About Christianity

'nobody expected that,' my friend (friend A) told me in an expression of disbelief when the results of an interview came out. she had applied for a job at an airline company as an air stewardess. there she met another of our friend (friend .

they had a group interview, and everyone was able to see each other. everyone wore formal clothings, and spoke very well (of course they memorize scripts). but my friend, friend B, did not wear any formal clothings, and did not speak very well. it was very obvious to the others she did not prepare, or did not prepare very well for the interview.

the result was this: friend B was the only person who got through the interview. all the others failed. everyone else was shocked. i guess if you were there you would be too. how can one who did not even bother to dress properly or even speak properly, who looked like she did not even put in much effort for the interview, get through it while all the others who prepared a lot and supposedly did better failed?

well, i am not the judge, so i cannot say anything.

but are we all not like that? like the people who failed in the interview.

why did friend B get past the tests while all the others did not? the reason was simple. friend B had something the others did not. i don't know what it is, and i could not think of any. but it did not mean that she did not have what the others don't.

in our life, sometimes we thought we are good people, if we do good deeds, if we pray everyday, go to church regularly, do mission work, preach the Gospel. of course, all these are proofs that you are trying to be a good christian, at least outwardly.

whatever is your intention, it is proof that for one who does all these, he puts in effort. but sometimes (i think, since i am not God), God looked past all these and looks into our heart, for something that He wants. like the interviewer looks at all applicants to search for the very thing he wants, God also searches our heart to look for what He wants.

it did not matter how many of the other qualities you have, but as long as you did not have the essential and the most important of quality, you fail the test. just like how all the other applicants failed.

for christians, many of us put in a lot of effort. it is an undeniable fact. you put in time for mission works, for ministries, for prayers, quiet time, reading the scriptures...etc. maybe your sincerity is evident. i don't know, i am not you. just like how the other applicants were, it was no doubt they put in a lot of efforts, rehearsing their speech, dress nicely....etc.

but, effort is not tagged to success. it is a fact of life. not that i am asking you to work smart. or maybe i am. just like every test, you need to have something the examiner/interviewer/God wants. for all the work we as christians do, there is one thing we severely lack in our hearts.

and that is love.

our religion is one centered on love. nobody would disagree with me, i guess? because of love, Christ came down, suffer and die for us. because of love, He sent us out to preach to other people, to bring them to Him. because of love, He forgave all our sins, despite how many times we sinned against him, deliberately. because of love, He is always by our side. because of love.....there are many other things you can think of. i can never say finish....

as we do mission work, as we pray, as we read the scriptures...do we have love? when we do good deeds, is it because we love the person, or is it because it is an obligation as a christian? if we do quiet time, is it because we love God and want to spend time with Him, or is it just a routine? for all the things we do, how many of these are done out of love?

i don't know how those people who do things not for love will end up. because i am not God, so i don't know what will happen. i don't know if these people (me being one of them, i admit) will fail the test. i don't know what will happen if we fail the test.

i only know, if for all the things we do, no matter how beautiful it is outwardly, if inwardly we have no love, then, i guess we failed. because the most basic of christianity, love, is not present. (ok i think love is the most basic, but if i am wrong, please tell me.)

we are not interviewing for a place in the airline company as an air stewardess. we are applying for a place in heaven. everyone can go there, if we have what God wants. unlike the job vacancies where there is only limited places and where they only take the best ones, in my knowledge, heaven has no limits to the vacancies. all you need to do, is to have what God wants, and by faith and grace, you can get yourself a place.

heaven is a place much better than an airline company, although i don't wish to get there so soon at only the age of 21. this time, the judge is God. do you have the qualities He wants to see in you?