Sunday, July 22, 2012
Hmmm...
The boundless beauty of a relationship with Jesus Christ is something that is incomprehensible to us temporal creatures. We do, however, recognize that it is beautiful; we are simply unable to conceptually cope with it. The timeless and eternal sacrifice of the innocent, almighty God spans the entirety of the universe's existence and subsequently renders eternal justification accessible to humanity. The beauty therefore is not lost upon us, the creation, it is tragically underappreciated.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
My Time
I think the passage of time has always amazed me. I love being busy so I generally don't think of the passage of time. I think of the progress of whatever I'm working on, then when I do look back on the hours and days I wonder where they have all gone.
Idleness has never been appealing to me. I dislike days upon which I look back upon only to realize that I have done nothing useful. They don't happen very often but when they do it only serves to motivate me to not let it happen again. Because of this, I tend to live my life in a bubble. Not a quiet peaceful bubble, but a bubble filled with a veritable storm of events, tasks, and accomplishment.
My bubble usually doesn't include a clock. Well, it does include one, but it is only so I can better achieve what needs to be done. It usually has absolutely no connection to the actual passing of time. I forget that working until 3pm, starting Bible study prep at 3:30, and finishing Bible study at 9 means the whole day has passed. Oh, I know the day is over and that it's time to sleep, but it doesn't register that it has passed.
I am a very present-minded man. I generally don't dwell on the past, and I almost never worry about the future. My bubble is almost always 100% in the present. The effect of this is, when I choose to step out of my bubble for a moment, I am astounded that a week, month, semester, or year has suddenly passed me by. It's not that I am unsatisfied with what has been done in that time, I am just shocked that the time is all used up.
I love this place the Lord has me right now. I looked outside my bubble today to realize not only is my summer almost gone but so is my college career. This is amazing and exciting. I am so excited to see where my Guide will take me next; to see what adventures are ahead of us.
However, there are things to be done today. I have tasks that must be finished well, trusts to be filled faithfully. Time is precious, and every little bit we are given is to be used well -- to the glory of the Giver.
Idleness has never been appealing to me. I dislike days upon which I look back upon only to realize that I have done nothing useful. They don't happen very often but when they do it only serves to motivate me to not let it happen again. Because of this, I tend to live my life in a bubble. Not a quiet peaceful bubble, but a bubble filled with a veritable storm of events, tasks, and accomplishment.
My bubble usually doesn't include a clock. Well, it does include one, but it is only so I can better achieve what needs to be done. It usually has absolutely no connection to the actual passing of time. I forget that working until 3pm, starting Bible study prep at 3:30, and finishing Bible study at 9 means the whole day has passed. Oh, I know the day is over and that it's time to sleep, but it doesn't register that it has passed.
I am a very present-minded man. I generally don't dwell on the past, and I almost never worry about the future. My bubble is almost always 100% in the present. The effect of this is, when I choose to step out of my bubble for a moment, I am astounded that a week, month, semester, or year has suddenly passed me by. It's not that I am unsatisfied with what has been done in that time, I am just shocked that the time is all used up.
I love this place the Lord has me right now. I looked outside my bubble today to realize not only is my summer almost gone but so is my college career. This is amazing and exciting. I am so excited to see where my Guide will take me next; to see what adventures are ahead of us.
However, there are things to be done today. I have tasks that must be finished well, trusts to be filled faithfully. Time is precious, and every little bit we are given is to be used well -- to the glory of the Giver.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Worship
It's is amazing how easy it is to get lost in tasks; an hour at work here, two hours doing homework there. Some days go by so quickly it's hard to think back and remember everything that was accomplished. The day is so filled with things to do that there is quite literally no time to stop and review what has been done. There is only the next task. I think that this mentality (or rather lifestyle) is sin.
So often I look back on a busy day, nod to myself and think that I have successfully stewarded all my hours to their best possible use. I fill every hour of my waking life with personal projects, work, study (both academic and Biblical), intentional social time (Bible study breakfasts, roommate events, church, conversation with distant friends and family), getting through another book, etc. I so plan every day that I don't have to guess at what is next, it is always there waiting to be accomplished. I so compartmentalize myself that I end up imprisoned. I claim freedom from sin nature only to (very carefully) enslave myself to sin scheduling.
Christ's blood gives me freedom from sin and He claims the right to be the only god in my life. I accept his gift and then cast it back in His face by exalting my daily to-do list over Him. I relegate Him to bullet points.
- Quiet Time
- Meet with _____ for discipleship
- Go to church
- Teach Bible study
- Personal Bible study time
- Memorize _____
I diminish His value to 10-20 well-intentioned tasks per week. Most of the time I think I am being a pretty solid follower of Christ and an active member in His body, but I still jam-pack my life full of things to do -- things I can't even remember after 10-12 hours.
So I ask myself, "Am I presenting my body [my whole being including what I do, how I think, the means by which I organize my day] as a living and holy sacrifice? Does using every minute of my day constitute a spiritual service of worship?" It sure doesn't feel like it.
Perhaps the problem is the busyness, heaven knows that makes it harder to keep my purpose in perspective. But perhaps it is simple to motive of my heart. Have I so filled my day with tasks that I didn't leave time to remember why I do all of these things in the first place? Perhaps so. I really do love having a purpose when I get out of bed in the morning. I think God gave mankind a love for sizing up a task, breaking it down, and tackling it, but originally there was no confusion on why the task was to be done. The tasks where directly assigned by Almighty God so the satisfaction in accomplishing them was a direct result of obedience to God.
