She was somewhat of a perfectionist. When given a homework assignment, she would put in 110 percent of her energy to get it just right. Wads of scrunched up paper languished in the wastebasket, evidence of an obsession to get things just right if they weren’t right the first time, or the second, or the third. She’d do something again and again until it was, well, perfect. For how else would a perfectionist operate?

In your Christian life, how do you describe yourself? Are you like the obsessive perfectionist, always striving to get it just right, beating yourself up if you can’t present yourself to God with a performance score of 110? Or are you the unheeding Christian who simply counts on God’s grace for forgiveness while callously pursuing habitual sins?

Living in extremes is a dangerous thing. But should “moderation in all things” be the motto for the Christian life? Going with the flow of nature can sometimes resemble coasting, like the driver traveling down a freeway in cruise control mode. You’re not slowing down, but neither are you speeding up. You simply remain. You’re not doing anything to change the state of things. You’re satisfied with the status quo.

Yet there is no growth in status quo—like a pond that becomes stagnant when fresh water does not come in and stale water does not flow out. There is hardly any sign of life. The conditions are ripe for decay. Perhaps that’s why the psalmist asks God to create in him a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him (Psalms 51:10-12). Perhaps that’s why Chinese Grace Bible Church (CGBC) is focusing on renewal this year—so we as a church body would not become stagnant, performance driven, or unheeding.

According to our senior pastor at CGBC, Timothy Chan, renewal is a “personal spiritual awakening resulting in loving God passionately through the transformation of heart, attitude, values, and commitment.” As the cover photo in this issue of Gracious Words suggests, there may be areas in our lives that are worn down, cracked, broken, and in need of refreshing or renewal. The editorial staff invites you to enjoy and be uplifted by the “gracious words” and testimonies of our pastors, guest speaker, and congregation members as they share their stories of renewal.

As you enjoy each account about how believers experience renewal, we pray that you will be challenged to do it afresh again—not with perfect performance in mind, but with a renewed passion awakened by God Himself. A passion expressed—imperfectly but genuinely—in ministry, in life, and in fellowship among believers.

Anna Lum

Gracious Words is happy to announce the addition of a new team of English editors whose names are noted on the last page of the magazine’s print version.