I have a destructive story about myself, and I keep repeating it. There's lots of ways to describe it psychologically, but I'm a writer, so we'll go with a narrative. I'm narrating a story about me (think Stranger than Fiction), and in that story, I consistently fail to meet expectations. I am a failure.
I'm done with that story. And I'm done with striving to meet other people's expectations. As a Christian, there is only 1 thing that matters: that I meet God's expectations. Not in order to be saved, but in order to live a life that is full, a life that is restorative and loving and joy-filled.
So I'm seeking to discover God's concrete expectations for me. I know the big picture: love others, live justly, worship God. But what is the nitty gritty? How does that look in the daily routines of my life? As I seek the concrete expression of living a God-centered life, I will be fasting from all TV except for Fringe. That's potentially 15 hours a week that I just freed up. (Shocked? Yeah, I was too).
Keep me honest, y'all.
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4 comments:
To paraphrase Martin Luther, a new convert, who was a cobbler, asked him once what he should do now that he is a Christian. Luther replied that she should make make and repair shoes at a fair price.
What it all boils down to is that the nitty gritty is often less spectacular than we hope.
If you want to talk about expectations, there is only one. Be perfect for your Father in heaven is perfect. We know we can't come near that so we sit at the foot of the cross and take the grace that he has given to us because he has been perfect for us. When we live our lives, as humdrum and as boring as they seem to be, we do good works not because of the hope of gaining favor with God. We already have that through the blood of his Son. We are now free to feed to poor, visit the lonely, heal the sick, etc. because they need it.
Failure? You? Not hardly! But it's always good to keep seeking God and His will. Sometimes it's just getting out of bed and putting one foot in front of the other. Some days you get to give a cup of cold water in His name. And it can be everything in between. The thing is, we can never know all the ramifications and results of anything that we do. We just do what comes before us and move on, leaving the results in God's hands.
Yes, the nitty gritty is not spectacular. Spending 2 hours yesterday making dinner was not exciting. But it was within God's will. My career, however, is not as limited as that cobbler's was. It's primarily in that sphere where I'm seeking guidance for my daily rituals.
Thanks to both of you!
Ask and you will receive. Listen and you will hear. Then it gets harder.
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