The Shaping of a Servant

A Life-Changing Program

　　I am deeply grateful to God for bringing me to the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary to undertake the four-year Bachelor of Theology degree program. Studying theology has never been easy. In addition to the difficulties of assignments, examinations, and the heavy reading load, we have to reflect on our lives, balance our time, get along with people from vastly different backgrounds, and cope with challenges in our church practicum. All these challenges appear to be part of God’s lesson plan for every theology student to help them grow stronger. We who are called to receive theological education do not simply study to develop our knowledge and skills, but more importantly to be equipped by God and become servants after His own heart so that we may shepherd His flock and lead by example.

　　The lesson that life matters more than knowledge has been one of the most influential lessons that I learned during these past four years. In order to follow the footsteps of our Lord and become Jesus’ disciples, we learn to be humble and to submit to the authority of God in every “hidden curriculum.” Little by little as we all matured, we were molded and changed by God every step along the path to graduation.

Managing Time in Our Lives

　　The first thing new students must learn at the seminary is self-discipline and time management. There are tons of assignments beginning the moment the semester starts and before students know it, it is already examination week. The workload at the seminary is undoubtedly heavy, and the teachers are demanding. I’m grateful for my senior schoolmates who walked with me and reminded me to plan my timetable ahead of time, allocate time that I could use after class every day, and schedule rest time and stress relief activities so as not to become overstressed.

　　One of the most important things I take away from these four years is my time management skills. Knowing that I need a lot of rest, I tried my best to plan my timetable in a way that I could go to bed before midnight, making sure that I could stay alert in classes the next day. No matter how busy I was with my course work, I would spare time to go jogging and dancing with my classmates. In this way, in the four years of seminary life I have acquired the habit of keeping early hours, planning ahead, and finishing my work early. I owe this to every teacher, senior schoolmate, and fellow classmate who has walked with me and given me reminders and encouragement.

Getting Along in a Community

　　Speaking of companions, HKBTS is really a big family, a disciple community in which everyone is willing to offer hospitality to one another. God wants me to get along with different people in this family in order to enhance my life.

　　My fellow classmates are my biggest treasure! We have come from different upbringings as well as different denominations, and have different theological thinking, not to mention that we have completely different personalities: there are the hot-tempered and the gentle, the daring and the timid. When people who are poles apart come together, discomfort is to be expected. At first we had a lot of conflicts (when I was scared and even considering quitting), yet as time goes by we all learned to accept one another and put ourselves in one another’s shoes. We became willing to put aside our own stubbornness and feelings for the sake of the relationship. After four years, we have more understanding and love for one another.

　　I learned that it takes many sacrifices and a lot of tolerance for any relationship to work; to be of one mind, we constantly have to accept our differences and learn to appreciate one another instead of trying to simply transform others. God did not create anyone perfect, so we have to love others with the love of God, having faith that God will always keep us in His love.

　　Graduation marks the beginning of our new journey. I am deeply grateful for these four years during which I could contemplate God and learn more about Him, throw myself into the exploration of the world of the Bible and transform my life. There is still a long way to go. I hope I can strive to live for my Lord and become His faithful servant.

　　Thank you Lord, for loving me!