Passion

What we feed, cultivate, and desire is what our passion is.

What do I spend my time on? What do I wish I had more time to do? Where do I direct my energies? What do I seek to know more of?

Some of the things that I enjoy are good - designing, music, reading, playing games. But if they take up the best of my time, energy and joy then what do I have left to give to God, devotions, holiness and love? Not much usually. If I claim that Jesus is Lord, then he should be my passion, and should be the object of my affection, my nurture and desire.

There are a few habits I am working on that tend to take me away from being focused on Jesus. One such habit is checking emails first thing in the morning (in doing so I am creating a personal culture that work is more important). Instead of doing this I am asking God to help me resist the temptation, and to create in me a desire to know and be with Him. Before I check my emails I have to have breakfast, and over breakfast I read the Bible, a and sometimes part of a devotional book (at the moment it's 'Knowing God') and pray. Only once I have focused on God and made him the centre of my day can I check emails.

It's a small thing, and some would say legalistic, but I know my heart and I know when it's prone to wander and where it wanders to.

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above"
I want God to be my passion, to be permeating my thoughts and conversations, changing me to be more like Jesus. I want to see Him working in me, my husband and friends.

Against Busyness

This morning I read a blog on The Gospel Coalition - 4 Ways to Win the Battle against busyness.

This paragraph jumped out at me:

"The draw of busyness is that it gives us a sense of importance. When my schedule is full, I feel like I’m in demand. Without me, we think, all of this would fall apart. As Christians, we all too often baptize this idolatry by assuming that busyness equals faithfulness. And all the while we’re “burning ourselves out for Jesus,” we’re running on the fumes of our own self-importance. Meanwhile, Jesus is unimpressed."

:/ Oh dear. Yep. That's me. I'm certain that if I didn't do my part, do the thing, make it work then it would all fail! Sometimes I act this out, most times it's sneaking through my heart and I pretend that I don't think I'm the most important and most needed in the room.

The article continues with some much needed heart surgery and urges me to rest in Jesus, sit at His feet, find my sufficiency in him and then, only then fill up my schedule with whatever he tells me to.

This prompts me to reconsider my day - am I doing these things to satisfy my own wants and desires, or am I doing it to care for others, use my gifts, please God?

In regards to ministry, do I gain satisfaction for having 100 women I'm meeting with, a tower of theology books I'm reading, planning meetings to go to, events to run? Do I take pride in answering the question, "How was your week?" with, "Busy!" Well, yes. Am I being faithful with what God has given me? Most likely not because I'm 'running on my own self-importance' and not being Christ- and other-centred. Ministry is not a checklist of achievements, it's not a campaign to improve people. It's a chance to point people to Jesus and help them live under his lordship.

I think I need to make some changes. Busyness does not equal faithfulness! God is important not me! The world will not fall apart if I stop and rest! Most of all, I need to fill my life with Jesus and be satisfied in him!

I'm going to try and switch my mind off when I'm in a rest period, and not be thinking of what I need to do, should be doing, could be doing. Instead I will endeavour to relish the God who gives me rest because I am human and need recharging. I will use the time to marvel at the God who never needs to stop and sleep.

Happy New Year!

As you could imagine the last few weeks have been ever so busy and full with family and celebrations. This Christmas I was reminded anew that Immanuel, God is with us! That's a huge thing! God, who created this world came into our world and time as a baby born to a poor young woman, to be one of us so that he could take our punishment of death! And now, as believers, God is still with us.

Immediately after Christmas we headed off to beach mission (Lorne, Vic) with my husband as one of the directors and with me as team cook. Every night for a week we ran an open mic, and some other activities such as giant jenga, a nightly poll question (on life, faith or religion) an art space and cafe/bbq. It was a joy to see the team members (new and old) interacting with people as they came into our space. Many gospel conversations were had, many discussions of ideas and perspectives and much hospitality and kindness was shown to all. One girl was feeling a bit despondent that she wasn't having many conversations about Jesus. I encouraged her that she should keep looking for opportunities to share her faith but also to know that her attitudes, behaviours and character would testify to a loving God who has saved her.

Beach mission reminded me that people are watching us and if we are loving others then they will notice that something is different. As Christians we should stand out against the way the people of the world interact with each other. God is shaping us each day to be more like His Son, Jesus and that should show!

And finally, on Sunday we were taught from the book of Philemon to live out our faith and that we should be vulnerable, genuine and God-honoring in our relationships.

This year, can I encourage you to pray that
- that you will know that God is with you,
- that God will shape your character to be like Jesus,
- that He will enable you to be genuine and honest in your relationships, and
- that you will seek to glorify God in everything you do.