MY CUP WILL NEVER RUN DRY

“Jadi nang, dalam hidup ini kita jangan cuma jago tambah-tambah, kurang-kurang, kali-kali…kita juga harus jago bagi-bagi”. Pernyataan yang pernah diucapkan Bapak samaku. Maksudnya adalah, kita harus bisa berbagi kepada orang lain, terutama orang yang membutuhkan.

“The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the sting gets smaller and smaller”  - Proverbs 11:24

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Dari Bapak aku belajar untuk hidup generous. Bermurah hati. Bukan hanya dari sisi materil, tapi juga moril seperti waktu, pikiran, tenaga, perhatian, ilmu, networking dsb. Aku belajar banyak dari Bapak, melihat kapasitas yang sudah dia jalankan sebagai orangtua, atasan dan wakil rakyat. From him, I learn how to live unselfish and not being a self - centered person. 

Kenapa sih kita harus murah hati? apalagi zaman sekarang ini zaman susah. Makan aja susah, gimana mau bertahan hidup? dsb. Banyak sekali alasan yang menahan seseorang untuk berbagi berkat dengan orang lain. Aku pengen share sedikit pandanganku mengenai mentalitas yang salah (menurutku):

1. I will keep it to myself. Kalau saya kasih ke orang lain (info, koneksi, uang, tips and trik dll) nanti dia jadi tau donk, jd bukan rahasia lagi. Masa semua orang tau, I should keep it to myself. Exclusively. So I could be “the most” amongst all. Contohnya dulu waktu di sekolah pas mau ujian, trus kita ada tau kisi-kisi, tapi kita gamau kasitau temen kita karena kompetisi, saingan nanti nilainya lebih bagus dari aku, lebih hebat dari aku dll. Self-centered. Eh tapi ini ga berlaku kalau ujian ya, ga boleh kasih contekan :P
2. Diri sendiri aja masih belum cukup, masih kurang. Gimana mau bagi ke orang lain. Hidup aja masih pas-pas an masih mau sok-sok-an bantu orang lain. Ga berhikmat itu namanya. Selamatin diri sendiri dululah baru orang lain.
3. It’s not my obligation. Bukan kewajiban saya untuk membantu mereka, saya kan bukan Tuhan. Siapa suruh malas. Coba lebih rajin pasti hidupnya ga bakal susah.

dsb.

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Tahukah kalian kalau dalam alkitab ada 270 ayat tentang percaya, 371 tentang berdoa, 714 tentang kasih, dan 2,152 tentang memberi. Memberi adalah sifat dasar Tuhan, bahkan Ia memberikan yang terbaik dari diriNya untuk dunia ini: 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Yes. For God so loved the world. You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. Giving is the act of love. 

So why wouldn’t we?

Menurutku banyak banget alasan kenapa kita harus (belajar) memberi dan sepengalamanku, aku ga pernah hidup berkekurangan selama aku hidup memberi. Apa yang aku terima sekarang, hidupku saat ini karena aku membiasakan untuk memberi dari kecil, mulai dari hal-hal yang kecil, dan setiap hari aku berjalan dalam kasih dan kemurahan Tuhan. We are blessed to be a blessing. According to Rick Warren there are dozens benefit you will get everytime you are being generous:

1. Generosity honors God. (2 Cor 9:13, Proverbs 14:31)
2. Generosity draws me closer to God. (Deu 14:23b, Mat 6:21)
3. Generosity makes me more like Jesus. (Proverbs 21:26, Luke 11:41)
4. Generosity cure for materialism. (Matt 6:24, 1 Tim 6:17-19)
5. Generosity demonstrate my faith. (2 Cor 9:13, Mal 3:10)
6. Generosity reveals my character. (Luke 16:11)
7. Generosity brings God’s blessing (Prov 22:9, Deu 15:10, 2 Cor 9:7-8, and hundreds more)
8. Generosity increases my happiness. (Acts 20:35)
9. Generosity expands my influence. (Prov 11:24, Psal 112:9)
10. Generosity multiples my money. (Proverbs 11:25, 2 cor 9:11)
11. Generosity brings God’s protection. (Psalm 112:5-6)
12. Generosity will be rewarded in heaven. (1 Tim 6:18-19, Luke 16:9)

(Nb: sengaja ga aku jabarin ayatnya supaya kalian baca alkitab :P)

Mulailah memberi dari yang kalian punya. Apapun itu. Ilmu, tenaga, pikiran, pengetahuan, waktu, uang, dll. Start small, do it now. Dan motivasinya bukan karena supaya Tuhan memberkati kita, tapi karena Tuhan sangat baik kepada kita dan sifat dasarNya adalah memberi, kita juga harus seperti Dia, karena kita segambar denganNya.

