Faith Story by Shirley Wong
I have a pretty tight-knit group of cousins, a wide array of ages, so there’s Gen-Xs, Millennials and Gen-Zs, many of different Christian denominations (Methodists, Lutheran, Charismatics, Roman Catholics etc.) We haven’t been able to meet up in Sarawak (majority of extended family lives there) due to the pandemic.
One day out of the blue, one of my older cousins asked to make a finance chat group – to catch up on each other’s lives and for educational purposes, to be open about finances, and to pray and encourage each other. A very odd thing to do, because we don’t really do these sessions except if it’s family gatherings. But since all were okay with the idea, we kept the ball rolling.
Over the many zoom sessions, we’ve talked about Godly finance, share about what God has done throughout the pandemic season, and what we’ve learnt over this season. Those who have attended Rhema online get to regurgitate what they’ve learnt, and the rest get to ask questions.
Though It’s kinda weird and uncomfortable to speak about one’s finances, it was exciting nonetheless. It is very encouraging to be able to talk about how our spiritual walk in Christ; how it has an effect on how we view money, how to be good stewards of these earthly possessions. We’ve also talked about how to be in tune with the Holy Spirit when making a decision, and how it’s a different experience for everyone.
During one of the sessions, one of my cousins asked us about the Holy Spirit, and what the gift of tongues was. Her kids popped these questions to her after an online Sunday School, and she was tongue-tied. Since she didn’t know how to answer these, she chucked the questions to those of us who were Rhema students.
To simplify it for the kids to understand, we described and differentiated the Holy Trinity. We used an egg analogy to describe the complexity of the Trinity. The white, the yolk and the shell are all parts of an egg, so does God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are GOD. (A very watered-down explanation, but simple enough for the kids to understand.)
To answer who They were – God the Father created all things. God the Son died for you and was resurrected from death, He’s the One who saved you and gave you the gift of salvation. The Holy Spirit resides in you after you received salvation, and guides you in your walk with God. When He comes to live in you, He brings the gifts of the spirit with Him, to you.
What was the gift of tongues? We explained it as a Heavenly language; it’s a gift from God when you’ve accepted Christ as your Saviour, and allow the Holy Spirit to reside in you. Speaking in tongues is just like learning a whole new language – you wouldn’t be able to speak it fluently at the first try (most times), but by speaking it often, you’d be able to be pro.
With the kids’ curiosity quelled, the session also became an eye-opening experience for some cousins who also did not speak in tongues. Like many Christians, they never learned how, and why it is so important to your spiritual life.
Long story short, do not be afraid to share about God. You never know who, when, where, or how you’d be able to make an impression on someone’s heart, or answer the burning questions that’s been on their mind but weren’t brave enough to speak about. Regardless whether that person is a child or not, they are never too young to learn about God. Especially where the deeper things in Christ are concerned, the devil doesn’t care if a child or a person is young or not. So teach them when they are young, not when they are “ready”, so they have a strong foundation in their walk with God. 🌝👍🏻