God’s Timetable

Jason and his wife Janice

The Lord of Life

　　I have been going to church ever since I was small. I grew up in the church and have participated in different ministries. I came to know that God is the Lord of life when I sat for the Hong Kong Certificate Examination and thus decided to be baptized and to follow Him. Later, God moved me to learn how to serve beyond my own church, so I served in the Christian fellowship in my secondary school and joined the Hong Kong Campus Crusade for Christ (HKCCC) at university. I received discipleship training from the HKCCC and attended various lay theological courses offered by seminaries. I gradually discovered that I have a heart that thirsts for deeper truth and I desire to grow along with others.

　　God has put a passion for youth ministry in my heart. Perhaps, as I am a “second generation believer” myself, I feel particularly sad when I see young believers leaving the church. I am convinced that God’s truth does make people grow; and I myself witness how God has been working in my life. God urged me to make a greater commitment in ministry, so I began to think about serving full-time.

The Intersection of God’s Calling

　　In 2016, I joined the Experiencing Seminary Life Camp held by the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary (HKBTS) for the first time. The pastor in the camp talked about calling; he said that the place that God calls us to is the intersection of “what make us satisfied and joyful when we do them” and “what we find this world needs.” I found myself joyful and satisfied when serving God in various positions. And the needs of young believers in the church does concern me. Hence, I felt what that pastor said matched my situation. So I began to consider serving full-time in ministry seriously. After the camp, I prayed to God, hoping He would speak to me and attest to these thoughts.

　　After that, my church’s pastor once preached about how David provided resources for Solomon to build the Temple in 1 Chronicles. My pastor shared with us how he was called to ministry and recollected how God has shaped and prepared him continually. I was deeply moved, and this message resonated with what I thought earlier in the camp. I had flashbacks to my past experiences of God and of how I grew in life, and I knew that God had been shaping and equipping me unceasingly in various ways. Then, my pastor concluded by 1 Chronicles 29:5, “Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the LORD today?” Upon listening to this question, my heart was stirred again, thinking that it was God’s calling, and I was more than willing to respond to His call deep in my heart.

　　Since then, I began to share my intentions with people around me. At first, my family still found it hard to fully support my decision. One year later, I joined the camp held by HKBTS again; this time, God also moved my then girlfriend (now my wife) to join it with me. In the camp, my heart was touched as before, and I became even more inclined to respond to God’s calling. I prayed again, asking God to prove that these feelings did come from Him. The next day, the Bible reference selected in my devotional material was 1 Kings 5; it was about how Solomon built the Temple. The subtitle in the Bible was “Preparations for Building the Temple.” It immediately evoked memories of my pastor’s sermon and my experience of being moved by God in the camp last year. I felt like this was a call. God answered my prayer, and I recalled again how He has been working in my life. Eventually I became convinced that this was God calling to me.

God’s Timetable

　　In 2018, after I got married, I shared with my church my wish to serve in the full-time ministry. My pastor advised that I should first undergo more preparation, so I joined the HKBTS’s Master of Arts in Christian Studies Program. Although the program was challenging, it drove me to pray and rely on God more.

　　During the last two years, there have been social movements and a pandemic. In the midst of all these, I asked God for my future direction, and He reminded me in my prayer that God has His own timetable. When I recalled those experiences and the training I received after recognizing God’s calling, it dawned on me how God shaped me through various events and people in those years. These experiences remind me to fully trust Him. I am sure that God has called me, and He will make my way. No matter what the situation may be, I am willing to serve God; so I need not worry about anything. God also clearly confirmed His calling to me in this waiting period. My wife and my family have become increasingly supportive of my decision and my calling to serve in full-time ministry; I believe these are all God’s work. I, therefore, wish to respond to God’s call and become His servant. I want to offer my entire life to work for Him, and to influence more lives. May all glory be to our Heavenly Father.