HALL OF FAME
(8-minute read)
From the start, BeInReach has never been an online ministry to substitute a believer's need to be part of an offline community of faith. It aspires to nurture spiritual growth by provoking believers to think deeper about how they will live each day as disciples of Jesus Christ. Through its teachings, the online ministry hopes to see your names in the spiritual ‘hall of fame’!
However, just as the path to physical fitness demands discipline and effort, living as the salt and light of the earth will not be a walk in the park. The Bible uses the imagery of trees to describe our fruitfulness, visibility and rootedness in God. Those who delight and meditate on God’s Word are “like a tree planted by streams of water” (Psalm 1:2-3). They are also “called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor." (Isaiah 61:3). As believers, we should not be living our lives like indoor plants kept in tiny pots with our development limited to the size of the pot.
We are also not called to live insulated lives in closed communities within our social and professional circles. Even if at first it doesn’t come naturally to us, God has designed us to make big impact, occupy space, and be visible in our communities; not sequestered in false security and withdrawn from deeper connections with others. Our spiritual well-being maturates and thrives only when - like trees planted in open soil - we are exposed to the natural challenges that face all mankind, yet set apart by God.
In Romans 16, the apostle Paul commended a long list of people - mostly ordinary folks - for creating life-touching, God-honouring moments in the ordinariness of life. They are people who used their personal resources to help the growing community of believers (Phoebe), those who took personal risks to support him and had more guests than gates round their homes (Priscilla and Aquila), individuals who stood out as the only convert in his community (Epenetus), followers who pulled their own weight instead of doing just the minimal (Mary, Tryphena and Tryphosa), and several whom he personally called ‘friends’.
What will the people around you commend you for?
Are you known as a people-pleaser who keeps your faith private and unintrusive, and sacrificially steps in to catch the ball that people drop without a second thought? Or are you recognised as someone who willingly takes risks with God rather than stick to tried and tested ways to tackle new challenges?
In order to make it to the spiritual hall of fame, there are two important criteria we need to keep in mind. Firstly, our names must be entered in the Book of Life – meaning that we will do life with Jesus and allow Him to transform us. Secondly, we must grow in attributes and attitudes that reflect God. By doing so, we will be known to others in four discernible ways:
A Person of Faith
There is often an unspoken misconception that being a person of faith is about having a life that is all pulled together – struggle-free, problem-free, and anxiety-free. Nothing could be further from the truth that, in fact, it takes great courage to face our own vulnerabilities and fallibility while trusting that God’s power will come through our own weaknesses. This is found in those who develop a healthy sense of self-awareness and God-awareness that blends personal insight with spiritual depth.
They also possess a healthy tolerance for uncertainty. Those who are keen to develop their faith in God don’t look for low-hanging fruits, chase quick wins, seek instant gratifications, or shy away from storms in life. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1).
People of faith are not satisfied with a shallow understanding of the Word of God. They are wary of surface-level conversations and superficial friendships, but they will inspire people to have a greater desire for God-centred experiences in their own lives!
Romans 8:24b-25 leaves us with an uneasy truth, “Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
A Person Who is Accessible
During His life, Jesus was always on the move, always surrounded by people and intercepted by people’s needs, but He was never derailed from His mission. He never called life-touching moments mini-ministries the way some people do today. He simply touched lives on the go. He didn’t need a stage when He stopped to heal the woman who had lived with a blood disorder for twelve years, or when He healed the two blind men by the roadside outside Jericho (Luke 8:46-48, Matthew 20:29-34).
Today, many of us normalize placing convenience over the biblical command to show care to others, demonstrating compassion only as a response to a request instead of something we initiate out of concern for someone. We avoid being accessible because we think it means to be everywhere for everyone all at once (which only happens in Hollywood blockbusters, not in real life!).
In reality, to be accessible means to be very present; just as God is always accessible and very present to us. To be accessible to others in the here-and-now moments of life is about availing ourselves in the authority and authenticity of our faith to them without hesitation. Imagine disrupting your own routine to respond when the Holy Spirit prompts you to do something, or setting aside your own unease to engage someone in a difficult topic and see the breakthrough God sets up for you.
How accessible are you to people who care about you, and to the people you care about? Do you respond only when you need something from them, and you fall silent when you are busy? Are you reciprocal in your relationships, or are you mainly a respondent who hardly ever initiates or volunteers any self-disclosure? Is there a habit you need to change in order to close the relational gaps in your life?
Let’s not forget that we are first and foremost, disciples of Jesus Christ, before we are anything to anyone. So, just as Jesus never forgot who He was, we must remember that we have a mission to serve God’s purpose “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:26b-28).
A Person Who is Magnanimous
Think about it, the most enduring relationships in our lives likely began with the demonstration of magnanimity and it is the same unmerited goodness that two people continue adding to the relationship that keeps it going. It is easy to say we love people whom we keep at arm’s length, or people who are less fortunate because we never have to risk being vulnerable with them. The closer we get to each other, the clearer we see their shortcomings – magnified. And it goes both ways. That’s why we are called to build biblical relationships of magnanimous forgiveness and understanding because there is no intimacy without conflict.
Hence, Colossians 3:12-14 reminds us, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
A Person Who is Empowering
Jesus embodies the full measure of truth and grace (John 1:14). There is no half measure of truth or half measure of grace in His interactions with people. His grace empowers us in our deficiencies, and His truth sets us free from debilitating mindsets and habits.
We follow Jesus’ example by also empowering others. We do this by using our talents and resources to help them grow in their experience and knowledge of God. It is not from a place of superiority that we empower others, but as fellow travellers on a spiritual journey to eternity.
At the same time, as people of faith, we are not afraid of being challenged by another person of faith. We don’t keep our relationships functioning on a superficial level of comfort, avoiding all confrontations and conflicts. Proverbs 27:17 advises us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” We allow ourselves to experience the discomfort of uneasy conversations, conflict when personal interest constantly takes priority over the needs of others, and we don’t keep expecting more and more grace from others when what we really need is truth and honesty that helps us grow.
Hebrews 10:24 puts it plainly, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.” ‘Consider how’ involves putting in mutual effort and time to empower each other in overcoming self-limiting beliefs and the confines of past experiences. Together, we can help each other see that today or tomorrow is not simply a version of the past, but opportunities for God's new creations to step into so that He will be glorified.
This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 9 August 2025.
