To My Sunday School Buddies
06/03/07 15:59
Actually... -
let's make that "To My Sunday School Buddies, and
Everyone Who Sometimes, or Often, Feels Ruled By The
Tyranny of Busyness". Ever heard this verse before?
"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not
sin against you" (Psalm 119:11 NIV). That was always
a 'championed' verse in Sunday School, but I used to
resent it. I resented it because it was usually cited
as a reason for memorizing verses of Scripture from
the Bible. It's not that the verse doesn't refer to
memorizing and meditating on Scripture in a good way,
it's just that it became associated with another
'religious' rule (i.e. "You have to memorize Bible
verses") for me. Memorizing Scripture is a good
thing, but being a slave to a rule is not.
The funny thing is, a couple of verses down in the same section of Psalm 119, the psalmist says, "I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches" (v. 14 NIV). The writer's attitude towards the truth contained in Scripture is certainly not one of a painful slavery... - who rejoices in riches because 'they have to'?! (Indeed, if we are 'forced' into anything - even enjoying riches - it can become a 'slavery'). Psalm 119 is all about 'loving the law of God'. But I think a big part of the crux of the chapter is in verse 32 where the psalmist says "I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free" (NIV). I think that true, passionate obedience can only happen when people are free to choose to do so.
This revelation has been a revolution in my life in the last couple of years, and it's been fresh again this week. Growing up in the church, I got into a place of doing many things because I felt I 'had to' do them. In many ways I was a slave to following religious rules and customs more than I was simply loving God by obeying His principles (sometimes I wonder if I was truly living as a Christian!). It's not that the rules were based on bad stuff... - memorizing Scripture, going to church, etc. is all really good. The negative kind of slavery seems to enter when we start focusing on those things as the ends in themselves - as the primary ways in which we please (or 'earn points' with) God. I think we can only truly 'run in the path of God's commands' when we realize that we practice our religion because He has set our hearts free, and we do it because of how much we love God and want to be closer to Him (in response to how he has loved us).
This has meant a lot to me in the context of a crazy busy week this week. At numerous points in the last couple of days I have felt like a chicken with my head cut-off, having so much to do I don't know what to start next, and barely keeping my nose out of the water in a sea of overwhelming anxiety. But a couple of times in the last couple of days, I have just (out of desperation) stopped, laid down on my office floor, and said "God - I 'don't care' about everything I have to do... - what's most important to You?". Now, I don't expect God to spoon-feed me everything I need to do in the day, but at a couple of overwhelming moments He just helped remind me that I don't need to be a slave to a busy schedule (in fact, I think it saddens and is even a sin against Him when I am). I need to keep in mind that my work, my friendships, my upcoming marriage, my masters courses, and many other things are blessings that I have chosen to do and been privileged with. So, I need to keep in mind why I'm living this crazy life, and yet also be willing to lay it down and re-focus thru all of it to remember what is most important in light of just being 'Matthew Glombick - the man, and lover of God' (and lover of the most extravagantly beautiful Michelle!).
My brother-in-law dAN sABO gave me the idea of the same thing. As a jr. high band teacher, there are days when he doesn't feel like getting up and going to work. But on those days he reminds himself: "I don't have to go to work today, but I want to because this is where my passion is. I've chosen this!". (Maybe as a side note we could also say that, even when we are in situations that we haven't 'chosen', we can still choose to live them as well as we can for God's glory).
I am going to finish this bLog with a little question for all of you out there. What is the place of 'rules' in raising children? I'm not a parent yet, but I've been thinking about this. Should we have rules for our kids at all? Should we have rules as guidelines, but not force our kids to follow them (even though they will likely have to face consequences for the choices they make in response to these rules)? Should we have enforced rules in our family? What do you think?!
The funny thing is, a couple of verses down in the same section of Psalm 119, the psalmist says, "I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches" (v. 14 NIV). The writer's attitude towards the truth contained in Scripture is certainly not one of a painful slavery... - who rejoices in riches because 'they have to'?! (Indeed, if we are 'forced' into anything - even enjoying riches - it can become a 'slavery'). Psalm 119 is all about 'loving the law of God'. But I think a big part of the crux of the chapter is in verse 32 where the psalmist says "I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free" (NIV). I think that true, passionate obedience can only happen when people are free to choose to do so.
This revelation has been a revolution in my life in the last couple of years, and it's been fresh again this week. Growing up in the church, I got into a place of doing many things because I felt I 'had to' do them. In many ways I was a slave to following religious rules and customs more than I was simply loving God by obeying His principles (sometimes I wonder if I was truly living as a Christian!). It's not that the rules were based on bad stuff... - memorizing Scripture, going to church, etc. is all really good. The negative kind of slavery seems to enter when we start focusing on those things as the ends in themselves - as the primary ways in which we please (or 'earn points' with) God. I think we can only truly 'run in the path of God's commands' when we realize that we practice our religion because He has set our hearts free, and we do it because of how much we love God and want to be closer to Him (in response to how he has loved us).
This has meant a lot to me in the context of a crazy busy week this week. At numerous points in the last couple of days I have felt like a chicken with my head cut-off, having so much to do I don't know what to start next, and barely keeping my nose out of the water in a sea of overwhelming anxiety. But a couple of times in the last couple of days, I have just (out of desperation) stopped, laid down on my office floor, and said "God - I 'don't care' about everything I have to do... - what's most important to You?". Now, I don't expect God to spoon-feed me everything I need to do in the day, but at a couple of overwhelming moments He just helped remind me that I don't need to be a slave to a busy schedule (in fact, I think it saddens and is even a sin against Him when I am). I need to keep in mind that my work, my friendships, my upcoming marriage, my masters courses, and many other things are blessings that I have chosen to do and been privileged with. So, I need to keep in mind why I'm living this crazy life, and yet also be willing to lay it down and re-focus thru all of it to remember what is most important in light of just being 'Matthew Glombick - the man, and lover of God' (and lover of the most extravagantly beautiful Michelle!).
My brother-in-law dAN sABO gave me the idea of the same thing. As a jr. high band teacher, there are days when he doesn't feel like getting up and going to work. But on those days he reminds himself: "I don't have to go to work today, but I want to because this is where my passion is. I've chosen this!". (Maybe as a side note we could also say that, even when we are in situations that we haven't 'chosen', we can still choose to live them as well as we can for God's glory).
I am going to finish this bLog with a little question for all of you out there. What is the place of 'rules' in raising children? I'm not a parent yet, but I've been thinking about this. Should we have rules for our kids at all? Should we have rules as guidelines, but not force our kids to follow them (even though they will likely have to face consequences for the choices they make in response to these rules)? Should we have enforced rules in our family? What do you think?!
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