1 For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.

- Ecclesiates 3:1-8 (NLT)

All my life I have heard the phrase, “This isn’t the time or place for that.” in reference to behavior that may not have been the most appropriate for whatever particular setting I happened to be in.  Several times when I was growing up, that phrase was directed at me. (Who’d a thunk it, right? )

When we were children, we didn’t always know what was appropriate in certain social situations.  We had to be taught.  As we matured, we gained wisdom to know when the proper time and place was for things.

Likewise, as we grow in our relationship with God, and in our relationship with the church, we learn when to plant and harvest seeds of ministry; when they should be birthed, or when they have lived a full life, and the time has come for them to be a part of the past.  We gain wisdom and understanding of when we are to tear down and rebuild, whether that be in a physical or spiritual sense.  We become wise with our tongue, and discern when it is best to be quiet, or when it is best to speak out.

I pray that I become more wise, and learn to behave in the right time and proper season.

Sometimes God gives us a job to do that might be kind of similar to some of those jobs – the hard or dirty jobs that not many people are willing to tackle.

If God called us to serve in dirty places, or serve dirty people, where there isn’t much glamor or notoriety – would we serve humbly and joyfully there, if we even served at all?  I think most of us would say that we would, myself included.  But sometimes I wonder if I’d be able to serve in an uncomfortable, dirty job with joy and humility.  I might be apt to complain a bit, or be disappointed that I wasn’t involved in something, well, less dirty.

Being a servant basically comes down to the greatest commandment – love the Lord with all your heart, and love your neighbor.  We’ve all heard this many, many times.     It sounds so simple, but that whole loving your neighbor part – you know, loving even that impatient guy in the car behind you at the light who is laying on his horn, cursing aloud about you turning left (because he’s so passionate about it you can read his lips), or that kid at school who keeps talking smack about you, or that fellow member of the church committee we serve on that we have a major disagreement with – that can be difficult.

However, if our service to others is about serving God, and loving Him – and not about our need for some sort of notoriety, our need for people to think well of us, our need to be right, or our need to be comfortable – in other words, if we have the proper perspective – then loving our neighbor and serving our neighbor humbly and joyfully becomes easier.

Paul writes about love in Romans chapter 12, verses 9 through 14, and I believe that the principles he speaks of in this passage of scripture also apply when we are in service to others.  It says:

9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.

Oswald Chambers wrote in the devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest, “The power of the saint lies in the coming down and the living that is done in the valley.  Paul said ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) and what he was referring to were mostly humiliating things.”

Brothers and sisters, Jesus didn’t promise us glamor or notoriety for being one of His servants.  May we – may I – remember that even though I may be placed into serving others by doing one of those unwanted dirty jobs, that it is an honor and a privilege to do that job.  May I humbly go where I am called to serve, and may I do so with joy and a loving heart.  Amen.

“We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers – but never blame yourself. It’s never your fault. But it’s always your fault, because if you wanted to change you’re the one who has got to change.”

“My greatest strength is common sense. I’m really a standard brand – like Campbell’s tomato soup or Baker’s chocolate.”

“Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get – only with what you are expecting to give – which is everything.”

“Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don’t do that by sitting around.”

“Life is hard. After all, it kills you.”

“It’s a rather rude gesture, but at least it’s clear what you mean.”

“It would be a terrific innovation if you could get your mind to stretch a little further than the next wisecrack.”

“I think most of the people involved in any art always secretly wonder whether they are really there because they’re good or there because they’re lucky.”

“I never realized until lately that women were supposed to be the inferior sex.”

“I can remember walking as a child. It was not customary to say you were fatigued. It was customary to complete the goal of the expedition.”

“Enemies are so stimulating.”

But how often do we look at ourselves and say that?  How many times do we act thoughtlessly and unwisely?  How many times do we squander opportunities to do good?

Ephesians 5 verses 15 through 17 says, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

I can think of times in my own life when I have chosen to participate in gossip, when in hindsight I probably could have stopped it altogether.  I can think of instances when I have had the means to help someone in need and thoughtlessly have chosen not to.  I can think of a lot of times, recently even, where, instead of listening the what God would have me to do, I’ve foolishly done what I want to do, and rightfully suffered the consequences of doing those things.

