After writing 100 over articles about God, I thought I’d have a better grasp on who God is.

But if anything, writing 100 stories about God has only taught me how vast and ungraspable God’s greatness is. Not even 100 stories can help me fully explain and fathom it!

What many may not know about my job as a writer is how much listening and reflecting is done before actually writing. Behind every thousand-word testimony are hours of conversations and contemplation about a person and their relationship with God. 

Behind every thousand-word testimony are hours of conversations and contemplation.

But I’m not complaining. In fact, I’m really grateful for the opportunity to witness how God moves in people’s lives. It’s been a unique privilege to be able to experience this. 

In the process of writing and being the mouthpiece for many people’s stories, I’ve got to hear tons of testimonies on how God works in families, relationships and even K-dramas. 

Writing has also pushed me to reflect more on my own life and walk with God, and to be brave and share that. But out of all the things I’ve learnt, the following three are some of my favourites. 

3 LESSONS LEARNT AFTER 100 ARTICLES

1. The importance of a united Church 

For one of my first assignments, I met with Li Ping who opened up her café space as a place for anyone to come down and worship.

That was the first time I saw an organic gathering of a wider Christian community outside of my church or at official conferences. 

It began to open my eyes to see how God is moving and uniting His people beyond my church’s walls.

Slowly, I became exposed to more of such initiatives where the larger Church comes together for the common purpose of serving God.

Take for instance, the group of students who rallied Christians from different churches to pray in their secondary school campuses – or the youths who are using Instagram to connect and unite the wider Church online. 

I saw what 1 Corinthians 12:12 looked like in real life: believers from different churches and denominations coming together to work for God’s kingdom.

I saw how we are indeed different parts – but working for the same Body. 

How important it is to be connected to the other parts of the whole Body of Christ. 

This was a significant takeaway for me because it opened my eyes to seeing God’s move beyond just my own life.

Before, my idea of serving God and what it meant to chase after Him was limited to my individual capacity and isolated experience of God in my own life, such as through my cell group or volunteer work.

These things weren’t wrong, but they limited my experience of God to a very self-centred one. While God does work and speak to us on a personal level, He moves in greater ways than just my life and my needs.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn how important it is to be connected to the other parts of the whole Body of Christ. 

I’ve also had the privilege to cover various Christian conferences such as the FOPx GO Conference, Kingdom Invasion and the Eagles Leadership Conference, witnessing the local churches come together. 

For most of the conferences I attended, I had only heard about them for the first time despite having been a Christian for a long time.

To think that such resources had eluded me – I wondered how I could have missed it. And I realised it’s probably because I wasn’t looking for more. 

The messages I’ve heard along the way have impacted me to this day. Listening to a wide variety of speakers like missionaries, CEOs and worship leaders helped me to see different facets of God and His character. 

That I was able to write 100 articles goes to show there are more than 100 ways God can use a person.

Attending such intergenerational and interdenominational conferences always left me in awe because I heard the same gospel proclaimed in ways I’ve never heard of before.

To see a whole generation and a hall full of hungry Christians – it’s hard to not get motivated and hungrier for God!

2. God calls us uniquely 

On top of being a united body of Christ, I learned that we are all called uniquely and have different purposes and roles.

We are all gifted differently and we should be stewarding those gifts in the way it was designed to be used by God. There is no “one size fits all” type of Christian or ministry when it comes to being used by God. 

The fact that I was able to write 100 articles just goes to show how there are more than 100 ways God can use a person.

Like how He used a dancer to disciple others through dance. Or how He moved a young man to serve migrant workers using his gift of befriending. 

This was a significant lesson for me because it helped me stop comparing and measuring my faith against other Christians.

There is no person or ability too small for God to use, no matter how insignificant it may seem to others.  

One of the most common misconceptions I hear from people is how my job as a writer for Thir.st must mean I’m a “very good Christian”.

I used to think as well that there was a way to measure if you’re being a “good Christian”. Like, how well you know the Bible or if you can pray for healing or if you’ve lead a number of people to Christ.

But God truly has limitless reach. Seeing all these different people working for God, I saw it’s not my place at all to judge God’s methods and who He chooses according to my standards. 

3. God’s love empowers us radically 

Last but definitely not the least, I saw how people were motivated to move for God’s kingdom because of their great and radical love for Him.

Whenever I heard about the great works people have accomplished, their motivation was all the same. It wasn’t for success or any sort of self-gain.

It was always out of compassion and love for those around them.

I met so many believers committed to serving God’s people, particularly those who seemed harder to love.

Such as the woman who has washed the feet of the elderly for ten years, or the woman who befriends workers in Geylang.

There was also the man who fed migrant workers during the circuit breaker, and another who clothed the homeless in his own wedding!

Often, it’s easy to see people who are doing incredible things for God and put them on a pedestal.

But honestly, when I got to know them and hear their testimonies, they’re normal people just like me. They don’t see themselves as amazing. They know that what they’ve accomplished could never have been done without God. 

Their stories taught me that works of love are not truly possible apart from the love of God. It wasn’t because they were better than others or more gifted, it was simply because they obeyed and allowed God to work through them.

Rather than being intimidated by what they’ve accomplished, I was instead humbled and inspired to go back to the cross and surrender my life once more, asking God to use me. 

Easier said than done, of course! Loving and living out the gospel in radical and counter-cultural ways is terrifying – but God is faithful and will provide! 

It’s been an unbelievable journey, from my first article to today. I only hope that even when I’m not writing articles, I’ll still be able to uncover more of God’s greatness in my everyday life.