The great fizzle...

Dan, A friend of mine, would always play games with a bitter-sweet attitude. He liked to play them but what frustrated him was that he would start out winning and while thinking he was going to win, at the end he would always, in his words, “fizzle” and lose.

I have been reading Paul and both his personal quest and his public mandate to focus on finishing well. Many of the stories of the kings of Israel speak of kings that didn’t finish well. I remember all the tone of scripture on this topic and see its push toward finishing well.

Everyone hopes that their live amounts to something. I once heard spoken about a pastor that finished poor that, "The impact of a life is not determined by their last moments but but the total sum of a life lived for Christ." This is true but I cannot help but question how convinced that person was of their life lived for Christ when they finish poor. Something went drastically wrong at the foundational level.

I know my own tendency to get bored with tasks after the excitement and newness wares off, or in fear of my own inadequacy back off near the end. Maybe it is a my sinfulness from the fall or my own ADD, either way it must be kept in check. Each day, am I becoming more convinced of the gospel? Not do I have more sentimental attachment to it, though that is valuable also, but rather do I believe it more with a faith that is in action, a life of abandon.

Living a life of abandon sounds romantic and spiritual but I find it hard to nail down. Most would agree that life should be lived in abandon to the world but what does that really mean? Jesus’ life of abandon I read in the gospels required much more than being “willing” to give everything, but meant more “actually” giving everything. Do I believe that I live in abandon? Not really.

To me Abandon means understanding the temporality of everything and living in light of eternity. Even this is vague. Am I concerned about retirement, investing, gaining prestige in my career? Are my decisions controlled by my fear of damaging these things? Then I am not living in abandon and I will not finish well. Where is my treasure and do I really seek it, like the man who “sold everything he had” to buy the “field” or the “pearl of great price”? Where do I draw the lines between faith and responsibility? Do I trust God to take care of me and do I follow him “to the land that I will show you…”?

My hope is that I grow in and towards faith, hope and love each day. These are the only three that remain after the “perfect” comes and everything else fades away. Faith rooted in action and action rooted in faith and this faith being in the person of Christ and the character of God. Christ and eternity has to be my vision or my life will "fizzle". Grow in faith and abandon! Focus! Strive! And Finish Well!

-Eric

Just spinning your feet...

I just came across a YouTube video of a guy that walked 1000mi for "peace" I understand how a journey of that magnitude can be an amazing reflection on humanity and on ones self and how a change of your own perception can bring about peace in others but the thought of walking 1000mi for world peace seems a bit ridiculous to me. Why not spend that time and effort doing something constructive to actively pursue peace or support for the poor, or at least work and donate the money of your efforts to those who know what to actually do about the troubles of the world. Or at least let the walk just be the mental and spiritual prep to focus your mind on some other contructive task that is the main point.

I have found that most people "want" to do something to try and make the world a more peaceful place but really don't know what to do or where to start. Some people are so motivated to do something that they will do anything, even if it is to walk 1000mi for world peace. The main thing for me is that the question of "why world peace?" is not asked. It is assumed that it is a good thing. I believe that without eternal significance life is irrelevant. Do we just wish to make life more comfortable for those who come after us. So they can live "happily" and then just die? Without the eternal perspective and the hope that is found in God I just don't see the point. Doing good for goodness sake without God and without eternity becomes empty superstition. Happiness, joy, pain all become irrelevant.

Though again I applaud him for his effort, and I am sure he got some great personal reflections, I think, in his efforts to find something to change the world, he is just spinning his wheels...or in this case, his feet.

-Eric