Mar 30, 2020
S=Something on my Heart
Dichotomy now of slowing down and sense of urgency at same
time. Some of this is being forced upon us, some is our
choice which is what I want to focus on, what we choose to reduce
and increase during this unique time and maybe even make some
paradigm shifts that will continue beyond this crisis. First, let's
talk about changes that have been forced upon us. What has slowed
down. The economy or more specific to this podcast..work, some of
you may have an increase in work especially if you're in medical
profession. Most of us have seen a slowdown, or worst case maybe
even a loss of a job, and I realize some of you may have been
forced to slow because you have actually contracted the
coronavirus. Travel. I'm working from home and as a result
I'm spending 2 hours a day at home that I would normally spend in
my car, which is a cramped little Fiat, or as I jokingly call my
"sports car". When you factor in errands I run between work and
home that commute time can add up to 3 or even 4 hours a day.
General pace of life, for most of us, has slowed down. What
has increased during this time? Time at home. In some ways, fear
and anxiety have increased, though I would argue that as Christians
we should be experiencing the opposite emotions, we should be
experiencing peace, reassurance, and purpose during this time in
contrast to the world around us. It seems to me like there is more
time available which is interesting. The reality is that time
is constant. We have the same 24 hours given to us as a gift each
day. The reality is that we are experiencing an increase in
certain activities or you could say an increase in the
percentage of time we spend in certain activities. Let's
shift now from what is out of our control to what is in our
control. Praise God that gave us free will and the freedom and
ability to choose. So what are some ways we can choose to
increase or decrease certain things or maybe a better way of saying
it how can we make good choices to best utilize the time that we
are given as well as the situation that God has placed us in right
now, to make a shift in our behavior and priorities both now and
moving forward in our entire lives, both in work and out of work,
as well as in the lives of others we impact and interact with in
our lives. I'll start with some broad, philosophical concepts
and then bring it back to the practical. To make it really
simple which is generally I've found the best way to be, we need to
focus more on God and less on us, or you could say less on the
world. Here are a number of scriptures that speak to this in
different ways. Deut 30:19-20a "I call heaven and earth as
witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and
death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you
and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God,
that you may obey his voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He
is your life and the length of your days;". Colossians 3:2
"Set your mind on things above, no on things on the earth".
Romans 8:5-6 "For those who live according to the flesh set their
minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to
the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is
death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace". John
3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease". 1 Cor 3:11-15 "For no
other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is
Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw, each one's work will
become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be
revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what
sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he
will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer
loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire".
Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and
broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who
go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way
which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Now,
some application. Let's get into the word and in
prayer. Here are several suggestions for you to get started
or to increase your immersion in the word of God. First, WHAT to
read. Rayburn Hall - 2 OT, 5 Ps, 1 Prov, 2 NT, Mike Mayo - History,
Poetry, Prophets, Gospel, Epistles (what I'm doing using 5
different Bible audio apps. Bobby Hall from Men's Night Out, Fall,
2019 - 8 chapters every day for 30 days (2-1/2 to 3 yrs to read
NT), a way to go deep. Chronological. Where are you in
life?-Psalms at night, Proverbs to make a decision, John great
place to start to really learn who Jesus is as both God and man and
why he came to earth. HOW - Pray for God to speak to you and
not stress over quantity, if you feel led to stay in one verse or
one chapter do it. Value the discipline of having a plan to
follow each day but don't turn your plan into a god and fall into
legalism. The point is to hear from God not to check off a task on
your list. 5 Fingers from Navigators Video about ways to consume
the Bible,. Pick A time (what can you stick to consistently,
maybe lunch or break at work, morning, night. Ask these
questions 1. Who wrote this 2. Who were they writing to 3. What is
the message 4. What does this reveal about the character of God 5.
How is this connected to God “-Adam Union. There's certainly
more we can say about being the spirit including prayer, but let's
shift now to what are things of the flesh, things we should be
decreasing during this time and moving forward. 2 things to avoid,
one is satisfying the lusts of our flesh. With a bit more time on
our hands, we will be tempted to indulge in overeating, escaping
through alcohol or drugs, or watching a lot of TV, particularly
things that don't honor God like pornagraphy. Another thing to
avoid is to too inwardly focused. Spending time alone in
prayer and the word is good, relaxing with some TV or a good book
or taking a nap is good in moderation, but don't forget to look
around to see who God would have us blessing and connecting with.
Play a game with your kids, have a cup of coffee and alone time
with your wife, text or call your neighbors close by as well as
friends, family members and acquaintences far away to see how they
are doing and whether they need anything including prayer.