Why do I act this way?  My standards should be higher!  I should be living a thoughtful, Godly life.

I am a fallen, broken human being, and as much as I would like to be, I’m never going to be perfect on my own merit.

Father God, thank you for Your grace.  Thank you for the unending forgiveness when I fall short of the standards You have asked me to live up to.  Help me to be thoughtful, to do good, and to listen to what you would want me to do.

He was pierced for our transgressions

crushed for our sins

the punishment that brought us peace

was upon Him

and by His wounds, by His wounds we are healed

We are healed by Your sacrifice

by the life that You gave

we are healed for You paid the price

by Your grace we are saved

we are saved

By His Wounds from the Glory Revealed project

Now I understand that I do have a place. Perhaps my puzzle piece needs a bit of sanding and refining to be able to fit in the spot in the puzzle that God has created for me. Do I see how I am a part of the bigger picture yet? Not quite, but I’m willing to be refined in order to know my role.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul writes to the church at Corinth about the Body of Christ, and how there are many parts which do different things, but each is necessary in order for the Body to work effectively. No one can do everything, but everyone can do one thing. We’ve all been blessed with abilities, talents, and interests that are unique to each of our faith communities. We’ve all lived different lives and have different perspectives to offer to areas of ministry within our churches. All of our different gifts can be used together to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

Picture via stock.xchng

If I think about it, though, I don’t think I would change anything about my life…even the bad parts. (And there have been some pretty bad parts.) My experiences have taught me things that I don’t think I’d have learned otherwise, and every single event that has happened has shaped me into the person I am today. I don’t know if the grass would be greener in the lawn I live in now if something had gone differently in my past.

The tough times build character…they give depth to the soul. But they make the good times taste that much sweeter.

What say you? Would you change something in your past?

Time is precious. We can’t get back lost or wasted time, so we should be good stewards of the time we have. For me, time clutter is activities or obligations that serve no purpose in my life, due to the fact that I’m not passionate about it, or that it’s a chore that I don’t have to do.

If we truly want to de-clutter our lives, we should look at how we spend our time in addition to looking at and evaluating all the stuff we own. Is what we are spending our time on something we feel good about doing? Is it something that we have a passion for, or is it something we are doing still because we’ve been doing it for years?

Our time should be spent doing things we care about, and ultimately living for God. Time is a gift. I think that if we lived as if it were a gift, that perhaps we wouldn’t be so inclined to be busy for the sake of being busy, and we would savor the moments we have and make the most of them.

Happy 2008!

Another year has begun, and like a lot of people, I have made several resolutions. However, unlike previous years where I’ve made resolutions, I really feel like I will be able to stick to them this time (of course, everyone says that, so we’ll see). So here they are:

Become friends with the treadmill again. I’m out of shape, y’all. ‘Nuff said.

Get organized, and stay that way! If any of you could see my bedroom right now, you’d understand why this is important…

Reclaim my time and rediscover what I’m about at the core. I need to say no to things, and focus my time on things that I’m passionate about and people that I care about. I have found that those things have been neglected, so it’s time to dust them off. I miss them.

How ’bout you? What is something that you’re resolved to do in 2008?

When we’re treated (we feel) unfairly, some of us choose to talk to the person we feel has wronged us. Some of us let it slide a couple of times, and then tell the people, “Hey, that’s not cool.” Others of us don’t say anything and let our hurt build up until the point that we cut off ties with those people.

In the last case, are those of us who don’t say anything partially to blame for the demise of that relationship?

You can’t have any sort of relationship, be it professional, friendship, romantic, whatever without communication. If nobody knows how you feel, especially the person who you have a grievance with, how are they to know they need to correct their behavior, and/or apologize?

If you feel like someone has done you wrong, or if you have issue with them, don’t let those feelings bottle up inside until you explode or just quit talking to them. You have to tell them.

When we don’t tell people when we feel we’ve been wronged, it starts to skew our perspective, which in turn causes dissension and separation. We start to see the annoyances, the problems, and the hurts, and put blinders up to all of the good things and the love that is there, which begins to unravel the unity that exists.

Are you in a situation in your church, your workplace, or your home where you feel like you’ve been wronged? Are you talking about how you feel to those whom have been unkind or unfair to you? Do you see the good things about the people in that place, or do you just see the injustice? What is your perspective?