Week Three - Day One: Pause
If you’re keeping up with our daily offices, it is Monday morning and you are starting your third week. I think it’s appropriate for us to stop and ask what we’re doing.
So, what are we doing?
We said on our very first day that we were going to try to “have balanced, nourishing, daily spiritual meals.” In an effort to start doing that, we faced our doubts and then doubted our doubts. After that, we ended last week by looking at three clues for the existence of God. (We have two more to discuss.) In the process, we have received texts each day at noon and at 5 PM. Hopefully, this has caused moments of reflection – a full stop in the middle of frenzy.
Making Ourselves Available To God
I believe what we’re really doing through this process is making ourselves available to God.
Repeat: we’re making ourselves available to God. “Hey, God, I’m trying to think about You. Are you there? Are you real? Really real? Can we talk? I’m hoping you will show up and fill my day … and fill me! Etc.” But let’s be honest – that’s not good enough. Not by itself. I mean “making ourselves available to God” makes us sound like day laborers standing at the local 7 Eleven waiting to be picked up by some passing construction foreman that we barely understand. Frankly, that’s the way it sometimes feels, doesn’t it? This may explain why we don’t spend more time nourishing ourselves.
Let me offer an explanation for that feeling that might be helpful, then we’ll let an Old Testament prophet offer us some hope.
Our Spiritual Diet
Like you, I have heard from many, many, many sources that we as Americans eat too much sugar. “We’re fat” they say. And we can’t argue. According to these experts, sugar gives us problems in more ways than just adding to the calorie count. According to the experts, sugar actually changes our tastes. Evidently, when we fill our diet with sugar, we become immune to the natural sweetness of fruits and vegetables. Sugar gives us a short-lived artificial sense of sweetness that, not only has no nutritional value, but it also spoils our ability to enjoy the real sweetness of fruits and vegetables – foods that actually do have real nutritional value.
I don’t know if that analysis is correct, but it perfectly illustrates what happens in our spiritual diet. In our spiritual diet, we grab for the “sugars” of entertainment, busyness, comfort … you name it. We have an array of “sugar-filled, processed, spiritual food” available to us that give us a very short-lived, artificial sense of meaning, connection and joy. But a steady diet of such spiritual “food” leaves us fat and with damaged spiritual taste buds. So, we are unable to enjoy the “taste” of real spiritual food – food that actually does benefit us in real ways.
It’s no wonder that Paul told the Christians in Rome “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” He makes it sound like spiritual vitality takes some effort, doesn’t he? Realistically, we know it does. I usually end up beating myself up when my zeal goes lacking. “I must not be good enough. It’s just not enough of a priority for me, ‘cause if it was I would go for it.”
And that’s true, buy maybe not the whole truth. Maybe my spiritual taste buds have been damaged. Maybe I can’t taste the real sweetness of contemplating the things of God and prayer and spiritual conversation with others. Maybe I need to rediscover the ancient practice of daily offices to remove some of the spiritual sugar from my diet and to replace it with some real nourishment. Maybe you do too. Okay, you already know how I feel about that.
Before You Start Your Day
- Look at Jeremiah 29:11-14 and answer the following questions. This passage was written by the prophet to a group of Jews who had been forcibly removed from their homeland (Israel). It is a promise of renewal and return.
(11) For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (12) Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (14) I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
Jeremiah 29:11-14
- What kind of plans does God have?
- In the promised renewal, not only will they get their home back, but they will get a restored relationship with God. Verses 12 and 13 describe some of the contours of this relationship. So when we are rightly related to Him what happens when we pray? What happens when we “make ourselves available to Him”?
- According to Jeremiah, we are in a far better position than the average day laborer at the local 7 Eleven. Our availability to Him will be met by His availability to us. But he does add an important qualifier. Look at the end of verse 13. How are we to seek Him?
- What does “with all your heart” mean? (Don’t brush by this question. Linger here for a real answer.)
- Now look at Matthew 6:25-34 and Matthew 7:7-11. What does this add to your picture of seeking God?
(25) "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? (26) Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (27) Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
(28) "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. (29) Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (30) If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (31) So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' (32) For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (33) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:25-34
(7) "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (8) For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
(9) "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? (10) Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? (11) If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:7-11
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