All too often I whip through life hyper-focused only on me and what I have to get done (anyone else or is this just me?). I feel like I’m forever in a “Jacob-wrestlin’-with-God-esque” struggle with ol’ Father time. But when I stop and analyze the last week I soon find out that this just isn’t true. There are always times where I was absolutely awful (understatement) with my time management. And this happens everywhere—from work, to the gym, to everyday life. Hey, at least I’m consistent I guess?
The truth is we have a bunch of time (168 hours/10,080 minutes a week to be exact but who’s counting). In fact, we all have the exact same amount of time. It comes down to how we utilize it.
Based on this, naturally, one of the next questions is what are we to do with our time? One answer: good works. Let me explain.
There is a house about five houses down from my house. Every day, I drive by and upon turning on my street I move over to the left side of the road. Why is that you ask (you may not have but you wanted to)? It’s because there has been quite a large amount of glass on the right side of the road. Way more glass than I am comfortable driving through. And for weeks I have complained about the people whose house the glass is right in front of. Some of my thoughts have ranged from “Why would they throw glass in the street in front of their house {translation: more importantly my street that I have to drive on}?!” to “Why are they so freaking lazy and won’t take the time to clean it up??”
As you can see, there has been very little grace in my thoughts. Honestly, most of my thoughts have been irrational and selfish. The amazing thing is that not once in the last few weeks did I think to go sweep up the glass myself. It was an absolute epiphany today when that idea popped in my mind (obvs God really put it there). Needless to say I drove home, grabbed a broom, and went back and cleaned up the glass. One reason? Because we are called to do good works. (Not even sure this example applies but it doesn’t negate the call to do good works.)
James 4:17 tells us that “anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” Not sure it gets more short and to the point. All too often I fall back to my old way of thinking. The thinking that a sin is only when I do something “wrong” (we like this view because it’s easier and affords us more control which we love). But oh, that we would realize that it’s so much more than that.
At Kairos last week I was reminded about what sin actually is. That week’s speaker, Dr. Thom Wolf, wasn’t even specifically speaking on sin but he made a particular point (one of many) that stuck with me. In my notes I wrote “Sin is a shot that is not a target reacher; it’s actually not even reaching the target, which is embarrassing.”
Sin is “to miss the mark.” It’s an archery term from back in the day. I often think of sin as this \/ \/:
But that night, I was reminded that sin is actually this \/ \/:
(That’s a person, bow, arrows, and target btw)
Sin is not even reaching the target. It’s not merely shooting and not hitting the bullseye. It is when despite your greatest effort, your shot plows into the ground only 5 yds from you and 50 yds from the target. It encompasses the avoidance of some things, but just as much, it is the omission of things you should have done. And as I drove by that glass this morning I was nailed by this truth that I often want to skip over.
I don’t serve a god so small that He is out of touch with all parts of the daily grind. Instead I follow Christ who shows Himself daily in all parts of my life—the big and the small.
He’s not so unconcerned that I must separate the “sacred” from the “secular.” No, instead God is BIG enough to play the part in all areas of my life. Because of Him there is no separation of my “spiritual life” from my “regular life.”
For believers, God reminds us in Ephesians 2:10 that we are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to do.” Because God is good, it only makes sense that we, His offspring/representatives, are called to good works as well (to save us? . . NOOOOO –> Eph 2:8-9).
Point: we are called to do good works because God is good and does good works. He’s even gone as far as to set up opportunities for us to follow this call. We just have to look for them and then do them. When we do not do the good we should have, it’s another way in which we sin.
And sin is a big problem (understatement). It separates you from God whose bullseye is perfection. Anything less is equal to pulling back your bow, aiming your arrow, and shooting it 4 yds away from you. Luckily, God promises to empower you to do all the things that He requires of you. We can see it’s not by our own power but through His power in us.
So what good are you called to do today? This life isn’t about merely seeking our own desires. It’s about allowing the love of Christ to translate into action around you. Pray that He opens your eyes to see it and then DO IT!!!
(Post-glass clean-up)
{{If you made it this far you somehow survived the scribble which is my drawing talent. I apologize but somehow you survived. I would love to hear how this (or any of my other thoughts) play out/challenge/encourage you. Comment, email me, whatever.}}
-jd
jpdansby 