A Right Heart To Serve Him
BRD REFLECTION 2025
Proverbs 21; 22:1-16 and Psalm 116 (NIV)
(Vincent Hong from LCEC)
READ:
The long series of wise statements in Proverbs 21 and 22 deeply captivated me, but I was especially struck by Proverbs 21:2: “A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.” This verse prompted deep reflection on my work in ministry and within the church.
OBSERVE:
Proverbs 21:2 brings me back to when I first joined the Mandarin Ministry Worship Team as a vocalist and guitarist in 2013. In an effort to help me serve with the right heart, one of the worship leaders asked me a question that has stayed with me ever since: “If your mic malfunctions during worship, or if AV team chooses to turn it off for any reason, will you still pour your heart out into singing and praising the Lord?”
That simple question led me into deep reflection. I began to ask myself: When I’m on stage singing and playing guitar, am I truly doing it for the Lord—or am I trying to impress others and seek validation through my performance?
APPLY:
I remember times when I practised tirelessly on a particular guitar riff, spending hours perfecting every note. But during the actual worship, the sound of my guitar was overpowered by other instruments, and the melodies I had worked so hard on were barely audible. I felt deeply saddened and disappointed, as though all my effort had been wasted. I felt frustrated on why the volume of each instrument hadn’t been properly set up and balanced.
Yet God gently reminded me to examine my heart—was I playing to glorify Him or to impress others? If my heart was truly set on being His instrument of praise, why should it trouble me that others couldn’t hear my guitar? After all, He was with me through every moment of practice, and He hears every note I play, even if no one else does.
DO:
I will hold on to this verse as a constant reminder whenever I serve in any ministry. It’s essential that I continually examine my heart to ensure my service is rooted in a desire to please God—not people or myself. I must guard against being blinded by pride or ego, thinking that my way of serving is the only right way, and in doing so, unintentionally ignoring the voices and contributions of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who serve alongside me.
PRAY:
Heavenly Father, please align my heart with Yours as I serve You. Remind me not to take pride in something given to me by Your grace. Teach me to walk in humility and continual dependence on You in all that I do. I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus, the true humble servant, Amen!