Treat your body as the temple of the Holy Spirit, eat healthy and
exercise, take walks or a jog. Set healthy limits for
yourself for eating and drinking. If you choose to drink
alcohol, do so in moderation. I heard on the Albert Mohler
The Briefing podcast that marijuana sales have shot up during this
time. 1 Cor 6:12 "All things are lawful for me, but all
things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will
not be brought under the power of any." Just because Marijuana has
become legal in many states doesn't mean we should consume it. Just
because the Bible does not say you should not have any alcohol,
doesn't mean it's OK to drink beyond moderation in fact it speaks
strictly against that. When it comes to our work, just because we
may have less oversight working from home, doesn't mean we should
be any less productive. To the extent that we are able, if we
are blessed to still be employed, as Colossians 3:23 says "whatever
you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men". Put
in a full day's work as you normally would. Don't be like the
servant that buried the talent but rather put your time to good use
so that your employer will have a return on their investment in
you. Another thought on how to use this time. Forgive
everyone in your life and continue to forgive them. Here are
3 groups to focus on. First forgive yourself. During times of
reflection, it's easy to think about your past and mistakes you
have made. Remember that God has forgiven you and what's good
enough for Him should be good enough for you. Psalm 103:12
says "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed
our transgressions from us". You're partnering with the devil and
listening to his voice above the Lord's when you continue to
condemn yourself and believe his accusations for past wrongs.
Second, forgive individuals how have harmed you and if appropriate
ask them to forgive you. This includes people who have harmed you
in the past as well those harming you now. Third, forgive
groups of people or organizations that have either harmed you
directly or done harm or evil in general. I'm thinking
personally about family members as well as about political parties
and political leaders. Matthew 6:14-15, immediately after Jesus
gave us what we called the Lord's Prayer, he said "For if you
forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also
forgive you. But if you do not forgive their trespasses, either
will your father forgive your trespasses". Now back from the
practical to the philosophical. Here in NC, Spring has
sprung and every day reveals more life as the trees are budding,
the birds are chirping and the grass is growing and turning more
green. Life is bursting forth and it makes me think that the
paradigm shift that I want to adopt and carry forward beyond this
season of the Coronavirus is to live life more abundantly, life in
the spirit and not in the flesh, through my work and through my
relationship with God, myself, and my family and others in my
life. And when life gets back to "normal", I don't want to
fall into old habits that are not God-pleasing and life
giving. I want to look back at this time in my life, whether
I'm looking back from this or the other side of heaven, as a time
when I made a tangible and meaningful shift to be more a part of
God's story and less a part of mine.
E=Example of
Faith at work
There's been a lot of talk during this Coronavirus about what's
essential. I happen to work for an industry to makes products
that are considered essential or critical during this
downtime. This has reminded about how so much of our life is
spent on non-essential things, though we've made a habit of calling
them needs when they're truly wants. As an example, in Dave
Ramsey's FPU he talks about how we call things like a new car a
need when it's truly a want when you have an older car that works
fine. He also talks about how when you're gazelle intense and
trying to pay down your debt and get ahead financially, you do
things like eat rice and beans, which is a reminder to me that
although food is essential to living, the type of food we eat can
easily slip into the "wants" category and not the "needs"
category. This also led me not to just think about the value
of simplifying our lives and not living in excess, but also how
each of us through our work in some way contributes toward God
blessing all of humanity. I've talked in the past about Tim
Keller's reference to God's Common Grace in his book "Every Good
Endeavor", and how all of our work is sacred to the extent that God
sends rain on the just and the unjust, as it says in Matt 5:45, we
are a part of the way that God blesses all humans,. Here are
some examples I recently noticed of this common grace. We
just bought a Cat litter system that has separate compartmets,
making it easier and cleaner when our 11 year old daughter changes
the litter box. I watched a 3 part series from I believe the
Discovery Channel called "Harley and the Davidsons" about how how 2
Davidson brothers and the engineering genius of Bill Harley made a
motorcyle that was a step above others and one that has blessed
many many people over the last half plus century., As a third
example, I'm going to reflect on some of the things I've done big
and small, that have contributed to God's common grace to other my
work and rather than share that with you I invite you ponder on
your own career, past present and future and how you are a tool of
common grace and as such a great example of faith at work.
A=Announcements
Will return to weekly release in June after finish with Colson
Fellows
H=Handy tip to
increase productivity and effectiveness
From a quote heard
recently from Scott Peltin, Founder, Tignum, is not a faith
based organization, but I thought was valuable and pertinent for
this time we're in right now "During these critical times it
is important to recognize that these are uncharted times and they
will require epic
leadership. To do this, you will need to show up every day
at your best. This means preparing diligently for your day and your
critical meetings, recharging your own cognitive and emotional
batteries throughout the day, and strategically multiplying your
energy throughout your teams. People will need additional
direction, extra calmness and self-belief, and a level of humility
and vulnerability from you to admit that you don't have all the
answers. Great leaders get a
little better every day but this doesn't happen by chance. It
must be a choice."
