What really does God require of me?

Micah 6:8

8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

My type

Did a Myers-Briggs type of personality test on Facebook, and discovered that I was an INFP (incidentally the same result as the actual Myers-Briggs test I did quite a long while back). The description below kind of explains why I'm into social causes and introspection.

The Idealist
Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving

Quiet, reflective, and idealistic. Interested in serving humanity. Well-developed value system, which they strive to live in accordance with. Extremely loyal. Adaptable and laid-back unless a strongly-held value is threatened. Usually talented writers. Mentally quick, and able to see possibilities. Interested in understanding and helping people.

As an INFP, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit into your personal value system. Your secondary mode is external, where you take things in primarily via your intuition.

INFPs, more than other iNtuitive Feeling types, are focused on making the world a better place for people. Their primary goal is to find out their meaning in life. What is their purpose? How can they best serve humanity in their lives? They are idealists and perfectionists, who drive themselves hard in their quest for achieving the goals they have identified for themselves

INFPs are highly intuitive about people. They rely heavily on their intuitions to guide them, and use their discoveries to constantly search for value in life. They are on a continuous mission to find the truth and meaning underlying things. Every encounter and every piece of knowledge gained gets sifted through the INFP's value system, and is evaluated to see if it has any potential to help the INFP define or refine their own path in life. The goal at the end of the path is always the same - the INFP is driven to help people and make the world a better place.

Generally thoughtful and considerate, INFPs are good listeners and put people at ease. Although they may be reserved in expressing emotion, they have a very deep well of caring and are genuinely interested in understanding people. This sincerity is sensed by others, making the INFP a valued friend and confidante. An INFP can be quite warm with people he or she knows well.

INFPs do not like conflict, and go to great lengths to avoid it. If they must face it, they will always approach it from the perspective of their feelings. In conflict situations, INFPs place little importance on who is right and who is wrong. They focus on the way that the conflict makes them feel, and indeed don't really care whether or not they're right. They don't want to feel badly. This trait sometimes makes them appear irrational and illogical in conflict situations. On the other hand, INFPs make very good mediators, and are typically good at solving other people's conflicts, because they intuitively understand people's perspectives and feelings, and genuinely want to help them.

INFPs are flexible and laid-back, until one of their values is violated. In the face of their value system being threatened, INFPs can become aggressive defenders, fighting passionately for their cause. When an INFP has adopted a project or job which they're interested in, it usually becomes a "cause" for them. Although they are not detail-oriented individuals, they will cover every possible detail with determination and vigor when working for their "cause".

When it comes to the mundane details of life maintenance, INFPs are typically completely unaware of such things. They might go for long periods without noticing a stain on the carpet, but carefully and meticulously brush a speck of dust off of their project booklet.

INFPs do not like to deal with hard facts and logic. Their focus on their feelings and the Human Condition makes it difficult for them to deal with impersonal judgment. They don't understand or believe in the validity of impersonal judgment, which makes them naturally rather ineffective at using it. Most INFPs will avoid impersonal analysis, although some have developed this ability and are able to be quite logical. Under stress, it's not uncommon for INFPs to mis-use hard logic in the heat of anger, throwing out fact after (often inaccurate) fact in an emotional outburst.

INFPs have very high standards and are perfectionists. Consequently, they are usually hard on themselves, and don't give themselves enough credit. INFPs may have problems working on a project in a group, because their standards are likely to be higher than other members' of the group. In group situations, they may have a "control" problem. The INFP needs to work on balancing their high ideals with the requirements of every day living. Without resolving this conflict, they will never be happy with themselves, and they may become confused and paralyzed about what to do with their lives.

INFPs are usually talented writers. They may be awkard and uncomfortable with expressing themselves verbally, but have a wonderful ability to define and express what they're feeling on paper. INFPs also appear frequently in social service professions, such as counselling or teaching. They are at their best in situations where they're working towards the public good, and in which they don't need to use hard logic.

INFPs who function in their well-developed sides can accomplish great and wonderful things, which they will rarely give themselves credit for. Some of the great, humanistic catalysts in the world have been INFPs.

Too frosty a reception?

I was at Kinokuniya today after having lunch and coffee with an elderly former colleague. When I was browsing the poetry section, an elderly Japanese writer/author came up to talk to me.

He asked me if I was interested in poetry. I said I was keen on poetry because I loved the sound and the use of words. He explained to me why he loved poetry and suggested that I should read Rumi, Frost as well as Homer's Iliad and The Odyssey. Following that, he also recommended Hemingway and Dostoevsky. In contrast, he panned works by Neruda and Plath, saying that they were too commercial.

I listened attentively. Then he took out some of his own works (short stories and poems) and showed them to me, probably seeing if I wanted to buy a copy. I didn't, though, but I wondered if I should have.

We parted ways, but later I put back Colossus by Plath and bought a collection of poems by Robert Frost instead.

PS: I really enjoyed my lunch with my former colleague. We ended up talking about how Christians view life after death, as well as discussing Hindusim, Buddhism and Islam. It was educational for me, listening to the views of a near-60-year-old man. :-)

Dr Ogata Ryosai: Memorandum

I was pleasantly surprised that Ryunosuke Akutagawa's collection of short stories contained a few stories on Japanese Christians. One of his short stories (the title being this posting's heading) concerned the account of a healing miracle. The notes in the translation by Jay Rubin also stated that Akutagawa read the bible closely but was unable to believe in divine miracles. During his short life, he travelled to Nagasaki and took a deep interest in 17th century Japanese Christian martyrdom. He committed suicide at the age of 35: he took a fatal dose of Veronal and fell asleep reading the Bible.

Grace covers a multitude of sins

Was doing my quiet time and the Lord impressed upon me these words from Zechariah 7:9-10:

9 "Thus has the LORD of hosts said, 'Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother;

10 and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.'

Oh how he loves you and me

Recently, God has been reminding me to memorise Scripture and seal them in my heart and my brain. After the verses from The Little Bible, another opportunity caused me to do a straw poll among some of my colleagues for their favourite bible verses. Here are the results:

James 1:22
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Psalm 121
1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills-
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.


John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I
give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.


Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ[a] who strengthens me.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Habakkuk 3:17-19
17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The LORD God ^[a] is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.

To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

The two below are my favourite verses:

Philippians 3:7-11
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.


1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

PS: I'm still trying to figure out a way to memorise Scripture in an orderly manner. :-P

His mercies are new every morning

Nearing the end of a significant day in my life, I can say only "glory to God". Indeed, he has blessed me with a wonderful life thus far, and I have faith that my journey with Him in the future will be even more exciting, edifying and fruitful. Every day I wake up and thank God for His Spirit that is within me, and pray that He will empower and guide me to fulfil His calling for me in my life.

I thought it would be an appropriate day to remember my wonderful glorious identity in Christ.

The following are taken from My Little Bible, a very small little book filled with some bible verses. At the end of it, there is this segment called "Who am I in Christ".

Who am I in Christ?

Chosen by God
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, (Ephesians 1:4)

Made perfect forever
For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)

Redeemed
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7)

Made at peace with God
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have^[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1)

Totally forgiven
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, (Colossians 2:14)

Totally cleansed
And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11)

Made holy and blameless
in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— (Colossians 1:22)

Given Christ's righteousness
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Freed from condemnation
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,^[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)

Made into a new creation
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Reconciled to God
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Romans 5:10)

Made heirs of God
Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of^[a] God through Christ. (Galatians 4:7)