Contentment

Priscilla Shirer has written a book called The Resolution for Women.  On her blog she is doing a virtual book club.  In responce to her thoughts and challenages, I'm blogging about what I'm learning. 

On page 14 Priscilla shares that she has rushed through her life. I can so relate.  I'm a planner. I love to plan out all the details of events and times in my life so much so that when that event or time in my life happens I feel I've already been there and so I don't take time to enjoy it.  Case in point, every other year my husband, Rodney and I take a vacation with our closest friends. I'm the planner of the group and they are perfectly happy with that.  I plan everything from the flights to the hotels to the activities and points of interest we will see. I plan the routes we will travel from point A to point B to point C...and well you get the idea. I research the cost of every activity and plan it all out on a spreadsheet. I analyze each activity  and point of interest and see how best to plot them into the time we have while in that area. Are you starting to get just how much of a planner I am?  Once the itinerary is done, I upload it to my Ipod and then send it to the three of them. Every hour is accounted for, every day is planned. So what happens when we get there.  I feel I've already done or seen everything. If it wasn't for my camera, which I am a slave to, I would float through the whole week, just waited to plan the next trip. (and on our last trip I did just that!) What does it boil down too?  I'm not content with that time in my life. 

I struggle with this at work too.  As a staff member of our church, we are planning out activities, Bible studies, get togethers, big Sundays and more well in advance of the actual date. By the time one of these things happens, we've moved on to planning something else and hardly enjoy the actual activity.

 So my lesson from the first part of chapter 1 is to slow down and enjoy the things I plan.  I liked the questions at the end of the chapter. They really made me stop and think.  I'd like to share #4 with you.

1.      What can you do differently today to "scrape the plate"- to gather up all the good things around you and begin enjoying the journey of your life?

a.     Don't rush the work day along just because I want to be home.

b.    Linger with people. Talk to them, make I contact and really listen to them.

c.     Slow down. My life seems to be a race all the time. I need to slow down and enjoy each activity and not worry about planning for the next one.

d.     Savoy the time I spend with my loved ones. Really focus on them and our conversations. I think that will help me not need to rush through my day to get to the next time I can be with them.

Well, I've got to run.(he, he... here I go running again)  Time for work!  I've enjoyed our "time" together. 



What's Left Behind

As I drove home for lunch on Monday, I passed the spot where a carnival had been for the past ten days. Day after day the lights, sounds and smells had beckoned to the passerby. Come, enjoy! See what the carnival holds for you. What joys can it bring?

But now it was gone. All that was left was the trash that littered the ground.  The green field is barren. Where rides and games had once dotted the lot, now only garbage was left.

I pondered how that empty field is a reflection of what the earth will be like after the rapture.  In an instance, many of us will be gone. Gloriously caught up together to met the Lord in the air! The only evidence that we were here will be the stuff, the trash, we leave behind. 

It struck me that if you had been out of town, you might wonder why the lot was so dirty. What had caused this mess?  Like the empty lot, what will the stuff we leave behind say to the ones that are still here?  Most of them will wonder what happened.  Some will search through our stuff to find the answers.

What would that search revel to the ones left in the dark? What would the stuff I leave behind say? If they search my home they’ll find my well worn study Bible, study guides and notes I have written about Christ. The many Bible studies I have done line my shelf. Each holds the answers to their questions.

If they never enter my home, they could still find the answers they seek.  The internet can be a wonderful thing. A quick search would provide them with site after site about Christ and the rapture.  One of those links may even lead them to this very post. Amazing.

Driving on toward home, I was surprised to see the carnival had left behind their signs.  They were just plain white signs that said Carnival in red with a large arrow pointing the way. Our stuff will be like these signs. It will point to the reason for our disappearance.

But this is a future event. Right now, we are the signs that point to Jesus. Standing with red arrows, we point the lost towards salvation. Like the carnival, Christ fills us with the joy we seek. Those of us who have accepted Christ have been to the carnival. We know the joy and peace it brings.

So where’s your sign?  What stuff will point others to Christ after you are gone?

You're Useless

“…they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:3-8

You’re useless.

How sharply those to words can sting. 

Looking back into my childhood I remember hearing those two words from other kids and even my teacher. I remember the pain and shame that came with them.

As I grew older those two little words weren’t said, but they were implied. Oh, we were older and somewhat more dignified when it came to insulting others, but I still remember the pain and shame that came with the implication.

Two little words… You’re useless.

It’s funny how two small words can strip us of our feelings of self worth.  The thought of being useless brings with it the crushing weight of not being loved or appreciated. Feeling incapable of contributing to anything overwhelms our thoughts.  I know, I’ve been there.

But….

Peter tells us how we can avoid being useless. “…they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:8b) The word barren means lazy, useless, barren, idle or slow.  So how do we avoid being useless?

In the verses previous to number eight, Peter imparts a wealth of information from God on how to be useful.

 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: ⁴Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. ⁵And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; ⁶And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; ⁷And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. ⁸For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:3-8

First, we learn that God has given to us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” Through God divine power we have been giving the tools we need to live a godly life.  The Bible Reader’s Companion gives this insight, “Salvation is a stunning gift. It provides a new and dynamic principle of spiritual life. It infuses us with power for a life of godliness. It lifts us beyond our human limitations so we can “escape the corruption in the world caused by the evil one.”

Secondly, we see that Christ has called us to glory and virtue through knowledge of Him. Glory is the honor, worship and praise for God. Virtue is having moral character.  Through the study of the life of Jesus we gain reasons to give Him glory and examples of godly moral character.

Lastly, Peter list the tools you need to add to your faith in Christ. These tools will, if applied diligently, will ensure you live a life that in not useless or unfruitful. “…add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; ⁶And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; ⁷And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”  These tools are given to us through the power of the Holy Spirit.  But it’s our responsibility to apply these tools.  “God gives us spiritual resources, but we’re responsible to use them. Thus Peter says “make every effort” to develop those qualities God’s Spirit will produce in our lives. He won’t work if we just sit, lethargic. But He will work in us if we do our part.” (The Bible Reader Companion.) God will work in us. If God is working in you, then your life is not useless.

So the next time you or I feel useless, we can remember that, through the power of the Holy Spirit we are called to glory and virtue and to partake in His divine nature so that we will not be useless or unfruitful.