reblog: I don’t want to do anything big for God…

Originally posted July 1, 2009

I know my blogging is sporadic at best and I still sometime wonder if it’s worth it or why even bother.  But, here I am… unfiltered, uncensored and certainly unpolished.

The statement above (the title not the one about sporadic blogging) is so in contrast from the way I lived my life for years.  Most of my life, I was told to “dream a big dream.”  Dream a big dream of doing something great… something big… something awesome for God.  And, make sure your dream is bigger than anything you can accomplish on your own or else it’s probably not God which is code for you are doing it all in the flesh and without faith and… you get the point.  You’ve probably heard it too.  Heck… I even preached a couple of these in my day.

And, like most things in life, I’m evaluating everything.  It’s just where I am these days and at this point in my journey.  So, I’ve been thinking about these statements and more importantly these concepts that we throw off on people in the Western church.  And, I’ve been looking to the Word (there’s a novel idea) and comparing this line of thinking to the examples we find in there.

By and large, I don’t see this as the line of thinking in the examples the Holy Spirit, in His limitless wisdom, decided to hand down for all generation to benefit.  Most of the men of faith had a measure of contentment rarely seen in church leaders in America.  You don’t see the pressured “build it as big as you can, as fast as you can” stressed out, “why isn’t this working, so let’s try the next thing” frenzy that a lot of church leaders exist in.

I don’t see the “big dreams” beginning with man at all.  It’s always been initiated by God.

  • God comes and taps Noah on the shoulder and somehow this drunkard of a man saves the planet and repopulates the earth.
  • God comes to Gideon and his response is, “Certainly, not me.”
  • God comes and hits Moses up and Moses argues for three chapters why God got it wrong and he’s not the guy.
  • God chooses mere fisherman who are content at working the family business to launch a global movement.

The only figure I can identify with a lot of ambition and “big dreams” to do “great things” for God is Saul… before God knocked him off his horse and he became Paul.  He was killing Christians in the name of God and in the name of doing “great things” for God.

So, somewhere along the line, we have to stop the madness of it all and stop the frenzy of it all and just walk.  Struggle if need be.  And focus on what’s most important.  And if somehow God taps us on the shoulder for something extraordinary then fine.  And if not, that’s fine too.

We all have our part to do in raising our families.  Doing the simple work of caring for others.  Loving… truly loving our neighbors.  Being generous and humble.  Expressing devotion to God in simple service.  And, I think in those things, God may just be more pleased than us getting all worked up about fulfilling the “big dreams” and building it as big as we can, as fast as we can.

Some may say, “that’s a cop out” but honestly I pity those that still live in that completely unbiblical, stressed out, fear-filled world of Amercian church leadership.

I for one, am living the dream and it may not be big to others but it is big to those closest to me.  And I’ve never been more content.

Contentment I came across this image a few weeks back and included it my daily visual inspiration.  I haven’t been able to get away from it.  If it’s true that “a picture says a thousand words” then this definitely qualifies. To me, there’s so much going on here.  Two friends who love what they do.  Proud of what they contribute to their community.  Men of meager means.  No fame.  But, their faces say it all. What you value The quality I see most is contentment.  You can see it in their eyes… in their smiles.  Others might look on them with pity or even disdain, but not me.  In some sense, I envy their simplicity.  In another, I’ve experience a measure of contentment the past few years as never before. It all has to do with what you value and what’s truly important.  In ministry, it’s easy to fall into the trap of discontentment because you’re working for a “higher calling”.  It’s our justification for always wanting more. Take Inventory Are you truly at rest? Are you really at peace? Is there a nagging sense that you’re not paying enough attention to the most important things like family and friendships? Do you feel guilty when you take time for yourself? Do you feel as though you’re never doing enough? Are you able to stop and smile at the work of your hands? If it’s good enough for an apostle Take a look at the image above.  Soak it in.  Slow down.  Take a tip from one of the most driven figures in the Bible, Paul, when he said: Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances.  I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little.  I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.                                                            - Philippians 4:11-13 - 
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Contentment

I came across this image a few weeks back and included it my daily visual inspiration.  I haven’t been able to get away from it.  If it’s true that “a picture says a thousand words” then this definitely qualifies.

To me, there’s so much going on here.  Two friends who love what they do.  Proud of what they contribute to their community.  Men of meager means.  No fame.  But, their faces say it all.

What you value

The quality I see most is contentment.  You can see it in their eyes… in their smiles.  Others might look on them with pity or even disdain, but not me.  In some sense, I envy their simplicity.  In another, I’ve experience a measure of contentment the past few years as never before.

It all has to do with what you value and what’s truly important.  In ministry, it’s easy to fall into the trap of discontentment because you’re working for a “higher calling”.  It’s our justification for always wanting more.

Take Inventory

  • Are you truly at rest?
  • Are you really at peace?
  • Is there a nagging sense that you’re not paying enough attention to the most important things like family and friendships?
  • Do you feel guilty when you take time for yourself?
  • Do you feel as though you’re never doing enough?
  • Are you able to stop and smile at the work of your hands?

If it’s good enough for an apostle

Take a look at the image above.  Soak it in.  Slow down.  Take a tip from one of the most driven figures in the Bible, Paul, when he said:

Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances.  I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little.  I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.
                                                            - Philippians 4:11-13 -