CHOOSE ONE CHAIR

There was a story about how the famous tenor, Pavarotti was able to be successful. "When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song," tenor Luciano Pavarotti relates. "He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy, took me as a pupil. I also enrolled in a teachers college. On graduating, I asked my father, 'Shall I be a teacher or a singer?' "'Luciano,' my father replied, 'if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.' "I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance. It took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera. And now I think whether it's laying bricks, writing a book--whatever we choose--we should give ourselves to it. Commitment, that's the key. Choose one chair."

As young men and women, learning the seriousness of commit to one thing is very important. Whether you keep commitments to your family, your school, your friends, your church and to God, we must be focus on one thing and stick till the end. It is a very difficult lesson though, as there are still many adults who have not learned this lesson. That is because along the way, we meet temptations, distractions and hardships. We may give up and choose to go another route away from the destination. In the end, we are unable to reach the goal.

Dear young people, to be truly committed in your life will greatly please God and bring you great rewards. God does not like us to be lukewarm Christians. Being half hearted will get you nowhere. It will also frustrate your friends and people around you because you never keep to your commitment and persist till the end. God has made many commitments to us and keeps each and every one of them. God is always there even when there is no one who cares for us. That is why God values true commitments in our lives. Every aspect of your life requires a commitment on your part to some degree. You will encounter times when a very deep commitment is required, such as attending Church Service, Youth Group meetings every week, successfully completing a very difficult course in school or a musical project. If you keep a pet, you have a commitment to that pet and will try your best to take care of its life because that pet will rely on you for everything it needs to stay alive and happy. Likewise, God requires that we honor our commitments no matter how large or how small. We are bound to meet storms and obstacles in our lives, but if we are prepared to persist, we can do it by God’s grace no matter how tough the situation can get you to. God calls us to be a Christian 24/7. We need to be close to God at all times in order to be 24/7 true Christian.

I encourage all of you to do things in your best efforts, choose one chair, even when you think it's small, do it with commitment and focus, and the big results will surely arrive. Do it to shine for the Lord!

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)

Pr. Carol Ling (Bethel Presbyterian Church)