I greet you for the first time in 2017…the first time since
the holidays and my much-needed Sabbatical.
One of my priorities for this coming year is to reinstitute writing
these blogs on a regular basis. Not only
is it a helpful practice for me, but I’ve been encouraged by many of you to
keep it up because it helps you in your own journey with Jesus as well. I apologize for the lapse of time, and am now
ready to get back into it after a crazy season.
Not everyone is able to take a month off to rest &
reflect & recharge, and I am certainly grateful for the opportunity I had to
do so for the conclusion of my 10th year of leading Catalyst! I had gotten pretty far “off kilter” after a
tremendous year of organizational growth.
In fact, I began to wonder if I would ever be able to totally
simmer-down as I continued to struggle with anxiety and a sense of urgency
after 2-weeks off. I did eventually begin
to come down…I suppose it makes sense that stress-recovery takes awhile when
its causes are months in the making. So
I really enjoyed and appreciated the time off, and have emerged saner, stronger,
and seriously committed to rediscovering healthy spiritual rhythms to sustain
the pace of my earthly journey…and so that I don’t go back to that place again.
Can you relate to this?
Does it ring true for areas of your life & work & relationships
& responsibilities? Do you ever feel
like you’re in over your head…for a really long time…running on fumes? Honestly, I feel like this is par for the
course for many of us. We live in a world
that practically worships productivity and efficiency. My “Type A” personality swallows this whole
like a game-fish going after a shiny lure.
Why is this, exactly? What is it
about accomplishing tasks that can sometimes wreck us inside? God calls us to be faithful and responsible,
right? But what does that mean, exactly?
As followers of Jesus, we are literally citizens of 2
opposing kingdoms…the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world. We have obligations to both, but our inner desires
and gut-level priorities are predominantly shaped by one over the other. We may have a solid and robust
belief-structure and moral-compass based on the scriptures, yet struggle deeply
with areas of sin which derail & disempower what we say we believe. Sometimes these sins are really devious
looking, and other times they seem more socially acceptable. In any case, scripture calls this the battle
between the flesh and the Spirit…we struggle with allegiance between 2 masters. When we get out of balance in some area of
life – whether it’s workaholism, drunkenness, greed, pleasurism of some sort (I
made that word up), or whatever – we can find ourselves standing still in an
icy rut with the wheels spinning furiously to get us out. (fitting analogy here
in Portland at the moment!).
Of course God wants us to do good in the world and shine His
light through our lives; but what I’m relearning right now is that He asks me
to be fruitful, not productive. They’re
different. Think of the Vine & the
Branches in John 15…we’re called to be fruitful but there’s only one command: “Remain
in Me.” Think of the Fruits of the
Spirit in Galatians 5…this is a list of virtues, rather than behaviors, with
one command: Keep in step with the Spirit. I’m learning again that God Himself is my
source of significance, comfort and well-being…rather than what I do for Him. My job is to focus on Him as we walk through
my life together, rather than getting sidetracked or running ahead. We all tend
to fill that “God-shaped-hole” in us with other things at times, and I’m being
blessed right now as the Loving Father chastises and cherishes me back into
rightful shape. He’s so good and worth
it! I’ll leave you with this today:
Galatians 5:13-25
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But
do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly
in love….So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of
the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit
what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that
you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are
not under the law.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality,
impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy,
fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness,
orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like
this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit,
let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Love this Shawn! I can almost hear your voice from so long ago. Keep em coming. <3
ReplyDeleteThanks old friend!
ReplyDelete