Today I think I have to be reminded why there is satisfaction in a task well done. It is not because I personally accomplished something worthily, it is because I have accomplished a task (be it my employment, school work, or Bible study lesson) that innately brings my King glory because I am His son. The task might not have anything directly to do with my ministry, my personal faith, or my study of His Word; it brings Him joy and glory because it is a gift to Him.
It is similar to the way a parent must feel when a young child (2-4 years old) wants to help clean the house. He gets the broom out and goes through sweeping the floor, the effort is of course useless and really only succeeds in redistributing the mess but it's intention was to show love for the parent and ultimately respect for the parent's authority. The task itself is laughably inane but the heart behind the action is not only deeply touching but critically important.
If that same child did this chore and when thanked by his parent shrugged and said that it was only to stay busy. The parent would most likely smile and hope that, at least, the child is learning good habits for when he grows up. If the pattern continued, eventually the parent would get annoyed at having to re-sweep and wonder at the child's lack of heart behind the action (because children are so very often sincere in their devotion and actions). But am I not not like that child who falls into his routine of uselessly sweeping the floor and forgetting that the only value in that action is to show my love, and ultimately my respect for the Father who adopted me from the gutter. By not pausing in my day to run over and hug His knee and tell Him, "Look Daddy! I stacked the books for you today! I love you so much," am I not wasting the very time I try so hard to "steward" well?
In perspective of eternity most of what I plan my days to accomplish is little more than rearranging the mess on the floor. However, if I rearrange that mess 100% to show my Heavenly Father that I love Him and that I want to help, those useless tasks become infinitely eternally significant.
My purpose here is not to do my job well, be involved in the church, or even to lead other guys to Christ. Ultimately God can do all of those things better without me. My purpose here is worship my Father with every minute of everything that I am. My purpose is to try make every one of my tasks about Him.
The moment that minute-by-minute worship is a reality in my life is the moment that I am fulfilling my purpose, and I will then, therefore, be ready to learn how to sweep properly.
So often I look back on a busy day, nod to myself and think that I have successfully stewarded all my hours to their best possible use. I fill every hour of my waking life with personal projects, work, study (both academic and Biblical), intentional social time (Bible study breakfasts, roommate events, church, conversation with distant friends and family), getting through another book, etc. I so plan every day that I don't have to guess at what is next, it is always there waiting to be accomplished. I so compartmentalize myself that I end up imprisoned. I claim freedom from sin nature only to (very carefully) enslave myself to sin scheduling.
Christ's blood gives me freedom from sin and He claims the right to be the only god in my life. I accept his gift and then cast it back in His face by exalting my daily to-do list over Him. I relegate Him to bullet points.
- Quiet Time
- Meet with _____ for discipleship
- Go to church
- Teach Bible study
- Personal Bible study time
- Memorize _____
I diminish His value to 10-20 well-intentioned tasks per week. Most of the time I think I am being a pretty solid follower of Christ and an active member in His body, but I still jam-pack my life full of things to do -- things I can't even remember after 10-12 hours.
So I ask myself, "Am I presenting my body [my whole being including what I do, how I think, the means by which I organize my day] as a living and holy sacrifice? Does using every minute of my day constitute a spiritual service of worship?" It sure doesn't feel like it.
Perhaps the problem is the busyness, heaven knows that makes it harder to keep my purpose in perspective. But perhaps it is simple to motive of my heart. Have I so filled my day with tasks that I didn't leave time to remember why I do all of these things in the first place? Perhaps so. I really do love having a purpose when I get out of bed in the morning. I think God gave mankind a love for sizing up a task, breaking it down, and tackling it, but originally there was no confusion on why the task was to be done. The tasks where directly assigned by Almighty God so the satisfaction in accomplishing them was a direct result of obedience to God.
Today I think I have to be reminded why there is satisfaction in a task well done. It is not because I personally accomplished something worthily, it is because I have accomplished a task (be it my employment, school work, or Bible study lesson) that innately brings my King glory because I am His son. The task might not have anything directly to do with my ministry, my personal faith, or my study of His Word; it brings Him joy and glory because it is a gift to Him.
It is similar to the way a parent must feel when a young child (2-4 years old) wants to help clean the house. He gets the broom out and goes through sweeping the floor, the effort is of course useless and really only succeeds in redistributing the mess but it's intention was to show love for the parent and ultimately respect for the parent's authority. The task itself is laughably inane but the heart behind the action is not only deeply touching but critically important.
If that same child did this chore and when thanked by his parent shrugged and said that it was only to stay busy. The parent would most likely smile and hope that, at least, the child is learning good habits for when he grows up. If the pattern continued, eventually the parent would get annoyed at having to re-sweep and wonder at the child's lack of heart behind the action (because children are so very often sincere in their devotion and actions). But am I not not like that child who falls into his routine of uselessly sweeping the floor and forgetting that the only value in that action is to show my love, and ultimately my respect for the Father who adopted me from the gutter. By not pausing in my day to run over and hug His knee and tell Him, "Look Daddy! I stacked the books for you today! I love you so much," am I not wasting the very time I try so hard to "steward" well?
In perspective of eternity most of what I plan my days to accomplish is little more than rearranging the mess on the floor. However, if I rearrange that mess 100% to show my Heavenly Father that I love Him and that I want to help, those useless tasks become infinitely eternally significant.
My purpose here is not to do my job well, be involved in the church, or even to lead other guys to Christ. Ultimately God can do all of those things better without me. My purpose here is worship my Father with every minute of everything that I am. My purpose is to try make every one of my tasks about Him.
The moment that minute-by-minute worship is a reality in my life is the moment that I am fulfilling my purpose, and I will then, therefore, be ready to learn how to sweep properly.
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