Godward Toil

My weariness is normal...and lifts my eyes

More encouragement from Ecclesiastes.  The verses I included in my previous post had one phrase that I did not mention, but which later brought me comfort:

All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;  (Ecc 1:8)

Later in the same chapter, we read this:

And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. (Ecc 1:13b-14)

I often get discouraged about how much apparently meaningless nonsense I have to spend my day dealing with.  There are two truths that encourage me about this at different times.  One truth is that God is sovereign over all that "nonsense" and is working every bit of it for my good (Roman 8). The other is the truth contained in this Ecclesiastes passage:  that the normal human experience involves being busy with unhappy business.   Marvelously, these two truths can work together to lift our eyes to heaven!   God is working in every detail of this world.  The world is full of unhappy striving. God is keeping me and moving me ever onward toward ever increasing joy in his glory in heaven!  

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved.  (Romans 8:19-24a)

Lord, help me hold on to a vision of heaven, as I muddle and groan in the world today.

You're list will never get shorter!

One of the principles I appreciate about GTD, and often remind people when I'm counseling them about living more productivity for God, is that your list will never get shorter.  God is always working, His kingdom is always advancing, the world is always decaying.  So every time you cross something off, something new will appear.   One of the first rules I share with people (and try to remind myself every day) is "Give up the fantasy of completion."

In my daily Bible reading, I came across this passage in Ecclesiastes which caused me to meditate, once again, on this principle:

All streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.
All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.
Ecc 1:7-8

The work I have to do in my life--for my job, for my ministry, for my family--is like the streams running to the sea, and sound going to the ear.    If the stream had as its goal to fill up the ocean and be done, it would be sorely disappointed, and badly confused about its purpose.   That doesn't mean that the stream's work isn't important;  it's essential.  It's just that the goal is not clearing my list, any more than the goal of listening to music or of looking at my wife as to fill my ears and eyes so that they don't ever need to listen or look again.

Praise the Lord for his wise and perfect Word, sufficient for every circumstance of life!

Current focus for biblical productivity: Church teams and children

I'm part of a new leadership team that is starting at our church to support and strengthen our ministry to children.  My wife and I are also working to launch a family-inclusive small group that aims to equip ourselves and other families to have vibrant and productive God-focused lives together, including discovering and practicing the most fruitful ways to have family devotional time, family scripture memory, and generally live a Deuteronomy 6:7 life with our children.

So there are two topics about which I'm thinking a lot right now, and will likely blog about in the near future:

1. Church team productivity.   I deeply desire for our team to be fruitful for God in every sense.  Part of the spiritual call to leadership is to steward well the time and energy God has given team members.   We want our work to matter for the kingdom.  We want to be wise and skillful for God, leveraging any available tools and resources to accomplish the work He has given us.   And we want everyone on our team to be strengthened by their service.
2. Productive avenues of teaching and discipling children.  Our church has adopted a phrase to describe our mission: "To make more and better disciples."   How do we do that more and better as a family and as a church with our children?

I'm thankful that God has shown me and my family some of what he wants us to focus on in 2009. In pursuing these callings, part of my personal discipline needs to be discerning how much will be useful to share here.  The questions I have to ask myself before opening an editor to compose a blogpost remains the same:  1. Could posting this thought/observation/link help me or someone else be more fruitful in God's kingdom?  2.  Will posting distract or strengthen me from actually doing?  We'll see how often both of these answers are yes, but I feel energized by God's leading and the synergy I'm sensing in what he is calling me, my family, and my church to right now.

Productivity in the face of sorrow

John Piper drew from Daniel to encourage us toward biblical productivity in a post on the DGM blog yesterday.   I appreciated this encouragement to press on in God's work despite the sorrow and pain around us, and was surprised at the foundation Piper pointed to for the productivity:  God's great love for us ("you are greatly loved" Dan 9:23).    In my work, faced all the time with horrific pain and sorrow.  I often take solace in God's wisdom to get out of bed, stay focused and productive.  But I hadn't previously meditated on love, per se, as a source for strength and perseverance when news is bad.   In fact, as I examined myself, I discovered that God's great love for me is not a truth that touches me very often.  I feel much more in touch with others of his attributes and other parts of his goodness toward me.   So this was a helpful call to awaken to this love and derive comfort, strength, and good works from it.