Our lives have strange rhythms. For instance, my family goes from having nothing going on to me being gone every weekend, in school, and in and out of meetings throughout the week. This rhythm is tough on us at times. We get used to a settled pace (nearly unemployed) to a "we barely see each other in passing." I am the first to admit that this is not the best, but this is reality.
This raises the question, "If you know this is not best, then why do you do it?" Well, to answer this hypothetical question, the reason is that we are striving to fulfill a calling on our lives. The problem is not with the calling, the problem is with our intentionality in seeking to fulfill our calling and maintain health in other aspects of our lives. However, this is easier said than done.
I know for a fact that we are not alone in this struggle. While most people have more normal life rhythms than us, they are still inundated with work, school, family, church, hobbies, etc. The question that we should be asking ourselves are, "Is what I am doing right now consistent with the vision of my family?" and "Am I pursuing this calling in a way that honors God and cultivates intimacy with Him, my family, and my community?" These may seem like easy questions on the surface, but are quite haunting, convicting, and compelling when contemplated for some time.
It is about this time that someone might throw in the good 'ol, "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Psalm 46:10). However, am I the only one that sees the application of this verse as, "SLAM ON THE BRAKES!!!" Perhaps we are too busy. Perhaps we think we are too important. Perhaps we need to be reminded that the exaltation of our life needs to be focused on exalting God, and not our own status.
Any thoughts?
3 comments:
Well said. It should be preached in every church on Sunday. It's not about us, our ministry, our calling. It's all about the Lord. We may give lip service to his Godship but we may be exalting our own plans and lives and not Him.
I know in my own life, when things are out of sync at home, they are out of sync with the Lord. It's at that time I ask the Lord for forgiveness and to help me restore the balance that I must maintain to be in ministry. I ask myself what kind of fruit am I producing? Is it Kingdom fruit or wordly stubble.
Thank you Casey for what you and Stephanie do for the Kingdom.
Mrs Annette
when I feel overwhelmed, insufficient, out of sync or too busy...when I stop and ask yet again, is this where I am supposed to be or am I doing this thing called "life" all wrong?...when i question things like job status, Gods plan for my life, the vision of my new family etc...Wyatt and I go back to basics...
"Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean NOT ON YOUR OWN understanding. In ALL your ways ACKNOWLEDGE HIM and He will Direct your path."
It is funny how we can read, reread and still read again the most simplest of verse but the 15th time is still different from all the 14 times before...I believe God reveals His plans in His time, if it all came in a note on one particular day at one particular time what would life be like? how would God teach us simple life lessons such as patience, perseverance, love, humility, time management and self discipline...? I believe God takes these times of thought and meditation to teach us yet another lesson, He loves to teach us new ways to praise Him, and what better way to praise him than to feel as if we are at our lowest point and the only way out IS GOD...the only explanation to anything making sense IS GOD, the only consistant thing in our lives IS GOD...
so, it is NEVER about anything BUT GOD. He is just that big. It is in the time that we think we are more important, that our social agenda deserves more attention than our spiritual walk or when our praises of ouselves exceed the praises of our Lord and Saviour that GOD says, SLAM ON THE BRAKES...remember who put you there in the first place! we as Christians owe everything to Him...lest we forget how we were created and saved by grace all the while deserving absolutely nothing.
deserving absolutely nothing...
deserving absolutely nothing...
Everything I have is for my God, every gift I have came from Him, all my days are gifts, my breaths His breaths...how dare I exalt anything but Him.
good one casey. im getting married in 12 days. scary yet very exciting. over the last 8.5 months of engagement thing have been crazy. the last month has been worse. there is so much going on that often times we forget why are are doing what we are doing. something gets neglected. be it my youth, my soon-to-be bride, my relationship with God, etc. and that makes me sick.
i totally feel that the "Be still..." to me means slam on the brakes and GET OUT OF THE CAR! i need to do this more often. i really do.
thanks for the post.
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