Month: October 2018

The Unexamined Life

Blaise Pascal who was a 15th century French Catholic theologian (among other pursuits) said, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

This is definitely something that many of us struggle with.  From the moment our day starts, we’re typically either listening to something, talking with someone, watching something on TV, or working on something that requires deep concentration.  So where is the time to just stop and think and to be with God?

That leads us to today’s verse which is from Psalm 46:10:

Be still and know that I am God.

For most of us, our human nature leads us to be busy, active, engaged, and accomplishing something all of the time.  But if we don’t stop from time to time, how will we know how we’re doing?

We check our car’s GPS to make sure we’re on the right road.  And after a football game, the teams watch game film to figure out what they did well and what they need to improve.  But for some reason, we really struggle with stopping to check our personal “GPS” to figure out if we are living life in accordance with God’s plan.

God designed us and knows us perfectly which is why He wants us to be still from time to time.  He knows that we need that stillness in order to hear His voice.  This can be as simple as stopping to pray AND including time in our prayers to just listen.  In that process, we will be able to consult the ultimate and perfect GPS for life which is God speaking to us through the Holy Spirit.

Questions:

  • How much time in a typical week do you take to stop and be still?
  • Do you believe that most people would benefit from regularly taking time to be still?
  • What are the biggest obstacles in your life that stop you from being still more often?
  • Do you ever dedicate part of your prayer time to listening? If so, how has the Holy Spirit spoken to you during this time?
  • What strategies can you employ to find more time to stop and be still?

The Rat Race

Today’s lesson was inspired by the first chapter of the book Man in the Mirror so, if you have a copy, you can review it to gain some deeper insights.
Have you ever felt like you are working harder and harder and getting nowhere?  Have you convinced yourself that if you could just get over the next hill, it will be downhill from there…..only to eventually realize there is another hill beyond that…..and another beyond that?  If so, you may be competing in the rat race of life.
Today’s verse from 2 Corinthians 5:17 focuses on breaking free from the rat race which most of us struggle with:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
In the context of today’s lesson, the “old” thing is our tendency to be drawn in to the rat race.  Whether it is career success, houses, cars, private schools, extravagant vacations or something else, most of us struggle with some version of the rat race.  The ironic thing is that nobody has ever won this race and, even if they did, they would still be a rat.
So why do we keep running the race?  Some say it is because of advertising and others say it is simply something deep inside of us — after all the commandment that we “shall not covet” is thousands of years old.
But no matter the reason, the rat race separates us from our most important calling which is to Love God and Love people.  The more we focus on career success and material possessions, the less we are able to focus on our true calling.
That is not to say that we shouldn’t work hard or enjoy the fruits of our labor but only that there is a time for everything under the sun and that we need to have balance in our lives.  This is easier said that done of course and we all struggle with balance at times.
The verse above gives us the answer though — if we are in Christ, we are a new creation; we are able to focus our energy on eternal pursuits vs. those of this world.
Here are some questions to help us dig deeper in to the subject of today’s lesson:
1) Do you believe that most me are caught up in the rat race?
2) If the rat race is unwinnable, why do so many men run it?  What are they trying to accomplish?
3) Do you believe material pursuits affect our ability to be “in Christ” and follow his teachings?  If so, how?
4) Some say that the media and consumerism drive much or even most of our behavior.  How do you feel these influences have impacted your values and the way you spend your time and money?
5) Advertisers work hard to create a “wrinkle free” version of how life is supposed to be.  What steps can you take to break free from these influences and focus more on God’s will for your life?

Finding Joy in Every Situation

Thanks to Dr. Kriegel for inspiring today’s topic which relates to how we as Christians manage stress.

Today’s scripture is from James 1:2-4:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James is telling us to lean in to difficulties instead of running from them and to try to find the positive value in every situation no matter how stressful.  Here are two examples:

  • You have a co-worker who creates lots of drama and stress in the office.

Worldly view: I really don’t like being around this person.  I am going to look down on them and gossip about them.

Christian view: I can’t control their behavior but I can control how I treat them and how I respond to others in the office who gossip about them.  This is helping me practice patience and kindness.

  • Your child causes a very bad auto accident, injuring the other driver who initiates civil legal proceedings.

Worldly view: What are we going to do?  We can lose everything!  I can’t sleep because I’m frightened of the uncertainty that the future holds.

Christian view: This is a good reminder that I’m not in control.  I’m grateful for the humility that this situation has created.  Instead of living in fear, I’m going to continue to try to see where God is moving in this situation.

For any given stressful situation at home, work, or in the community, we can utilize this practice.    While we cannot always control our circumstances, our response is completely within our control and it is always possible to find ways that God is moving in our lives.

Here are a few questions related to today’s topic:

  • What is causing the most stress in your life?
  • From a Christian perspective, why is so important to put stress and trials in the proper perspective like James did?
  • Can you think of a situation in your past that was stressful at the time but that you now realize has been very helpful to you in some way?
  • Are there situations in your life that are stressful now but that may help you in the future?
  • When you leave here today, what is something you can do to be like James and find joy in the trials in your life?