I am sitting at Rey Azteca, having just enjoyed the number 7 lunch special - a burrito, and I'm waiting for my car to finish undergoing an oil transplant. When I was told it would be an hour and twenty minutes, it took everything in me to not say "never mind." I don't have 80 minutes to spare today. I have friends coming in town for the weekend, I'm having dinner with a family from church tonight, and I'm fortunate enough to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Bryce Jordan Center... and I still have 5-6 pages to go on my 5-6 page paper on the literary structuring of the New Testament on Monday.
With all that going on, I also have this desire in me to hurry up 'n slow down. I am addicted to feeling hurried, I think partially because it makes me feel important and useful. I'm so busy, people must need me, people must depend on me, I am necessary. Unfortunately, if I find my purpose through busy-ness, I'm missing out on a lot that God has for me.
When I've been hurrying around, sitting down to pray or read my Bible is nearly impossible. My brain doesn't go from full speed to "be still" with the flip of a switch. I find that my best time with God (and with friends and family) is when my whole day has not been hurried. And I worry that when my baby comes, if I don't learn how to slow down now, I'll wish I had done things differently in 18 years (Steven Furtick wrote on article on this: read it here).
I'll still work hard. I'll still do what needs to be done. But I want to do it at the speed it was intended to be done. Jesus walked, so why am I running around like a chicken with its head cut off?
Friday, November 15, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
poor in spirit
Last week at Youth Group we started a series on the beatitudes. Our first one to tackle was "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Here are a few reflections.
Poor in spirit is all about my relationship with God. To be poor in spirit is to realize my total dependence on God. Notice that it's to "realize" dependence rather than becoming that way. To become dependent assumes that I could do it on my own with enough money, will power, or physical strength. To realize it means knowing that without Him I am nothing. To realize it means knowing that the only way I am is that He first was. I am totally dependent on God for life.
Living a dependent life is unnatural to me. It's far easier to trust in my own understanding and to not acknowledge God (Proverbs 3:5-6). It's easier to rely on the money, power, and strength that I have to offer, and hope for the best. It's harder to be poor in spirit.
In light of that, here are a few things I've been doing to grow in poverty:
Reminding Myself
On my walk to work in the morning is a great time to pray. In my prayer, I always try to declare my position before God. "God, today I am going to depend on you." And sometimes I'll mention a few ways I intend to do that.
I have to proclaim this daily because there's no guarantee I'll do it tomorrow. By centering myself at the beginning of the day, it helps me to remember who God has made me to be. If I'm a decent husband, youth worker, or worship leader, there is no one to praise except God. If it was up to me, it would've been screwed up a long time ago.
Remind Myself
When something comes across my desk or my phone, I remind myself that I am dependent on God, and I seek God's direction, and then I act with everything that God has given me to accomplish the task.
Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Poor in spirit is all about my relationship with God. To be poor in spirit is to realize my total dependence on God. Notice that it's to "realize" dependence rather than becoming that way. To become dependent assumes that I could do it on my own with enough money, will power, or physical strength. To realize it means knowing that without Him I am nothing. To realize it means knowing that the only way I am is that He first was. I am totally dependent on God for life.
Living a dependent life is unnatural to me. It's far easier to trust in my own understanding and to not acknowledge God (Proverbs 3:5-6). It's easier to rely on the money, power, and strength that I have to offer, and hope for the best. It's harder to be poor in spirit.
In light of that, here are a few things I've been doing to grow in poverty:
Reminding Myself
On my walk to work in the morning is a great time to pray. In my prayer, I always try to declare my position before God. "God, today I am going to depend on you." And sometimes I'll mention a few ways I intend to do that.
I have to proclaim this daily because there's no guarantee I'll do it tomorrow. By centering myself at the beginning of the day, it helps me to remember who God has made me to be. If I'm a decent husband, youth worker, or worship leader, there is no one to praise except God. If it was up to me, it would've been screwed up a long time ago.
Remind Myself
When something comes across my desk or my phone, I remind myself that I am dependent on God, and I seek God's direction, and then I act with everything that God has given me to accomplish the task.
Blessed are the poor in spirit.
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