Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Cinta Tuhan Demi Tuhan

Suatu penemuan paling mustahak yang pernah saya buat ialah kebenaran ini:

Sinar kemuliaan Tuhan paling gemilang dalam bahang kerinduan kita terhadapNya.

Itulah penjana yang mendorong pelayananku sebagai seorang pastor. Ia mempengaruhi setiap tindakan saya.

Sama ada saya makan atau minum atau berkhotbah atau apa saja, matlamat saya adalah untuk memuliakan Tuhan dengan cara saya melakukannya (1 Korintus 10:31). Ertinya, tujuan saya berbuat sesuatu adalah dengan corak yang akan mempamerkan bagaimana kemuliaan Tuhan memuaskan kerinduaan hatiku. Jika khotbah saya memberi tanggapan bahawa Tuhan tidak memenuhi keperluan diri saya sendiri, ianya kepalsuan. Jika Kristus bukan kerinduan hatiku, apakah orang lain akan percaya jika saya mengumumkan kata Yesus, "Akulah roti hidup; barangsiapa datang kepada-Ku, ia tidak akan lapar lagi, dan barangsiapa percaya kepada-Ku, ia tidak akan haus lagi”? (Yohanes 6:35)

“Roti” gemilang kerana ia memuaskan kelaparan. “Air hidup” megah kerana ia menghilangkan kehausan. (Yohanes 4:10) Bagaimana harus kita menghargai sumber air di atas gunung yang segar, tulen dan tidak terbatas curahannya? Perlukah kita mengheret baldi-baldi air dari kolam di kaki gunung demi memberi sumbangan kita sendiri kepadaNya? Bukan itu caranya. Kita memberi penghormatan kepada mata air apabila kita rasa dahaga, maka bertelut dan minum dengan penuh kenikmatan. Lepas itu, kita berseru, “Ahhhh!” (itulah penyembahan!), dan meneruskan perjalanan kita dengan kekuatan baru dari air pancut tersebut (itulah pelayanan!).

Air mata gunung paling dimuliakan apabila kita paling puas menikmati air curahannya. Malang sekali, ramai daripada kita diajar bahawa kewajipan, bukan kenikmatan, adalah cara untuk memuliakan Tuhan. Kita tidak mendapat didikan bahawa kegembiraan dalam Tuhan itulah kewajipan kita! Kerinduan dalam Tuhan bukan suatu pilihan ekstra yang tidak wajib dalam tanggungjawab sebenar seseorang Kristian. Malah, ia tuntutan paling asas sekali. “Bergembiralah kerana TUHAN” (Mazmur 37:4) bukanlah cadangan sahaja, tapi perintah. Begitu juga: "Beribadahlah kepada TUHAN dengan sukacita" (Mazmur 100:2) dan “Bersukacitalah sentiasa dalam Tuhan!” (Filipi 4:4).


Beban pelayananku agar semua sedar bahawa “kasih setia [Tuhan] lebih baik daripada hidup” (Mazmur 63:3). Sekiranya kasih setia Tuhan lebih unggul daripada hidup, ia juga menjangkau segala tawaran duniawi. Ertinya, kita tidak puas dengan kenikmatan hadiah pemberian Tuhan sahaja, tetapi dengan kemuliaan Tuhan sendiri – kasih sayangNya, kuasaNya, kearifan, kesucian, keadilan, kebaikan dan kebenaranNya.

Sebab itulah Asaph berseru, “Siapa gerangan ada padaku di syurga selain Engkau? Selain Engkau tidak ada yang kuingini di bumi. Sekalipun dagingku dan hatiku habis lenyap, gunung batuku dan bagianku tetaplah Allah selama-lamanya.” (Mazmur 73:25–26). Tiada apa-apa ciptaan sempurna Tuhan di atas muka bumi yang dapat memuaskan kerinduaan hati Asaph. Hanya Tuhan mencukupi. Inilah makna Daud yang berkata, “Engkaulah Tuhanku, tidak ada yang baik bagiku selain Engkau!" (Mazmur 16:2).

Daud dan Asaph mengajar kita keinginan berpusatkan Tuhan, yang tidak mungkin puas dengan pemberian harta, kekayaan dan kesihatan badan semata-mata. Hanya Tuhan memenuhi kerinduan kita.

Adalah salah jika kita tidak bersyukur di atas pemberian hadiah Tuhan (”Janganlah lupakan segala kebaikan-Nya!” [Mazmur 103:2]), tetapi ia boleh menjadi pemujaan berhala jika kita menganggap kegirangan daripada hadiah tersebut sebagai cinta untuk Tuhan sendiri. Apabila Daud berkata kepada Tuhan, “Di hadapan-Mu ada sukacita berlimpah-limpah, di tangan kanan-Mu ada nikmat sentiasa” (Mazmur 16:11), hasrat hatinya hanya ingin mendampingi Tuhan, satu-satunya kenikmatan paling memuaskan di alam semesta. Bukan anugerah Tuhan penghayatan hati Daud seperti seorang kekasih.




















