Dear COA Family,
We have embarked on the sermon series of A Year of True and Wise
Living at the start of 2026. How time flies; it’s been four weeks already!
How have the sermons been for you?
One of the motivations and objectives that I believe the Lord intends
for all of us through this year is not only to grow in knowledge, but also
to live in wisdom and truth in all that we do. This means applying God’s
commandments, instructions and will in every aspect of our lives.
This can only be done if living in wisdom and truth becomes a habitual
practice. The Greek philosopher Aristotle says, “You are what you do
repeatedly.” This means that your identity, character and success are
shaped by your consistent daily actions (habits) rather than any single
event. Living in wisdom is therefore a learned habit, not a one-time
act.
Our recurring actions, whether good or bad, build up over time to form
who we become. This shows that the practice of discipline, consistency
and building positive habits to reach the goal that God has set for us is
most crucial and should not be neglected.
Going back to the first sermon, how has your practice of daily devotional
time with the Lord or daily Bible reading plan been? The psalmist writes,
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Without God’s word, we would not know the truth nor the way to walk.
Our daily habits are also crucial to shaping our hearts to respond
automatically according to God’s will instead of the world’s values. For
example, by constantly watching our words so that we refrain from
“obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place (for
Christians)” (Ephesians 5:4), we train ourselves to speak only words that
benefit our hearers and bring praise to God. This will lead to responding
automatically in ways of love, consideration and respect towards others.
For myself, I learnt that by observing the traffic rules strictly, it helps relieve
the anxiety in my heart that I may be breaking a traffic rule and thus incur
a fine. More than that, it helps me to obey the Lord’s commands even in the
small and insignificant matters so that I imbibe the lifestyle of obedience.
I find that I don’t even have to think sometimes about what to do as abiding
in God’s will becomes an automatic response for me.
May we learn in this year to develop the habit of obedience to God in every aspect so that
walking in His will becomes second nature to all of us. This then is living in true wisdom!
God bless,
Revd Ian