https://odb.org/MY/2023/05/10/stolen-gods
Before I knew Christ, my family dabbled a little in idol worship. My dad was from a Catholic background but wasn’t a practising believer. My mum was from a Taoist family. In fact, my maternal grandfather was a Taoist medium with a large altar at home. A few things I still remember till today is the smell of joss sticks at that house (we call it 239) as well as the distribution of roasted pork on days of festivities. I recall that my mum’s side of the family loved to buy numbers, and like most Chinese families, the pursuit of wealth and success via wealth were a major preoccupation in their lives.
Thus, inevitably, worshipping idols or the deities behind those idols, especially in the Malaysian Chinese community, is very much about riches and making it in this world. Life was hard then, and although my maternal grandfather earned quite substantially as a medium and Chinese medical practitioner, he never actually owned any property and passed on without much. Money that came by easily was also lost easily. But nevertheless I would say that he lived quite well, having had two wives and raising 18 children.
As Christians, we are also concerned about whether we can make it in this world as most of us are not born with a silver spoon. In fact, even if we are educated and hold good jobs, very few of us could afford not to work. Few of us own high-income generating estates or vast lands like the upper class in England.
However, as believers, I think most of us are less focused on making it in the world than making it in God. As much as our salvation is a gift from God by His grace and our faith in Christ, we know we have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. There is a sense that we need to work at staying on the narrow path to salvation and not be distracted or tempted to take the broad and easy road, which leads to destruction. Riches will help us live this life more comfortably, but as believers, we know that whatever sufferings we go through here on earth can not compare to the glory that awaits us in eternity. Because Christ died for our sins to save us, we are eternally grateful and indebted to Him to serve Him in His Kingdom. Thus, what should be upmost in our minds is whether we are living in the centre of His will, whether we are fulfilling His calling for our lives – His plans, and purposes for us.
Ronnie's Thoughts 