I’m writing to encourage you to fan into flame and rekindle the fire of the spiritual gifts God imparted to you when I laid my hands upon you. For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:6-7
It was a day to commemorate a significant milestone for LIGHT Microfinance, Inc. celebrating its 8th anniversary this October 27, 2023. With a burning praise and worship experience, Nuan Farm Resort located at Brgy. San Vicente, Bacolor, Pampanga, was set ablaze.
Reflecting on the remarkable journey of unwavering dedication and unyielding passion, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Bulacan, together with other branches who celebrated in their areas simultaneously, took the opportunity of encouragement and inspiration from the Board of Trustees and partner institutions. Filled with heartfelt messages taken from the theme “Rekindle the Fire”, drawn from Apostle Paul’s epistle in 2 Timothy 1:6-7, it was a time of recognition for the loyalty and dedication of the employees through years of service awards.
“In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.” – C.S. Lewis
Invited resource speaker Pastor Jebo Banzuelo, sharing a quotation from C.S Lewis, said that our ultimate goal to rekindle the fire in our hearts is to glorify God. In our life’s journey, in times we do not enjoy God’s presence, there must be a problem in our Christianity, and the privilege of glorifying Him becomes a burden.
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” – John Piper
Pastor Banzuelo added that the purpose of our life is to be satisfied in God and to give Him satisfaction. We easily get distracted when we lose this satisfaction. According to him, these distractions hinder the fire in our hearts, and they are figuratively called 4 kinds of fire extinguishers.
Fire extinguisher 1. Failure to Use Spiritual Gifts.
We are given spiritual gifts so that we could be relevant in helping people. But when we do not use these gifts in serving God, something must be wrong.
Fire extinguisher 2. Forsaken First Love.
It is not enough that we only use our skills or the gifts that we have. We must use them because of our love of God.
Fire extinguisher 3. False Doctrines.
It is important that we have the right biblical doctrine so that our lives would be aligned in the right way.
Fire Extinguisher 4. Falling into Sin.
When we fall into sin, we must confess, and ask for God’s forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 said, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
The resource speaker also noted that sometimes, we pray for growth in business. However, what is needed to be prayed for is not just growth but also repentance. There is power in repentance. He also noted that by moving to acquire godly objectives, LIGHT Microfinance, Inc. is righteously aligned to God’s standards.
Mr. Noel B. Alipio, President of LIGHT Microfinance, Inc. stated that he is hopeful for a corporate gathering participated by all stakeholders nationwide. He encouraged everyone to be faithful in work to achieve what God wanted. He assured his prayers to everyone and asked them to exert significant effort in fulfilling their given tasks. Along with his happy greetings, he also promised to have a surprise visit among branches.
Sharing his thoughts taken from Revelations 3:16-18 that says, “So I will spit you out of my mouth, because you are only warm and not hot or cold,” Among Ed Panlilio, Chairman of the Board, stated that we are not supposed to be cold in our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. He added that relationships could tend to fizzle out and grow cold, hence, it is important that we guard the fire in our hearts as we relate to God and to other people.
“Every day is a day to experience the goodness of the Lord, and this includes the days before, the days during, and the days after Covid-19 pandemic,” Ptra. Edith Pineda, Corporate Treasurer of LIGHT Microfinance, Inc. stated. According to her, God is giving us another year of victory and prosperity. She urged everyone to rekindle the fire in their hearts by loving God, by doing His will through LIGHT Microfinance, Inc., and by serving the people entrusted to us. She said that miracles will happen continuously as we surrender and submit to the power of the Holy Spirit as we serve God in the communities. With joyous smile, she declared Psalms 118:24 that says, “This is a day that the Lord has made, so we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
The commemoration was concluded by the Executive Director, Ms. Concepcion P. Diana,with a grateful heart directed to God for the beautiful celebration of the 8th anniversary of LIGHT Microfinance, Inc. She shared three things that needed to be remembered as we rekindle the fire in our hearts: we need to remain faithful to God’s calling; to serve the partner clients and co-workers; and to do the right standards and processes. With these, we are assured that we can provide excellent service while honoring and glorifying God.
We must persist in staying on the course and be a LIGHT to the communities we serve as we LEAD WITH INTEGRITY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN HELPING COMMUNITIES FOR HOLISTIC TRANSFORMATION.