Alone. Still. Quiet. Peace.
Some of us have trouble with these words. Our American culture has trouble with these words. We live at such a frenetic, break-neck pace that sometimes we don’t even realize that we are exhausted, burnt-out and broken until something major collapses in our life.
Our health gives way. Someone dies. Our marriage implodes. A child rebels.
A lot of us are incredibly busy doing a lot of really good things. But a lot of really good things simply adds up to just a ton of stuff. Stuff that makes us tired and cranky and unable to connect in meaningful ways with those who mean the most to us, and more importantly to the One who made us and wants to have a relationship with us.
My friend and mentor, Bonnie Thomas, always said to me, “Ministry is the wake you leave behind as you are running after Christ.”
What a beautiful picture! Ministry is not stuff that I do. Ministry is not more obligations or programs. Ministry is what happens naturally when I am passionately pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Lately, this has become hard for me. I’m burnt out. Exhausted. Fried. Sick of the drama. Tired of having to forgive. Hurt. Depressed. I’ve focused more on people than on Christ. And so ministry has become stuff to do. It’s become work. A drag. When we take our eyes off of Christ and put them on our problems and on others, we are most generally going to be massively disappointed. Why? Because people and things are broken and unsatisfying. Only Jesus is perfect and can fill my deepest longings.
I hear Him calling.
“And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves.” Mark 6:31, 32
Are you ever so busy and frazzled you don’t have time to eat or think? So many people coming and going and calling and talking and blah, blah, blah. It’s enough to make you want to scream.
Or get away.
Simply running doesn’t help. But, running TO Someone does.
So, I’ve been taking the time to do that lately. Spend some time in a quiet place. Away from the noise, the distractions, the people, the problems and just listen again. Time to confess my own distractedness and sin, and renew my most important relationship.
I want to run fast. But, I don’t want to run aimlessly around like a chicken with my head cut off. I want to run after Christ and leave a wake a mile wide.
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3
No comments:
Post a Comment