Oh ya saran juga, kalau mau memberi, berilah/taburlah ke 'tanah yang subur'. Misalkan ke rumah Tuhan, ke orang-orang yang membutuhkan, janda, anak yatim-piatu, untuk pendidikan, kesehatan dll. Bukannya melarang untuk memberi sedekah kepada orang-orang yang meminta-minta di jalan atau Pak Ogah di pinggir jalan, tapi menurutku akan lebih bermanfaat kalau kita memberikan kepada orang yang akan 'menghasilkan buah'. Hingga kelak, nama Tuhan yang akan dipermuliakan :)

I believe that as long as we are being generous, our cup will never run dry. Tuhan akan terus mempercayakan berkat-berkatnya atas hidup kita karena Ia tahu we wont keep it only to ourselves. Kita ga akan pernah kosong, karena Ia yang adalah sumber segalanya akan mengisi kita penuh kembali, dan kalau kita minum dari sumber-Nya, kita ga akan pernah haus lagi. Ia adalah mata air kehidupan. 

So let start being generous, shall we? :)

Selamat memberi dan menjadi berkat.

#hidupmemberi

Mentoring Indonesia

The main bulwark we are facing now, is the inadequacy of human resources. Indonesia, though by number is the fourth largest country in the world with an abundance of natural resources from its maritime, mining, gas, agriculture, etc, has not yet been able to become a well developed country.

The key bulwarks are the lack of access to education/information and the people’s mindset. We have settled for meagerness and mediocrity. We merely survive without striving to be the best. This could happened for we are lulled by the ease of the era and our natural resources so that we become dormant. In addition, the lack of access to education/information makes us counterproductive.

The strength of a nation lies on the quality of the human resources. Soon, Indonesia will possess a demographic bonus when the population of the productive age bracket defeats the population of the elderly and the children. Therefore, I believe if each individual is in his/her strength and skill zone, s/he will become part of an optimal generation which can build a great nation. In order to achieve this, we have to do it innovatively by engaging in programs to seek  solutions for the nation’s well being.

In history, Indonesia’s struggle for Independence was incited by young people who had the heart to contribute for the country. They were Soekarno, Mohammad Hatta, Mohamad Yamin, etc. Not only were they well educated, they were skillful and insightful. Yet, their superiority was inseparable from the help of a mentor. HOS. Tjokroaminoto - a mentor to Soekarno iis one example. 

Nowadays in Indonesia, the youths are apathetic towards the ruler and the government of the country. They lose hope and trust because too many members of the government are not credible, and some of them are corrupt. Therefore they need to see a good example of leaders/mentors that can change the way they think and start to be the change themselves.

Therefore, mentoring plays a great role as a platform to share, inspire and empower Indonesia’s youth to be change makers, to strengthen civil society and to seek innovative solutions for the nation’s well being. The mentor and their mentee will collaborate in a mentoring session according to their strengths, ideas, potentials, professionalisms, idealisms, etc. It will focus on the quality and growth of human resources, especially for the youths whom will soon have professional knowledge and depth of skills.

There are several criteria for both the mentor and the mentee. A mentor, an expert on their fields, has done much for the benefits of their community. They must have the heart and passion to help and educate the youths to have a better understanding and knowledge to pursue their goals and future endeavor. On the other hand, a mentee possesses leadership potentials, a passion to contribute and to act for the sake of their country by developing their skills and knowledge, and finally are committed to ‘pay it forward’ by being a mentor too someday. 

Mentoring sessions will help them increase their awareness and influence by empowering and developing the Indonesian youths. As a result, mentoring will create future leaders of the country that can bring innovative solutions and policy to build a stronger democratic nation.

Let Go. Let God.

Question of the day. 

Things in life are always changing and shifting. In order to grow we must change also, and our commitments must change to match the changes happening in our lives. 

It is easy to cut things off you don’t want to do, but what about when God asks you to lay something down your emotions are not ready to give up? What if it is something you have helped birth and build and feel attached to and even responsible for? Would you be willing to let go of something you still enjoy, in obedience to God, in order to simplify your life? Obedience is not always easy. Much of the time it involves sacrificing our ways for God’s way. Sometimes we don’t understand why, but those are the times when we need to trust Him and keep moving forward. God never asks us to do anything that won’t eventually make our lives better. Don’t be afraid to regularly reevaluate and make changes you need to make in order to keep your life on the simple track. 

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest." [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls]. Matthew 11:28