Anyone got a duvet? Faced with opportunity, challenge and busy lives, we can feel like we need somewhere to bury our heads. Too much we'd like to do, too much we have to do. The days are not long enough. How do we set priorities? How do we stay sane? Three thoughts:
1. Get a big vision of what God intends for his universe. Ephesians 1:10 is a good start: “to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” Or Habakkuk 2:14: “for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” God is not rescuing a few souls from a burning building. He has in mind new heavens and a new earth, filled with goodness and righteousness; a whole, shimmering, new creation. We're aiming for that, foreshadowing that. I think that means everything we do is important. If it’s worth doing at all, it’s worth taking time and care over.
2. Help out. I love being part of the Christian Church. So many people, so many gifts. A distinguished Old Testament scholar recently cooked my breakfast in a cafe that is run as an outreach to a poor community. He was taking his turn on the rota. What we can achieve together, as the body of Christ, everyone playing their little part, is astonishing. I think an advert for the Royal Navy used to say this: 'I'm only a cog in a machine… But what a machine!'
3. Follow your heart. The theologian Frederick Buechner wrote that we should look for our calling in the place “where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” This is different for everyone: caring for children, balancing a spreadsheet, befriending people from another culture, seeking God's face in solitary prayer, helping others walk with Jesus in their problems or hopes. When we do what we love and love what we do, before God, timesheets, contracts, job descriptions, plans and strategies fade to the background. Somehow—I think—we know we’re doing the right thing.
When we get the big picture, support our friends, and follow our passion, I think life falls into place.
