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 Date Feb 6, 2010 Previous | Next By Bev Ellen Clarke But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.(Matthew 6:33 Today’s New International Version)
Sunday morning I set out to find a lost sweater in the guest room closet. I didn’t find the sweater, but I did come across a whole set of sermons on tape. Thinking I should have these in the car for the next longish drive, I put them out on the hall table so I wouldn’t forget to take them to the car. Spotting a few loose handwritten notes on the hall table, I transferred them to my computer desk to work on later. The empty water bottle on my computer desk reminded me that I hadn‘t been drinking enough water. Filling my water bottle in the kitchen, however, led to a whole new set of tasks. And so my morning went, wandering from room to room with assorted objects to put away and chores to take care of and never finding that lost sweater.
This same difficulty surfaces in other areas of my life as well. I seldom bother to finish one book before beginning several others. And numerous topics lead me in many directions while looking up one specific item on the internet.
Spiritual tasks are affected too.
My goal is to build a closer relationship with my heavenly Father, but I get waylaid. I read about God, the church, our beliefs… I get busy with church tasks. And I neglect coming to God, or stopping to dwell mindfully in His presence.
Passionate persuaders call us to service in a myriad of noble humanitarian projects and services. Books and magazines implore us to personal growth tasks. Sermons motivate us. We’re interested, convinced and ultimately snowed under with choices.
And in the same way that a feeling of frustration clings to the end of a scattered day without finding my sweater, a sense of frustration sometimes replaces peace when I chase in too many directions for spiritual understanding and fulfillment. At these times, a certain painting by Rembrandt has served to redirect my focus. In the famous work of art, Return of the Prodigal Son, I’m often startled to recognize my own natural stance in the older brother’s aloof observation of the homecoming. As the “good one”, he poses a cool distance from the tearful welcome of his father’s embrace.
I am that dutiful brother. I’ve read, studied and attended. But like that dutiful brother, I am just as needy of the Father’s embrace of love and forgiveness as the younger brother.
Striving for the humble posture of the prodigal needs to be my first and most important task. Practicing that first thing in the morning time to actively seek God can reset my priorities and refocus my thinking. In that quiet space of morning time my blurry world of scattered studies often jumps back into straight paths and clear-eyed vision.
Sorting cassette tapes, clearing hall table clutter, and other tasks are important projects, worthy of my time. But if those projects get in the way of me ever finding that lost sweater, I’ve lost my focus.
In the same way, church responsibilities, a dynamic book on small group ministry and an intriguing article on the origins of certain church doctrines may be worthy of my time and thought. If they take my attention away from personally coming to God, however, I’ve lost my focus. Home | About Us | Devotional | Calendar | Ministries | Coming Events | Bible Study | Prayer | News | Bookstore | About Penticton | Contact Us |
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