The Why Behind the What

I don't know about you, but my natural inclination is to coast.  You know, just let the momentum of previous effort or of gravity to do the work, so that I can take a break.  I tend to go through long periods where I just do what is easy or familiar, rather than what is excellent.

I can see the evidence all around me that this is not a good plan.  When I coast at home, the dishes pile up, the trash piles up, and we run out of wood for the wood stove, leading us to burn more oil, sending dollars up the chimney.  Coasting leads me to buy lunch instead of packing it, which leads to ingesting more calories and wasting money.  Coasting leads me to skip the gym, or my daily scripture reading.  Coasting leads me to letting the kids watch cartoons or play video games rather than engaging them.  Coasting leads me to plan my youth group lessons the night before, rather than planning, praying and preparing.

When you've had lots of success in the past, you can build up lots of momentum, and coasting can carry you for a good long time.  It can even go unnoticed that you are loosing speed, if it happens gradually.  The more momentum you had, the longer you can coast before crisis hits.  There is an old Irish proverb that seems quite apt "He who has a reputation for rising at dawn can sleep until noon."

Maybe it's only me, but haven't you had that moment when you realize your house, your car, your weight, or some other aspect of life is such a mess that you just don't even know where to start making it right?  Maybe that realization hits you on multiple fronts all at once, and the temptation is to just bury your head in the sand.  I know that's what happens to me.

So when I wake up to the fact that I've been coasting.  Coasting as a dad, coasting as a husband, coasting as a leader, coasting as an employee, coasting as a disciple, how do I get back on track?

For me the answer is in looking at 'the why behind the what',  i.e. 'motivation'.  Why do I want/need to put in some effort here?

If my house is cleaner, my wife knows I love her.  If I engage my kids, rather than plugging them into some piece of tech, then they are much more inclined to be obedient respectful and responsible, and better equipped to be the men God wants them to be.  If I stop wasting money on donunts and pizza, not only will I be healthier, but I will be able to spend money on something of greater value. If I am purposeful with what I teach teens and parents, then I will get to hear my King say, well done, good and faithful servant. 

If I continue coasting, then I have only to look at proverbs to see what happens to the fool and the sluggard, I can look at Matthew to see what happens to lazy servants and I can look at Revelation and see what happens to the luke warm.

What would it look like if I had a reason for everything that I do.  What reason could I find to watch netflix? what is the rational for spending so much time playing games on my ipad?  What decisions do I make everyday that I really cannot justify?

I've been coasting.  Making decisions because they are easy, not because they are right.  I'm almost out of momentum, and it's time to take a good long look at the "Why" behind "What" I do.

Maybe We Need a Little Controversy

Once again Carey says what's on my mind in ways I can't. 

http://careynieuwhof.com/2012/12/why-you-should-create-discontent-in-your-organization/

I only wish I had learned his suggestions for how to do this in an edifying way 2 years ago.

For anyone who may have been hurt by the way I went about leading, I sincerly appologize.  This was my heart.

This Kicked my Butt.

I sat down with my coffee, to enjoy a little reading before starting my day at the office.  To my great delight, there was a post from my favorite blogger.  It was even on a topic that I am really wrestling with.  I thought to myself, "Pumpkin coffee and and a Carey Nieuwhof post on leadership, a perfect start to my morning". 

Then I read the post and got my butt kicked.  I hope you enjoy, and are challenged.

http://careynieuwhof.com/2012/09/the-number-one-reason-you-and-the-people-you-lead-dont-change/

Malachi - a confession

WARNING: Extremely Introspective Blog Post.

WARNING: Bible Reading Required.

If you haven't done so in a while go read Malachi.  Carve out a solid half hour so you can read it, as it was intended to be read, beginning to end.  (Seriously, please don't read this post until you have read Malachi... Malachi is much better reading anyway.  Also while I have you hear in parenthesis, I will give my standard warning about annoyingly introspective )

If you are like me, and guilty of neglecting Old Testament books that don't start with the letter 'P', you may not notice what an excellent piece of literature this little book is. 

It is the perfect punctuation for the OT. 
It puts our sin right in our face, while giving us hope at the same time. 
It doesn't pull any punches.

This is a book of the Bible written to the religious. Bear that in mind.  The people being warned are do not belong to a wide world of those who do not know God, but to a people comfortable in their theology, content with their level of understanding and convinced of their own righteousness because of how they practiced religion.

I preached out of Malachi once.  It was my last series of messages before leaving the church I grew up in.  I was young(er), (more)arrogant and disillusioned. I used this book like a weapon, as a way of railing against all of the things I thought my church was doing wrong.  This morning I read Malachi, and was very tempted to apply what I read to others rather than to myself.  But as I have been meditating on it throughout the morning, I have been convicted that I need to use the word as a mirror.  Here are some of the verses that convicted me, and my accompanying confessions. 

"I have loved you," says the LORD. But you say, "How have You loved us?"

I am blessed beyond measure, but spend most of my time focused on my "problems".

 ***

"But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil?

Guilty.  How often do I turn in an effort that is "good enough" instead of giving my best to God?

 ***

You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, "How have we wearied Him?"



So many hours spent talking about things of the Lord, but when it comes time to apply them, I shrink back, or stand silently by while others shrink back, and refuse to properly apply the word.

 ***

"From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts. "But you say, 'How shall we return?

Tradition has been my filter for so long, that I am no longer sure what true worship even looks like.

 ***

"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings... Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse

I budget: "This time/energy/money is God's, this over here is for family, this is for pleasure, this is for work," etc...  I give what I feel obligated to give, and keep the rest for myself. I convince myself it is more than others give, but if I am honest I now it is less than my Great King is asking of me.  It is all His, but I treat it like it is all mine, and He should be happy with what I give Him.  I rob God.

 ***

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name... So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

In a sea of those who are religious there is a smaller group made up of people who actually fear the Lord. I must learn to tell the difference.  I must fear the Lord and seek out others who do so.

 ***

"For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the LORD of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings..." 

 

Lord forgive my arrogance, teach me to fear you.