30 Years

I had lunch with a lawyer friend who is celebrating 30 years in legal practice this month. We were admitted to the Bar on the same day. But it was 25 years ago that I relinquished my legal practice to enter full time work in the Lord’s harvest fields. 25 years ago I was my own boss in fact I started when I was 24 years old as sole proprietor of my legal firm. It seems so long ago that I had my own future in my own hands and not rely on anyone for an income. I have been a faithful churchman as much as it is right in the sight of God and men. I am no man pleaser and I have always spoken out in open either in Malaysia or in Singapore or in New Zealand. When you are in employment and someone else is your superior or boss it is never easy to navigate between speaking one’s mind or just towing the line. I had chosen the former and it had cost me.
Soon I may return to just serving God and not in anyone’s employment so to speak. If I start my own church (it’s the Lord’s church) and I am just his slave and instrument. But I may relish the fact like when I was 24 years old to be in charge of my own destiny. Just as I trusted God to bless my law business and I could have gone bust more than once I will look to Jesus alone for His supply and not to rely on men. It is a tough move but one that is only second nature. My life has always been to step out and to step up. I had a lucrative law firm and sold it when it was most profitable. I gave up my Treasurer’s post after one term and returned to NZ for postgraduate study with no money whatsoever. And I came back with an PhD. Then I resigned from my pastorate at the height of my popularity with the church spending 6 months to persuade me to stay on during my resignation notice period. I did not receive the Singapore offer until Feb 2008 when I resigned in July 2007. I have launched into the deep on Jesus’ command to cast the net on the other side and through obedience achieved great things for God. I took up the Ranau church offer late 2014 when I could have accepted at least two more secure and better paying posts in Kota Kinabalu. Now it is almost 4 years since November 2014 and I may return to do something on my own as I had done almost 30 years ago.