25. WHY NOT THE BEST?

I write as a sinner saved by God’s marvellous grace, “... not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,... But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” ( 1 Pet 1:18,19 ).

The apostle Peter who had denied the Lord three times, was forgiven and recommissioned by the Lord to glorious lifelong service. He wrote those words to remind us of the irrepayable debt we owe our Saviour.

The apostle Paul says the same: “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” ( 1 Cor 6:20 ). Our God gave us His best, even His only begotten Son to save us from eternal destruction, to call us out of darkness into His marvellous light ( 1 Pet 2:10 ). To Him we are eternally indebted.

Salvation is of the Lord but service of gratitude is of us who have received so great a salvation. How are you doing for Him who has done so much for you?

Father was our example

In our home, Father set a high standard of excellence. A martinet of old China, his word was law and striving our best was not an option but his expectation. If a thing was worth doing, it was worth doing well, and if it was worth doing well, why not the best?

After the Holy Spirit revival brought by Dr John Sung, Father was a changed person. “Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, ” he took a leading role in the Church, first in Kluang, later in Batu Pahat (both in Johor State, Malaysia).

During our daily Family Worship, Father would expound from God’s Word and lecture the children on whatever was the day’s reading. Without fail, he would impress on each child the dignity of work, the necessity to work hard, the satisfaction of doing one’s best, and the perpetual “striving for excellence. ”

“Be grateful to God. Always thank God for salvation and for providing for our daily needs. Now we all must serve Him with our best. ”

Father’s lectures were lengthy and spirited. “I am the Commander, you children are the soldiers. Yours is to listen and do! And nothing but the best is good enough! ”

Father’s high expectations were not disappointed in the first two of his offsprings. Big Sister consistently topped her class in the Methodist Girls’ School. Big Brother Timothy in the Anglo-Chinese School did the same. Father was satisfied.

Second Brother did not do as well. In his class were some “super smart brains. ” Nevertheless, he was among the top five, so Father was not complaining. He remarked, “Siang Yew was a sickly child in Hong Kong. That was his handicap. ”

When it came to my turn, I used to come home with a report card showing sixth and seventh position during my days in Primary School. Father was not pleased at all. “Siang Hwa, you are too playful and not concentrating on your work. A caning will do you good! ”

In those days there was no protest. Did not the Bible say, “... what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?... we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence... ” (Heb 12:7 , 9 ). In retrospect, I thank God for Father and his firm hand of hard discipline, which did us no harm, only good. When the eight of us grew up, all without exception, loved Father no less and gave him due honour and love.

That exhortation “Why not the best? ” was like the sowing of good seed which bore good fruit in after years as I climbed the class ranking to the top, culminating in the award of the Queen’s Scholarship in 1954. (This was awarded to the top student in Singapore in each year.)

But my greater concern was in the service of God. Am I doing my best — wherever we are serving? The same year 1954, I was elected Superintendent of the Sunday School of the Life Church English Service. With gratitude to God, I accepted the holy appointment, but not without trepidation.

I remember the words of Jeremiah when God called him: “Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child” (Jer 1:6 ). But then I also remember the assurance given by God: “Be not afraid... I am with thee... ” (Jer 1:8 ).

My wife and I obeyed God’s call and we took up the challenge. Gathering together the Sunday School Staff, which had ten missionaries from the OMF (Overseas Missionary Fellowship), we committed the work to the Lord in prayer — much prayer, for we realised the magnitude of the task before us. In those days of the ‘fifties, the OMF was yet untainted with the leaven of new evangelicalism, and their missionaries worked excellently with us. They did not preach another gospel then.

Recalling those exciting challenging times, I thank God for the blessed experience. The teachers co-laboured together with fervent zeal, ministering God’s Word to the students. We all had a mind to work, to go out and win souls, and introduce our Sunday School to others.

We infected the students with the same evangelistic fire, and they brought their friends.

Every Lord’s Day we had new students join us. The Sunday School grew and grew. We set the highest standards. We had a Bible Memory Course of one hundred verses. We challenged the students to complete it in one year and win a gilt-edged Bible. Many completed the course and won their prize.

One outstanding student finished the hundred verses in four months. Years later, he became an Elder in one of our Bible-Presbyterian Churches.

Serving the Lord with Life Church Sunday School remains one of my happiest life experiences. In two years, the School grew from eighty to two hundred. Truly it was a work of the Spirit, firing the teachers with the same spirit: “Why not the best? ”

“Have I done my best for Jesus? ”

Let song writer Edwin Young’s words speak to our hearts:

“I wonder have I done my best for Jesus,

Who died upon the cruel tree?

To think of His great sacrifice at Calvary!

I know my Lord expects the best from me.

How many are the lost that I have lifted?

How many are the chained I’ve to free?

I wonder have I done my best for Jesus,

When He has done so much for me? ”

Let us remind ourselves, “Salvation is of the Lord, ” but service is of those who have been saved. No one can honestly say that he can do nothing, is good for nothing. Remember, the lad gave the Lord his loaves and fished (Jn 6:9 ), the widow her two mites (Lk 21:2 ). With these humble offerings our Lord was pleased.

To each of us, the Lord has given talents, some more, some less (Matt 25:14-20 ). With whatever talents you have received, we are to do our best that we may gain more for the Lord. That is the least we can do.

Consider, then, what we can do for the Lord.

Not all can ascend the pulpit and preach, but all can praise the Lord for His goodness and tell others about Him. Not all can preach like John Sung, but all can pray, and lead the household in Family Worship.

Not all can be leaders, but all can be followers, or just a humble servant, simply to labour behind the scenes — unseen, unheard, unsung. But God knows and He rewards every faithful service, big and small. The Lord looks for faithfulness.

Not all can give Him thousands, but all can give the widow’s mites.

Not all can scale the heights of great exploits, but all can go down on bended knees at the Throne of grace, and draw on God’s promised blessing.

“Footprints on the sands of time” remind us: what God has done once for others, He can do again for you. Only remember, we all are debtors to God’s grace, and consider, What have I done for Jesus? Have I done my best for Him?