Tek SengDr. Tan

DAILY REFLECTION

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
Jeremiah 17:9

Self-deception can quietly transform emotional wounds into resentment, and unchecked resentment may fester into rage. Left unaddressed, the human heart - without moral and spiritual guidance - can justify what is harmful, even tragic.

The recent tragedy at SMK Bandar Utama 4 in Petaling Jaya is a heartbreaking reminder of the silent emotional and spiritual battles many young people endure. A 16-year-old girl lost her life at the hands of a 14-year-old schoolmate - an act that exposes not only the fragility of the human heart but the urgent need for intentional moral and emotional formation in our youth. This incident reveals how unprocessed emotions, distorted beliefs, and internal turmoil can culminate in devastating consequences.

Social media often glorifies dominance, entitlement, and aggression - especially among young males - portraying these toxic mindsets as strength. Such conditioning distorts identity and relationships, fueling dangerous narratives that equate control with worth and rejection with shame.

As educators, parents, and spiritual leaders, our responsibility goes beyond academic achievement. We are called to cultivate environments where:

• Emotional struggles are met with compassion, not silence

• Moral accountability is modeled and taught with consistency

• Spiritual awareness is nurtured through prayer, reflection, and truth

• Youth are equipped to process rejection, anger, and fear in healthy, redemptive ways

May our homes, schools, and ministries become sanctuaries of grace, where hearts are guided before they are broken, and where healing begins long before harm is done.

Jeremiah 17:9 calls believers to depend on God’s wisdom and Spirit for moral direction and to address emotional pain, loneliness, and distorted values before they manifest in violence. Only through repentance, renewal, and the light of God’s Word can hearts be healed and redirected toward love and righteousness. 

“Violence can only be concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by violence.”