Whenever I get the ill-conceived idea to work on my house or car, I always find other things, beside the original task, that need done. A fifteen-minute job can take a day. I end up doing all sorts of unplanned and unprepared -for jobs. I’ve learned to write down the original task so I don’t forget it during the marathon. Better yet, I remember the potential for job expansion and conclude I don’t have enough time which gives me a reason to put it off.
I have the same problem when I think about things. (I try to think about something at least once a month.) So in this installment you are receiving all the little things I thought about that were not related to my monthly think. They are incomplete because I ran out of think time.
Why does everyone deserve everything? I saw on TV that I deserve to be safe, a good night’s sleep, and mobility. If I deserve it, why do I have to buy something, spend money to get it? It seems that folks are eager to believe they are deserving. This got me to thinking about what I really deserve. I didn’t like what I came up with. The Bible says the wages of sin are death. Those of us who believe the Bible rarely press to get what we deserve. Really, I have it pretty good. My home, family, ministry, and community are all probably better than I deserve. I hope they don’t figure it out and start demanding what they deserve.
Are we chasing our spiritual tail? I saw an announcement for a Christian group recently that indicated that with their help we could have freedom from our struggles with anger, control issues, anxiety, and perfectionism. Perfectionism? Isn’t that what this is all about? I believe the Lord wants to work within us to make us like Him. We must beware though, lest we become spiritual hypochondriacs. Let’s ask the Lord for a good dose of common sense.
Who’s ready to die? I have a picture on my computer desktop of British troops on D-Day, lying on their bellies on the beach while their officer stands over them. Why was he standing? Thoughtful consideration of the soldiers’ situation reveals, as do their own words, that when they gave up the idea of trying to survive, they became effective warriors and leaders. In their minds, the only goal was to do the job they were there to do and perhaps save their companions. We need more Christians who have given up the thought of life for the goal of pleasing the one who has placed us here.