For decades I’ve listened to sermons, teachings, and informal rants all telling me what God REALLY wants.
“It’s good to pray and do that other stuff”, one camp says, “but God’s heart is in missions.” Someone else cites a completely different activity as the top divine priority.
Caring for the poor, studying the Bible, teaching children, serving in the church … they’re each promoted by one group or another as the most important thing, with everything else being secondary, including what other groups promote as the most important thing.
What’s a (tired) guy to do?
Jesus said something about loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself. For the time being, I think I’ll just work on that. To those who want me to do something else … Sorry. And I love you.
Sounds like a full time job, with eternal benefits.
In its efforts to do “the right thing” and live out the implications of the Christian faith, it’s my opinion that the church has missed the central point of Jesus teaching: rest.
We’re called to rest in Christ – his love, righteousness, and his people. However in the midst of trying to live out last Sunday’s 3 sermon points, our already burdened and heavy hearts are weary to hear yet another 3 or 4 things to do, to try harder at, or to live out. If we’re honest we know that we failed to live out last Sundays “top priority” or the 3 points of the Sunday before that…and now, another 3 things to do or focus on?
Can no one see people are exhausted, spiritually discouraged, and worn down? I would contend that in order to “love God and our neighbor as our self” we must first rest – acknowledge that the struggle is over and embrace the freedom to give up and rest.
Only after our hearts find rest and security in the One who always chases after “the other sheep,” will the motivation, and ability to “love God and our neighbor as our self.” We must remove the well intentioned spiritual white noise from our hearts and minds.
I second that emotion.
Reminds me of your sermon on ‘being’.
There are limits to the capacity of an individual, and the moment he flatters himself that he can undertake all tasks, God is there to humble his pride. As for me, I am blessed with enough humility to seek God in myself and my fellow man and, finding Him, know that all the rest is sound and fury signifying nothing.
Awesome! I’m going to be a little cynical and say that the least amount of attention (or sometimes tied with money given to that ministry) a ministry gets, then it becomes the most important until the next ministry gets the least attention.
Oh, and then when you become a ministry-holic person, then you’re in trouble since you’ve left your first love. But in the first place, you were told to focus on a ministry as your top priority.
Sorry. I love you too.