with Bob Condly
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Where Are You?

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Paying bills as soon as I get them, writing to-do lists, and getting rid of things–these habits have reduced clutter in my life.

The less I own, the less I have to worry about. I haven’t taken a vow of poverty, but for a while now I’ve been scaling down my clothes, books, and anything else I can find. I enjoy having to deal with less.

Putting things away is related to downsizing. What I keep belongs somewhere. I have to find a place for my possessions so they don’t dominate my sight. As much as I possible, I’m putting things in drawers, on shelves, and in closets and cabinets. (We just moved, so some rooms are cleaner than others!)

Clear space conveys a sense of serenity. There’s an old proverb, “out of sight, out of mind,” which is usually interpreted in a negative light. That is, if you hide something, you’ll forget you have it when you need it.

But I take this saying in a positive sense, too. Whatever is on my mind can distract me from what what should be on my mind. And I don’t want to spend my life chasing rabbits while missing out on God’s best. As Jesus reminds us,

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33

Another habit helps. Call it awareness, or presence, or mindfulness. It has to do with giving myself to the task at hand, putting my heart into what’s in front of me.

In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda criticized Luke Skywalker’s impatience: “A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away . . . to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing.”

Stuck on the planet Dagobah, Luke wanted to fly away to help his friends. But he was blowing the chance to be trained by one of the greatest Jedis in the history of the order. He failed to consider that, properly prepared, he’d be in a better position to help them and others.

In a sense, Luke wasn’t on Dagobah. His body was with Yoda, but his mind dwelt halfway across the galaxy.

And I discovered that I behave that way, too.

Hurrying through little chores, I began to realize that I act like I’m not here. My mind races ahead to the next project without giving me a chance to finish what I’ve started. Feeling the stress in my gut, I can tell when I’m living in the future.

So I’ve repented of failing to obey Jesus’ words:

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:34

The best way to deal with the trials of tomorrow is to attend to the matters of today.

It’s a question of when. Do I live in the present or am I preoccupied with the future?

But it’s also a question of where. The future is more than a time; it’s also a place. And to the neglect of my actual circumstances, I’ve traveled to the future too often.

The first question God asked in the Bible is, “where are you?” (Genesis 3:9).

He’s still asking. What’s your answer?

 

Pay Attention!

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“Do as I say, not as I do!”

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!”

“Yes, but . . .”

I’m pretty good at generating excuses; after all, they’re easier than explanations or apologies! But if I take the time to slow down, ask myself basic questions, talk to the Lord, and listen, I can learn something.

My blog post last week described how years ago I had preached a two-part sermon series on the book of Ruth. Each message lasted more than an hour, so even though the audience seemed interested in the subject, I might have tired them out. A lady pointing to her watch was a clue!

Since then, I’ve learned to pare down my talks. My goal is to serve people, not sap their strength, so I’ve tried to streamline my communication. The positive feedback I’ve gotten indicates that listeners appreciate brevity.

But rules have exceptions. Just this past Sunday, I guest spoke at Shalom Ministries, a missional community supported by Victory International Fellowship. I’d prepared a 30 minute message, but Pastor Tony Vento texted me a few times that I ought to go longer. He wanted me to take as much time as the Holy Spirit required. No predetermined limits!

So I preached for about an hour, maybe a little longer. And I felt torn. On the one hand, I enjoyed the opportunity to encourage the church with God’s Word. But I wondered if I was being hypocritical by going against a personal standard–“Short and sweet!”

The message seemed to fit where Shalom was at spiritually and what the Lord wanted to foster in the church. That’s all good, so maybe I should drop my guideline. Perhaps being concise all the time is unnecessary, too restrictive.

Have you noticed that the ways of the Lord can be difficult to figure out (see Romans 11:33)? You gain insight from His Word one day only to have life challenge it the next. Jesus is unpredictable! When you think you’ve comprehended the mind of Christ, He surprises you. God isn’t erratic; to the contrary, He never changes. He’s just too big for you to contain.

After contemplating my preaching experience, I realized that the Lord was building up my sense of awareness, my capacity to recognize what’s going on within me and around me.

Becoming aware of something doesn’t mean that you let it control you. Rather, mindfulness sets you up to be able to make a good decision about your next step.

My guideline of speaking no more than 30 minutes, although a good principle, didn’t square with Shalom’s circumstances. Disciples of Jesus learn how to align God’s wisdom with the flow of life’s vicissitudes.

It starts with awareness. Pay attention to what’s going on in your heart and in your environment. As God grants discernment to your soul, you’ll grow sensitive to these matters and His Spirit will help you to respond appropriately.

Enjoy the view!

with Bob Condly

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