Seperti rusa yang merindukan sungai yang berair, demikianlah jiwaku merindukan Engkau, ya Allah. Jiwaku haus kepada Allah, kepada Allah yang hidup. Bilakah aku boleh datang melihat Allah?” (Mazmur 42:1-2) Daud hendak mengalami limpahan kasih dan kemuliaan Tuhan: “Ya Allah, Engkaulah Allahku, aku mencari Engkau, jiwaku haus kepada-Mu, tubuhku rindu kepada-Mu, seperti tanah yang kering dan tandus, tiada berair. Demikianlah aku memandang kepada-Mu di tempat kudus, sambil melihat kekuatan-Mu dan kemuliaan-Mu.” (Mazmur 63:1-2).

Hanya Allah memuaskan kerinduan Daud kerana dia jejaka yang mengikut kehendak hati Tuhan. Inilah matlamat kita dicipta – mengasihi Tuhan sendiri! Kasih kepada Tuhan bererti kita patuh kepada semua perintahNya, percaya WahyuNya, bersyukur atas segala anugerahNya; tetapi asasnya, mengasihi Tuhan adalah penghayatan diri Tuhan sendiri. Dengan menikmati rahmat Allah kita memuliakan keagunganNya dengan sepenuhnya, meskipun dunia sekitar jiwa kita terlerai. Kita sudah tahu kebenaran ini dari gerak hati dan Alkitab.

Adakah kita rasa penghormatan tinggi daripada seseorang yang melayani kita bermotifkan tuntutan tanggungjawab atau kerelaan setia kawan? Isteri saya paling dihargai apabila saya berkata, “Saya sungguh gembira meluangkan masa denganmu”. Kegirangan saya adalah gema kecemerlangan peribadinya. Begitu juga dengan Tuhan. Sinar kemuliaan Tuhan paling gemilang apabila kita paling puas dalam kenikmatan diriNya. Kita tidak mungkin mencapai kerinduan dalam Tuhan yang sempurna. Saya sering bersedih kerana hatiku merungut apabila kehilangan keselesaan duniawi, tapi saya juga pernah merasai kebaikan Tuhan. Dengan rahmatNya, saya telah jumpa sumber air yang abadi kegiranganNya, dan saya ingin menghabiskan riwayat hidupku untuk memikat sesiapa sahaja datang berkongsi kegembiraan ini supaya mereka juga berkata, “Satu hal telah kuminta kepada TUHAN, itulah yang kuingini: diam di rumah TUHAN seumur hidupku, menyaksikan kemurahan TUHAN dan menikmati bait-Nya.” (Mazmur 27:4).

Karya John Piper
Terjemahan Hedonese

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The problem with this country: Too many cronies greedy hands that are asking for easy money, instead of creating and earn for it!

The government can come up many plans, but nothing will succeed. Since Mahathir became prime minister, the plans are for cronies to become rich. It is good to have long term plans to develop and to set direction for the future, but in Malaysia it is more for the ministers and cronies to make good bucks out of it.

Firstly, the government must be transparent in awarding contracts, improve the existing infrastructures, weed out corruption, which are in dire state.

All in all, they actually want is to see the reverse of what it is now, i.e. the malays in control of everything.

As pointed out, the plan is not going to improve racial harmony as the NEP has been extended further. The government must plan to remove the crutches provided to the weak communities and allow them to progress on par with other races.

As long as the malays have the subsidy mentality, 100 years of NEP will not accomplish anything. They will forever be a backward race.

Take it away from him/her, the child will cry out. Forget about the 50 years as I am willing to bet my top dollar that it will last forever. The NEP will never die off and Umno will fight to the very end to make sure that it will go on forever.

I agree with one. Most youngsters now are ignorant of their rights - and many (among my own group of friends) have not registered as voters although they are eligible.

It may even be 100 years and we still vote for BN because it seems we have no choice at all. However, we all capable of making radical change through ballot box but still reluctant to do it since everyone fear of change.

The question of building a just and fair society is a dead idea. Malaysia is already in the history book of legally accepting apartheid of a minority. There is no other possible historical interpretation.

If Malaysia is lucky, it will be said and apologized for it some day but if it is unlucky, it has to live in denial and eventually implode.

We should stop discussing this digging grave policy. Let us join the ruling (since we cannot beat it) - make our money and think of what other country we can emigrate to.

Anonymous said...

From time immemorial, people move from place to place for one reason or another. After the formation of nations, the mobility of educated and highly skilled professionals affects nations. Brain drain means large numbers of these people emigrate to another nation.

The government should form a special commission on the movement of educated and highly skilled people to study and monitor their staying, leaving from and returning to the country. A country that has more talents is certainly better than the one without.

For decades, we have broached the subject of brain drain within and outside parliament. Large numbers of educated and highly skilled people leave this country to live and work in another one where pay and conditions are better.

