So What's the Point?
Two
experiences reminded me of the importance of focusing on my goal
and not loosing sight of my true priority. One day at my work in
a Christian book store, we received a shipment of ten new children’s
Bibles. Our children’s section was already packed and somewhat disorganized
so I set to work rearranging things and clearing out some extra
stock in an effort to make a place for the new Bibles.
After diligently working, I completed my task and stood back with
satisfaction to admire my accomplishment. I had arranged the books
by age level from top to bottom and had just enough products turned
to the front to make a beautiful presentation. I went to the front
of the store to proudly announce I had completed my project when
I noticed the ten new Bibles still stacked on the front counter.
I had forgotten to put them on the shelves and that was the whole
point of my efforts.
I
didn’t think much about my silly distraction until it happened again
in an entirely different setting. This time I was at home. I saved
some potato cooking water because I use it in baking bread. It seems
to produce a tender moist loaf. I decided to bake whole-wheat bran
bread in view of the fact that I had potato water. I mixed up the
ingredients and went through the kneading process and got my bread
in the bowl to rise when I realized that the potato water still
remained in the refrigerator.
I had made the dough with tap water instead. Somehow, in both instances
I neglected the purposes of my endeavors and spent so much time
on the processes and methods that I forgot the reasons for the efforts.
So I stopped to ask myself, “What else am I spending time to do,
but leaving undone?”
I realized the same thing happens in my spiritual life with greater
consequences. For example, I set goals to read through the Bible
in an effort to grow in my knowledge of God; however, I find myself
so caught up with the discipline of moving my eyes over each word
that I sometimes forget to look for God there. At other times, I
decide to fast and pray for a particular concern. But I let myself
get so carried away doing “good” things that my day of fasting passees
without the prayer. I come to church to worship the Savior but find
myself so busy with ministry I forget to commune with Him there.
I read the Word of God to seek guidance from the Lord, only to neglect
to apply what I learn.
The distractions and omissions are less obvious in my spiritual
life because I can still check off lots of things on my to-do list
and there are no visual reminders of my failures—like potato water
or stacks of unshelved Bibles. But I waste my efforts when I lose
focus of the goals and right motivations that inspire the disciplines
in the first place. As a servant of the Lord, I must fix my eyes
on Jesus and not loose sight of the point of my service.
Cyndie Hamley
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