Very Important Tasks
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Colossians 2:6-10
6. As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him, 7. rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8. See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 9. For in him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily, 10. and you have come to fulness of life in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
Who is in charge of your life? If you are self-employed your response will probably be, “I am!” If you work for a small company, you may say, “My friend, who is also my boss.” If you are a parent, you may say, “my kids!” If you work for a big corporation, you may feel as if “the company” is running the show. We do, after all need a paycheck to live, and someone to whom we are accountable. We need to know how to set our priorities and what to check off that to-do list first, and what can get moved to the next day. In other words, we need to first know the rules, and then decide to follow them -- even if they are “unspoken” and have somehow woven themselves silently and almost mysteriously into the tapestry that is our life.
Each of these scenarios presents us with a different conflict, doesn’t it? Are you really in charge of your life? If I had answered that way, I would be quite dismayed, as I don’t seem to have much control over how my life operates on an hourly basis, let alone, over a month, a year or a decade! For many years, it did seem as if our children -- their needs, our desires for them, their activities and interests -- were “in charge” of our calendar and our minds and hearts. At various points along the way “the company” came first and foremost, and our lives were planned around who was traveling where, and when; or who was working “overtime.”
It’s not “wrong” to be a committed, involved parent! We’re supposed to be devoted to our children! There’s nothing inherently wrong in being a committed “company man or woman.” And working for “ourselves” is a dream that my husband and I have shared for many years! But there is something missing from all of these scenarios, or something not quite right in how each are viewed. Paul urges us to “live in [Christ], rooted and built up in him and established in the faith.”
That charge is important! It refocuses our lives. It reframes our existence. Oh . . . I forgot . . . Jesus is supposed to be the 1st AND last item on my list! Every decision handed down from “above” at work must be weighed against the truth of Jesus and what that truth means in our lives. Is my involvement in implementing the latest plan in keeping with what I hold dear at the core of my life? Is it in keeping with what I feel is vital to my spiritual health, that my children, with their overscheduled lives, continue to determine my daily activities at the expense of my faith life in the promises of Christ?
The world tells us that our kids must be well-educated, exposed to as much culture and afforded every opportunity to discover their potential as is humanly possible to orchestrate. But, when was the last time we asked our children what they thought about how the President’s latest decision on some issue lines up with the faith we’ve instilled in them? What would happen if we told our boss that we could not participate in the latest plan to keep the company afloat - because it was not in line with our ethical and moral code for living? Of course, the winning “Apprentice” would never even think that way--because getting ahead at all costs--is what the world values.
I don’t know the answer! I just know that I struggle with many of these issues every day. Some more than others depending on where I am in my life journey. But I do know that the world is hungry for something to sustain it. People are desperate for a way to live in peace and with integrity. Mankind is crying out for the fullness of life found only in Jesus Christ.
My prayer today is that you take some time out of your busy schedule and just “rest in the Lord.” And that you move one “very important task” to tomorrow, so you can have time to thank God for sending His Son to show us all how to live.
Mary