In the beginning, some ministers and civil servants boomed out big words, saying that those who left were not loyal to the country and that their departure was good riddance.

Now, there are some people saying one thing and meaning another in government departments and universities. They mouth meritocracy and talents and yet they are mediocre, feudal and bloody-minded. They talk nine words at once, but they undermine highly skilled people. Hence, it is not surprising that returning scientists experience the delay in immigration clearance.

However, the crux of the matter is finding the factors that determine the mobility of highly skilled people, whether brain drain or the other way.

Because the Malaysia government imposes racial quota in education and government departments, therefore Singapore and other countries take fortune at the tide. For years, there has been brain drain to our neighbour.

Clearly, there has always been movement of highly skilled people in and out of a country. If there is brain drain from a particular country, it can scarcely develop. On the other hand, if it can keep its talents and successfully attract its skilled citizens to return as well as foreign talents to come, it will prosper.

Anonymous said...

Sad but true. After almost 50 years of independence, our nation is still governed by the divide-and-rule principal and race-oriented policies, actively promulgated by the ruling racially based political parties.

Many experienced and patriotic Malaysians, including those who have worked for many years overseas, want to contribute their knowledge and expertise to the progress and welfare of the nation by applying to work with various government or government-related organisations and agencies.

Why is it that many civil servants who are empowered to employ staff feel that it is alright for them to ignore the applications of fellow citizens who are suitably qualified and who want to contribute because they are of a different ethnic group? Such wanton and deliberate waste has been happening over the last 30 years.

Hence, besides palm oil, petroleum, and other products, Malaysia generously exports trained citizens; citizens that the nation had spent a lot for their education, be it primary, secondary, or tertiary. Citizens prized by other nations but intentionally discarded by our own motherland.

In a way, we are a good neighbour to many countries because we diligently practise 'prosper neighbour' policy by directly or indirectly encouraging many of our talented citizens to leave the country to serve other nations.

While we are losing talent, we are also experiencing another national disaster that compounds the competitiveness of our nation. Unfortunately for all of us, there are among us who believe in: 'My fellow Malaysians, ask not what your country can offer you, ask not what you can do for your country; ask what and how much you can squeeze from your country'.

These are Malaysians who have insatiable greed. Many of them, who might hail from impoverished households, have benefited from the generous race-biased policy that has paid for their education and enabled them to have well-paid, cozy jobs and subsidised houses. In principle, this is alright as fellow Malaysians who need help to improve their social standing should be assisted.

They want easy access to wealth (for example, by having Approved Permits to import cars) to become richer and richer, at the expense of the nation. Pray tell me, how long can our motherland sustain this unending hemorrhage of national wealth?

By right, it should now be pay back time.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

The prime minister was quoted earlier to have said that the Barisan Nasional has fulfilled its election promises with the unveiling of the 9th Malaysia Plan. Here is a list comparing the BN 2004 Election Manifesto and what has transpired since then.

I urge the prime minister to re-read his own manifesto before making grandiose but fraudulent proclamations.

On corruption and abuse of power, the manifesto said:

· BN will continue the all-out campaign against corruption, without fear or favour.

The reality -

· "Umno does not intend to report the cases to the ACA. We have our own mechanism." - Radzi Ahmad, Umno secretary-general, on money politics in Umno.

On economy, the manifesto said:

· Your opinions and views continue to matter as Barisan Nasional endeavours to implement people centred policies.

The reality -

· "I hope the public will not question the money saved………." - Prime Minister Badawi, March 17, 2006, on the RM4.4 billion saved from fuel subsidies.

On education, the manifesto said:

· Barisan Nasional has worked hard to provide universal access to education. We will……….foster student interaction to enhance national unity.

The reality -

· "I will never allow non-bumis to enter UiTM. I will ensure that the percentage of malay students given places at public universities will always be higher than the percentage under the previous quota system." - then Higher Education Minister Dr Shafie, Umno General Assembly 2004.

On human rights and freedom, the manifesto said:

· Barisan Nasional safeguards the interests of all citizens. We listen to and act on the hopes and aspirations of all groups regardless of age, ethnic, gender, and religion.

The reality -

· "We will not think twice about using this law against anyone who incites - that is why we still need the Sedition Act and ISA (Internal Security Act)." - Nazri Aziz, March 20, 2006.

On parliament and democracy, the manifesto said:

· Barisan Nasional is strongly committed to parliamentary democracy, which gives each citizen a say in the administration of this nation.

The reality -

· "We used the whip (once) so they had to follow, now it is the same………." - Nazri Aziz, Dec 21, 2005, on the forcing of women BN senators to vote for the Islamic Family Law bill.

On religion and culture, the manifesto said:

· BN upholds the diversity of religious practice, language and culture.

The reality -

· "Members of uniformed services, including the police, must abide by the regulations on the wearing of their uniforms." - Badawi, March 27, 2006, on the compulsory wearing of the tudung by non-Muslim policewomen during official functions.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opmc_8w8mkw