Lent Day 23: Making the most of your time
Apr 15 in Lent
We know the parable of the sower, he came to sow some seed, some fell on the path, some on the rocky ground some among the thorns and some on good earth…“and these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things enter in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful”
So easy to get diverted into doing the ‘good’ at the expense of the ‘best’. I had a friend that was always full of zeal starting new ventures, however well intentioned these were, they always ended up being very time consuming and short lived. “For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge” Romans 10:2.
We live in a society where our brains are bombarded all day with what we need in order to be live happier and more fulfilled lives … the latest gizmo, the latest trend, the perfect house/ family… we then find that we are and live among the imperfect and our lives can never measure up to the picture we have been fed of what I and others ‘should be like’… we become more and more fixated on ourselves and our own little lives, what we need to succeed.
What is success? What really means the most to me? Am I tied to things? what will it take for me to be satisfied?… if only… my child would fit in to the ‘perfect’ person I designed she/he should be … If only my spouse would be like the one on tv (that by the way, does not exist but has been pre-fabricated )… if only I could have, I could go, I could be, I could do; if only others would fit into that perfect little box that I can control! do as they are told! What about ME? What do I think I need in order to be happy?
Descartes said: “I think therefore I am”. My thought processes determine what I become. My thoughts direct my walk, what do I think upon? The mouth speaks of what fills the heart, what do I speak about? People will always at some point let you down, however hard they try not to, what or who do I lean on? to whom do I look for approval? What do I spend my time on? what am I working to accumulate? What can’t I do without? what are the desires of my heart and who benefits the most from my actions? what are their consequences and who do they affect?
The Bible turns our ways on their head. We are brought up to pursue happiness, riches, status, however God’s way is to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” Matthew 6:33, “Your Father knows the things you have need of…” Matthew 6:8 “”And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.” Luke 12:29-30
To have my eyes fixed upon Him, for He knows what I need even before I ask, driven by His will, His best for me and my loved ones, centered upon Him and not the pattern imposed by the world … to choose to follow Him, that He may confirm, establish and give permanence to the work of my hands.