To settle the matter, I researched and preached about wealth.
Just last Christmas Eve, when I was watching the Nativity Story on HBO, the warning in Luke 1:53 kept ringing in my ears – “The rich he has sent away empty”. It is a warning that it is possible to gain the world and lose your soul.
I am now 59 and have committed to serve as chairman of my church council to 2016 when I will be 67 years old, God willing. Thank God that He has provided more than I need and I will soon see the younger three boys finish their tertiary education and start working. He has been extremely gracious to me and my family, and my special joy is that everyone in my parents’ household and my household has laid hold on eternal life. My joy now is to groom others in their 30s and 40s in the business who have the same desire to serve God and yet support themselves.
SOUL PROVIDER
In closing, HOW HAVE I KEPT MY SOUL? By God’s grace, I was able to create time and space for Him. For many years, I drove my four sons to secondary school and to National Service and got to office very early. I was then able to read the Bible and pray, and do some writing for my speaking or teaching ministries.
Often, I would prefer to go to a park in the cool of the morning to spend a time of quiet. MacRitchie, The Botanics, and East Coast Parkway are my favourites.
I have also kept up my reading of the Bible and Christian books which have helped greatly to enrich my souls. Of course, I have changed authors over the years. John Piper and Max Lucado are just two of my current favourites.
The most important factor is accountability to a group of Christians – my fellow elders and the church. You can rationalise away a lot of sins. There are many things in business which are illegal, unethical and non-expedient.
Business is very absorbing and there are many temptations and pitfalls. Beware of defending and rationalising away all these sins. It is good to have Christians praying for you and keeping you honest.
For what shall it profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul?