Psalm 91 Why are you so Busy?

Psalm 91:1

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

Will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Rest-

Really…………..?

Rest?

I thought I was supposed to be doing stuff.

I thought the busier I was.......

The better I was-

I thought the busier I was……..

The more important I was.

I thought the more I did-

The more useful I could be to God-

The more He would like me-

Maybe even.......

Be proud of me.

Maybe if I can just do enough-

Accomplish enough-

Win enough-

Maybe then………

They will all see-

They will all see and……….

Love me.

Foolishness- Foolishness- Foolishness-

All this………… 

Striving-

Chasing-

Pursuing-

For what?

Validation?

Respect?

A sense that my life………

Counts for something?

You young guys take heed of this-

You will never be able to do enough-

Accomplish enough-

Achieve enough-

To be satisfied that.........

Your life has been......

Enough.

Give it up-

Surrender-

Surrender to the Truth-

The Truth that……….

Father loves you.

Dwell in Him-

Live in that Truth

And.......

Rest.

Matthew 11:28

Come unto Me

All you who are weary and  heavy laden and

I will give you.......

Rest......

Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit,

Move in me today to settle into the Truth-

The Truth of Your Great Love for me-

The Truth that as I dwell in You-

The Truth that as You live in and through me-

I can.........

Rest.

Is God Proud.......of me?

Ah.... Saturday mornings- I know I have told you before, but....... I love 'em- The bike- the ride with friends- The rush of the wind in my face as I go downhill- Fast- Really, really fast. The beauty of the morning mist on the river- Incredible! Then there's Bojangles- Boberry biscuits- A bit of Heaven on earth- Sitting at the table with friends- Friends who are willing to be honest- Willing to get past talking about Sports and other people- Willing to share a bit of their own lives. Community is a beautiful thing.

"And He hadn't even done anything yet"

A friend responded when I mentioned the pride God showed

in His Son at His Baptism.

Such an epiphany for me. You have to understand-

There is a question I have never been able to put words to-

A question I have struggled with......

For a long, long time-

"Is God proud of me?"

I have known that God Loves me for as long as I can remember. Yet, somehow that Love has come across as a sense of pity- You know- Like you feel when you come across some poor stray- Not really worth saving- But rousing such sorrow in your heart- That you feel compelled to throw it a scrap of kindness. Oh, now don't misunderstand- I know about Grace- I believe in God's Grace- I know that there is nothing-Absolutely nothing- I have done or can do to merit salvation. Yet-

It is really just now sinking into my heart-

That the reality of His Grace-

Never has meant that I was worthless.

Deserving of salvation? Absolutely not. Yet valued by God- Even desired by God? Absolutely yes! But why? Why would He want this poor pitiful man? Maybe it is simply because He made me. Because I was His- Created for the expression of His Love and Glory- Part of His Creation- No............... More than that- Made in His Image.

Ah, but then tragedy-

Lost to Him.

His valued creation lost to Him.

His Good Creation lost to Him-

Hopeless -

Save for His own willingness to go to war to recover us.

Now there is a part of me that is not comfortable with saying God lost something. It feels like some kind of denial of His Omnipotence- And yet the scripture says it- "He came to seek and to save that which was lost" I have to think God was pleased with His Creation- Especially proud of humanity- Made in His very Image- The expression of His Love.

Could it be that I am-

That we are.............. really valuable to God?

Simply because we were His.

Could it be that when we come back to Him- Restored......... Made New in Christ- Raised to newness of life- Brought up out of the water- Brought up out of death and into Life in Him- He can say of us at that very moment-

This is my child.....

I am proud of him-

I am proud to call him Mine-

And we haven't even done anything yet.

God asked me recently- "Charles- Are you proud of your own children?" I have to confess- It took a bit of thought to answer that question. "Well yes Lord...........I am" "Why?" He shot back- "Well Lord.........they are mine" I had to answer. They are not always what I want them to be, but- They are mine.

"Charles, you are Mine-

And I am so proud to have you as Mine!"

And I haven't even done anything yet!

Matthew 3:17 And a voice from heaven said,

"This is my Son, whom I love;

With Him I am well pleased."

Father thank You for those words of affirmation-

Thank You for making me Yours in Christ-

Thank You that You have restored me to a place

Where You can be proud of me-

Where I can rest in the Fact that I am Yours.

Amen

Don't be such a Whiner or Striver or Whiner or Striver or............

My life is not as I would arrange it. My story is not as I would write it. I do not have the perfect job. My children don't follow my script for their lives. I don't have enough money to do what I want. My wife does not always cooperate with plans. I do not have the physical prowess or the body I would like to have. I do not have the status my ego craves.

Whine, Whine, Whine...............

What a whining little egocentrical fool I can be- Sometimes I whine so much I become disgusted with myself. Why can't I have more of a positive attitude?

Whoa...... Isn't that amazing-

I can even whine about what a Whiner I am!

So what am I to do? What is the cure for my condition? Maybe I should settle for discontentment- After all, It is what it is............Right? Maybe I should just resign myself to never having all I want. Or............ Maybe I should fight it- Maybe I should make my plans- Do everything in my power to manipulate them into being. You know the mentality don't you? I can do anything- I am the Master of my domain- If I can believe it, I can achieve it- How about shifting from......

Whine, Whine, Whine....................

to Strive Strive, Strive...........

Truthfully........

I've spent alottttttttt of time in my life striving-

And while it is definitely more productive than whining-

In the end-

All my striving has only led to a different sort of misery-

Certainly not the Life Jesus won for me-

The Life God meant for us.

Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to his disciples,

"If anyone would come after Me,

he must deny himself

and take up his cross and follow Me.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for Me will find it.

It's time for a new way of Life-

Away with the whining and striving-

Away with all the complaining and manipulation.

It's time to take hold of the Great Paradox-

It's time to forget trying to write my own story-

It's time to forget trying to take His place as the center of the story.

It's time to die into Christ-

It's time to let His Life and Love be lived out through me.

More and more I am coming to see-

Little by little-

Bit by bit-

This is where I can find the life I long for.

Holy Spirit lead me deeper into Jesus today-

Lead me deeper into Life.

Amen

What's the hurry?

Slow Down.

These are the words that God gave me this morning as I awoke from some dream or other.

I wish I could remember it.

Driveness has plagued me as long as I can remember. One of my all time favorite quotes is from Vince Lombardi- The iconic coach of the Green Bay Packer dynasty of the 60's. Lombardi said,

"The Quality of a man's life is in direct proportion to his pursuit of excellence"

I love the quote- I think it is spot on............... Except for my own over emphasis of one word-

Pursuit

Is there ever a time to set aside the pursuit and rest? In my mind I say yes-

My heart and actions tell a different story-

I am driven- Relentlessly in pursuit of.................... Something-

Sometimes I get so busy I am not even sure what.

Mary, Martha and Lazarus loved Jesus- Jesus really seemed to enjoy spending time with them as well. On one occasion when Jesus was over for a visit it seems the family decided to have some folks over. Martha was a worker. Give the woman a task and get out of the way as she became a whirling dervish of motion and effeciency. A woman after my own heart- On a mission- Driven for everything to come together- just so. It was a good thing. It is a good thing for all of us to be able to rise to the occasion and "Get 'er Done". Maybe sometimes though it is not the best thing.

Mary on the other hand seemed a little more laid back- maybe even a little flighty- not so practical as her sister. It seems on this particular occasion as Martha was busy preparing for the guests and Jesus- Mary had decided to simply take some time and sit with Jesus- Visiting- Listening- Enjoying the time with Him.

Now as you can imagine as Martha was working her hind end off to make the preparations for a nice little party while her sister was just sort of chilling out with Jesus- Martha began to get a little resentful- a little angry even- not only at her sister, but at Jesus as well for not telling Mary to get up and get busy.

It's really odd that as I write these very words I am trying to hurry up and get ready to go out of town to relax a bit- Yet my very driveness will not allow me to stop until I'm done. What did I say about my actions a minute ago? Lord help me!

Anyway as Martha Complains to Jesus- His reply is recorded in Luke 10:41 as He said,

"Martha, Martha-You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better- and it will not be taken away from her."

Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, "Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Lord Jesus help me- help me to slow down and come to You- Today, this weekend and all the time to come. Help me to live the better way.

Amen